Strength Training - Please help!

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  • red21dog
    red21dog Posts: 10
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    Im doing strenght training and i just learned that it is best if you are going to work more then one muscle group that you should do.

    Mon
    Back = one arm dumbbell rows, reverse pull downs, seated cable rows, wide grip pulldowns, and dumbbell shrugs
    Triceps= close grip pushdowns, Dumbbell kickbacks, close grip bench press, one arm pushdowns, overhead barbell extensions
    Tues.
    Chest= Cable crossovers, Barbell bench press, Flat dumbbell bench press, Flat dumbbell flys, incline dumbbell press
    Biceps=standing dumbbell curls, hammer curls, incline dumbbell curls, seated dumbbell curls, standing barbell curls
    Cardio after workouts for about 25 to 30 min and it will hurt on leg day!!!! lol
    Now i do one day legs
    And one day all the rest like Core, Deltoids, etc.
    If im off work or off from the gym i ride my bike
  • awaybirdiesweep
    awaybirdiesweep Posts: 3
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    Haha gosh these posts are all over the place. So conflicting. I have definitely heard that high intensity interval training is the best and trying to find full body movements that work multiple muscle groups. I have been taking a military science bootcamp class at the university I go to and we do pushups, pullups, sit-ups, burpees (which are awesome!), plate thrusters http://www.muscleandfitness.com/training/legs/stairway-seven, kettle bell swings in a circuit and then go run half a mile and come back and some days do just burpees and situps then a 5k, some days run different lengths around one block, then two blocks, then three blocks, repeat a couple times and some days we do suicide sprints or box jumps, burpees, sit ups, and pull ups. I personally think workouts like that are just awesome and interval training is soooo good for you. I've taken exercise science classes and they say it really is kind of the best for you. If you want to be super bulky though I'm sure it's a totally different approach.
    Oh yeah though, there are sooo many exercises for abs, you want to do stuff for that works all the different parts, for example, obliques (i loove medicine balls), lower abs (leg lifts), upper abs (sit ups), and bicycles.
  • atiredsmile
    atiredsmile Posts: 5
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    A couple of things:

    1. I try not to suggest split muscle group routines for people who are starting out.

    Why not??
    To quote Mark Rippetoe:
    "The human body functions as a complete system - it works that way, and it likes to be trained that way. It doesn't like to be separated into its constituent components and then have those components exercised separately, since the strength obtained from training will not be utilized in this way. The general pattern of strength acquisition must be the same as that in which the strength will be used. The nervous system controls the muscles, and the relationship between them is referred to as "neuromuscular." When strength is acquired in ways that do not correspond to the patterns in which it is intended to actually be used, the neuromuscular aspects of training have not been considered."

    If you're just starting off for the first time, then doing isolation work is tricky, and can encourage and promote imbalance and a "weakest link in the chain" Think about lifting and carrying a couch for example. It is a complex movement that utilizes different muscle groups. If your isolation work has made you stronger in your arms, but you have neglected your legs and abdomen, then your arms may be adequate for the job, but your other body parts will not.

    From seeing the topic creator's original workout, he has already made the mistake of neglecting his lower body entirely. Compound workouts are better for beginner's as they promote overall balanced strength.
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
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    Please work your legs! You are going to look very strange with big arms/chest and chicken legs!
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
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    Please work your legs! You are going to look very strange with big arms/chest and chicken legs!
  • red21dog
    red21dog Posts: 10
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    Never start with cadio because it uses that energy that can go into ur workout. and if you lift right you will see that it is needed to push threw.

    I also do this if im lifting 65lb. dumbbells i will start with 35lb do about 20 reps. to get the blood flowing to the muscle then strech and then hit the big ones but good luck and we all are here for support.
  • trelm249
    trelm249 Posts: 777 Member
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    I have only been lifting for a year, but here are my thoughts and answers to some of the questions out there.

    Why do I separate serious cardio and serious lifting into separate days? I am just too trashed to have the energy for the other after having done 1. That being said, I do about 10 minutes of moderate cardio for a warm up prior to lifting.

    The bulk of my lifting routine is built around major compound moves doing a full body every lifting session. Day 1 includes powercleans. Day 2 includes Squats and Leg Press. Day 3 starts off with Deadlifts.
    Why a major focus on compound movements for a newer lifter? It is simple economics of time to benefit ratio. Compound movements hit more muscles and burn more calories per the time spent in the gym versus isolation movements. Get as much as you can out of each drop of sweat running down your body.

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