Good lifting plan?

[Sass 0]

This isn't the current events forum Smitty, you can't misquote me. My point was that this fascination with biceps have lead alot of guys to just focus at that area, and chest. It's a strange, homoerotic fscination. That and the insane amount of mirror-checking.

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Oh man, there's a guy at one of the gym's I go to who lifts up his shirt half way after he does some sit-ups and all he does his rub his goddamn stomach...in front of everyone. He does this for 5 minutes in front of everyone and I just can't help but laugh when I see homeboy doing this. Nice guy...but really fuckin weird.

[Sass 0]

No, but I'm guessing it's kinda like seeing Kevin Nash's legs.

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No, the exact opposite.

 

And yes, Nash's tooth pick sized legs was disturbing.

[Failed Bridge 0]

I have not seen, nor do I want to see Nash's legs.

[Sass 0]

It's not worth it man, it's not worth it...

[Guest Leelee]

It is worth it, as a lesson to work on your entire body, and not use vitamins.

 

Although, I've always been disproportionate, having a giant right shoulder and forearm due to tennis. Until the shoulder finally burst, and I needed surgery.

[Guest Brian]

Legs are basically the same principle as upper body, in that we start with the larger muscle groups and work are way down. Kurt Angle’s basically an explosive guy and his leg workout is focused on much of the larger groups, so my first problem off-hand is that it doesn’t cover individual muscle exercises for the gluteals, for the hip abductors and adductors, and strangely neglects the calves for no apparent reason. So, I will add on those in addition to what he does. The thing I do like is that there is that there is a ton of explosiveness in the workout, utilizing the power cleans and jump squats in addition to the stand-by, the squats. The plus side of having a lot of what I term as “major” leg workouts is that these exercises incorporate a lot of different muscle segments. I have, for others, toned down the initial approach so that you can fit in all the types of specializing on muscle groups.

 

As for the muscle groups, the three really major ones are the hamstrings, the quadriceps, and the gluteals. Gluteals, to put it bluntly, are your ass, and run down and away but sorta intersect with the hamstring, on the back of your upper leg. The quadriceps is in the front. I might have this reversed, but the hip adductors are on the outside of you leg and up around the hip, that help to rotate out, and the abductors lie on the inside and do the opposite. Contrary to what a lot of people know about the calves, there are two muscles in the area, for which the names escape me. The common calf lift is a standing lift with knees locked, which really focuses on one of the muscles in the calf that runs higher up (than the other) and along the knee joint. To work the lower one, you have to bend you knee at a ninety degree angle (I recommend using the leg press) and utilizing the same movement of stepping up with your toes. With the locked leg, the longer muscle is utilized, and with the leg at an angle it is taken out of play.

 

As for the Angle workout, it starts basically the same with warm-ups. Rather than run, Angle focuses on working down technique for 40 minutes to an hour, in addition to whatever else he did during the season. Pre-jiu jitsu, I used this as an opportunity for plyometrics, like box jumps and stairs, or punching bag time. Anyways, the heart of the workout is the leg portion. Angle starts with a four sets of squats, followed by four sets of lunges, followed by four sets of jump squats, all at a moderate amount of weight. For squats, if you’ve never squatted before, I would have a weight belt (should be available at the gym) to protect your back, and start one of the assisted squatting devices (another name that is escaping me). Power cleans are challenging and you may want to switch to a lunge; since I forgot to say it with the squats, do not allow your knee to pass your toe. Power cleans are explosive and good if you know how to do them properly, and are another need of a weight belt. Jump squats are good but can be rough on the knees, are hard to pick up at first but easy to catch on once you get going. Like the squats, look for a straight back and knees before the toes. The problem with doing these workouts is that it is hard to replace the features (explosiveness) that you get out of them with other exercises. Squatting and even lunging are natural movement and easy to pick up on. The closest thing I can get to the jump-squats in terms of explosiveness is a one legged step-up, similar to the kind of thing you’d see Jane Fonda doing. With good weight, it also helps your balance; for that, I’d actually recommend a weight vest, which distributes weight evenly like normal bodyweight rather than a barbell once you get into heavier weights. Just start out with natural body weight, fifteen reps, and see how things feel.

 

Onto the second part of the workout, which focuses in on isolating the muscle groups involved in the larger exercises. Kurt’s plan focuses solely on the hamstring and quadriceps, three sets of 15 reps of each. First, I like to use lower weight at this point; not because I like to lessen the workload, but because I like to stress endurance after busting out a ton of power. I shoot high, with 25 reps per set. I also throw in three sets for the gluteals. The motion of this exercise is like a mule kick. I also throw in three set of the hip adductors and abductors in the same vein, you need to motion in and out from your hips in a sitting position. Think of going from a sumo squat and closing your knees together. There should be a machine that mimics the motion. As for calves, I like to do two different types of raises. I’ve mentioned them both before, one with the legs extended and one with the leg at a diagonal. The leg press can be used for both of these, and unless there is a machine specifically tailored to do the diagonal-legged calf raises, you don’t have a choice on how to do things.

 

Third day is basically a day of being active without the lifting under the Angle program, than repeat and rest for a day.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

This isn't the current events forum Smitty, you can't misquote me. My point was that this fascination with biceps have lead alot of guys to just focus at that area, and chest. It's a strange, homoerotic fscination. That and the insane amount of mirror-checking.

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I wasn't trying to argue with you. I was actually agreeing with you. A lot of guys who want big arms focus on their biceps when triceps are the key to big arms. We're in agreement here, I'm pretty sure.

[Failed Bridge 0]

I don't want to make another thread so I'll say it in here. With another 2lbs gone I've lost 13lbs since I started my diet Monday. The combination of dieting and walking seems to be working very well and I feel great.

 

I'm just extremely happy about the results and wanted to share them.

[Guest Leelee]

You've lost 13 pounds in less than 4 days?

 

I'm not sure if that's a good thing...

[Failed Bridge 0]

I think its mainly water weight and a little fat. I still have to pick up my calcium suppliments, fishoil pills, and flaxseeds (not the kind a certain San Fran LFer claimed to use) but otherwise I'm taking everything I should be and I'm not starving myself. Thus far today I've had 3 eggs, 3 Natural Casing old tymer hot dogs and some Kiwi-Strawberry flavored water.

[Damaramu 0]

At the end of July I lost 20 pounds in like 2 weeks and it made me feel like shit.

 

So if I wanted a body like the Ultimate Warrior I'd pretty much have to live in the gym and take roids right?

[Matt Young 0]

The other wrestlers didn't call him "The Anabolic Warrior" for nothing.

[Guest Brian]

A little aside about living in the gym is that is exactly what Arnold pretty much did at the old Gold's (or wherever he was exactly). Basically, what Arnold did, and was work in segments, breaking up his workouts. The best time to eat after lifting is about a half-hour to an hour after your lift, as your metabolism is still relatively high and the muscles will take in those vitamins and burn off the carbs easily. So, he would break up his workouts, eat , than wait to start a new one. In completely erratic and crazy fashion, once a month or so, he would take a barbell and weights into the woods, and after running and squatting to-no-end (some crazy amount of sets at like 4-500 lbs.), and then just eat a huge meal. Well, that's the way the Govenator used to do it.

 

I'm going to start working on another workout in this style.

[Damaramu 0]

So there's no way to get a Hulk Hogan/Ultimate Warrior/random buff 80's wrestler physique without steroids?

[Guest bigm350]

So there's no way to get a Hulk Hogan/Ultimate Warrior/random buff 80's wrestler physique without steroids?

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Its possible, but you have to be in the 5% of the entire population who would have the genetic gifts to acheive it.

[Failed Bridge 0]

you don't need genetic gifts...its more like money. To get that way you have to devote yourself to working out and only working out. That hardly leaves time for a job.

[Damaramu 0]

Yeah or if you had that job you could use the money for steroids and get the body the quick and dirty way....

[Slayer 0]

Dama without steroids is tempermental enough, I don't want to imagine him in roid rage

[Black Lushus 0]

Dama, you're best bet is to get the powerlifter route...work on benchpress, deadlift, squats and olympic style lifts (2 hand snatch, clean and jerk...what lovely names)...with your body type, I don't think bulking up is the best route to go...

[Damaramu 0]

Well I'm not really looking to bulk up. Just define and lose weight. Although it's not like I'm fat anywhere else on my body except my gut. And it's not from beer. I'm 21 and I didn't start reguarly drinking until I turned well 21. Drinking copious amounts of Dr. Pepper will do the same thing beer will to your stomach. That's why I don't drink pop anymore.

But after I tone up and lose the gut I may want to bulk up.

I know one thing. I'm not strong enough. People look at me and think "that dude must be strong" but i'm really really average in that department. In my Judo class(yes i know judo isn't about strength but still) I can get overpowered by people smaller than me because they lift and such.

[Failed Bridge 0]

I lost another 2lbs. The results of this are real great but I still need my calcium suppliments. Hopefully my bones don't turn to shit.

[Damaramu 0]

Do I need to take any vitamins or supplements to survive if I change my diet and begin hardcore exercising?

I take a multivitamin everyday.

[Failed Bridge 0]

I'd consult with a physician about that one. Brian seems to be the most knowledgable about all of this but I have no idea if he has a sports medicine degree. Either way, I'd say you'd want a doctor monitoring you to see how your blood pressure is doing and other things.

[Damaramu 0]

So if I want to increase strength then do I need to do sets with low reps and high weight?

[Matt Young 0]

Man, my governor kicks ass.

 

Brian, thank you so much for all the advice you've given us, but I'm curious- Since you keep talking about all your workouts, doyou haveany pictures you could share? Just wantedto seewhat kind of shape you're in.

[Guest Brian]

Eh, I may get a picture of myself up here eventually. I've stil got to take off the weight that I put on when I tore my knee, as I'm still about twenty pound up of where I should be (6'0 and 250 whereas I used to be 220 and have a 32" waist pre-injury). I spent alot of time where I couldn't lift or had a ton of restrictions, and now almost a year after being hurt my legs are just up to strength (as of about three weeks ago) and my cardio is where it was (I can spar in BJJ for thirty minutes). So, my shape right now is a bit deceptive, as my cheeks are a little chubbier than normal, but my shoulders still have the shape they used to. It's a matter of diet, and I've had way too much fun just experimenting in the kitchen to cut out, but I have to.

 

Dama, the guy to ask about nutrition would be Cornell Mik.

 

As for strength, I would personally mix it up between high weights and low weights. Muscles have to be challenged. Look through the old thread, as I talk about it a few times. For instance, the last ten weeks I've been lifting a cycle of one-a-days (one muscle group a day for upper body). Week-to-week, the exercises I do each day are generally different. The reason this works really well is because the muscles get challenged by different motions and different weights, also through endurance. Most people will peak at some point doing a certain routine each week; I usually peg this at about a ten week cycle (alot of fighters, such as Couture also do this). I switch up my weekly routine every ten weeks.

[Guest Brian]

I want to say this about lifting. A lot of people swear by the one-set rule, and there is a lot of information to back this up. The idea is that you can do, say one set of bench press, one set of fly, one set of so-and-so for chest, than back, shoulder, so on (8-12 reps). The idea behind this is there is reasonable evidence that the gain between one set of an exercise and three sets is minimal (like 7.5% or so) and that you can actually get more done if you change the types of exercises you do (by changing motion, by changing all kinds of periphreals such as free weight vs. machine vs. cable). Never worked for me, except for that it helped build my muscle endurance for later workouts. Basically, I would use both the cable and the free weights to try and give yourself different ranges of motion. Four different exercises.

[Matt Young 0]

This is a lot of information to digest. I posted on the bodybuilding.com forums asking for help, but noluck yet. I'm tiredof waiting to start working out, but I don't want to go in unprepared. I just don't have $100 to spare for a few brief sessions with a personal trainer.

[Damaramu 0]

Luckily I can go to the gym at school for free. But I don't live in Norman I live 20 minutes away. So the best thing I can do is go after class to save gas but that's no good because I'm always dead tired after class. Sucks.

I've taken pics of me with no shirt on from June and I have a few from recently. I should post them. You can see the difference.

[Guest Leelee]

I've taken pics of me with no shirt on from June and I have a few from recently. I should post them.

 

Yes, you should!