Can you answer unknwnnm2’s question about Bodybuilding?:

What is an effective weight lifting routine for building muscle? How many sets and repetitions per set should I be doing?

For example, if I am doing bench presses, should I do 12 repetitions and slightly increase the weight per set? Or should I use a larger increase the weight per set and do less repetitions?

If anyone could provide some tips or advice, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Body Building Workout Routine

A body sculpting work out plan can be hard on your body. By using intense resistance exercises and multiple repetitions, you can define your muscles, tighten any ‘loose’ areas, and reshape your figure. But all the information you find on the internet and in magazines may have you wondering if it’s even possible for you to find one body sculpting work out plan that will work for you – there are just too many choices out there. In truth, you can design a body sculpting plan that will work for you.

Here’s how: When you want to create your own body sculpting work out plan, you need to look at what your body needs. Are you looking to add muscle tone or are you new to exercise altogether? Once you determine your goals, you will be able to create a plan that’s custom-made for you.

Make a list of all the goals you want to achieve with this fitness plan and then consider the following body areas you can target:

· Upper body

· Abdominals

· Lower body

While you may have certain areas that need more toning than others, you will want to create a body sculpting work out plan that includes all of the major areas of your body. This allows you to have a balanced look instead of creating a body that’s toned in some areas, but not in others. And it’s also good to note that spot reducing is not possible. Trying to reduce the size of your thighs is not something a body sculpting plan can do necessarily possible, but when you increase the muscle in your arms and torso, your thighs can look thinner in comparison as well as be tighter from your fitness work.

There are seven exercises that every body sculpting work out plan should include:

· Basic abdominal crunches

· Pushups

· Shoulder presses

· Bench presses

· Squats

· Lunges

· Calf raises

While these exercises might seem too simple, they are simply the most effective choices for a beginning plan. As you progress, you can add more exercises to the routine or reconfigure the routine entirely. After all, why make your body sculpting work out plan more complicated than it needs to be? To make your body sculpting work out plan effective, we sure to workout out certain muscle groups every other day. For example, you should workout your upper body one day and the lower body the next. Or you can do all of your exercises on one day and then rest the day after. You need to include this rest in order for your muscles to repair themselves and be ready to work hard the next time.



Thanks to Machelle Lee for contributing this article to our Bodybuilding blog:

Dumbbell Weight Set

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In the world of competitive bodybuilding, the illusion of size often trumps actual size. Bodybuilders will choose to under-develop certain muscle groups in order to make other body parts appear larger. For example, some bodybuilders will avoid abdominal training in order to make the shoulders appear larger and wider. Or, another example is the new pros that have had to reduce their quadriceps training in order to let their genetically challenged calves appear larger.

The forearms are a muscle group whose training is debated among bodybuilders. Some bodybuilders feel that the biceps appear larger when the forearms are small. Some genetically blessed bodybuilders have forearms that grow very rapidly. When they train them directly, their forearms soon overpower the biceps. In cases like this, it might be acceptable to skip forearm training. However, for beginner and intermediate bodybuilders, neglecting forearm training could mean putting oneself at a distinct advantage in compound lifts, due to the forearms being unable to maintain grip on a heavy bar.

The forearms are a muscle group, which receives stimulation all day in almost everything we do. For this reason, high repetitions with moderate weight won’t do a great deal for the forearms, other than deliver a bit more stamina, as it’s a routine they are very used to. The best technique for developing powerful forearms is to employ heavy weights, low reps, and lots of sets. Wrist curls (regular and reverse) are great for training the forearms themselves, and reverse bicep curls, also known as Zottman curls, deliver great stimulation for the biceps-forearm tie-in.

As you move through your heavy back day movements, take note as to what exercises fail, at what points, and what the failed muscle group happens to be. If you notice you cannot complete high-repetition deadlifts with heavy weight because your grip fails, focus simply on grip work. Hold a heavy barbell as long as possible. Repeat.

Powerlifters should always train forearms – there shouldn’t even be a discussion on that issue. The forearm is often the weak area, which gives out before back and legs during dead lifting. Additionally, weak forearms are certainly exposed when bench pressing. The powerlifter has a responsibility to train forearms just as intensely as all other body parts. If they end up overpowering everything else, the entire better. The powerlifter will look better in polo shirts. The goal of powerlifting is to move the most weight, and weak forearms equate to less weight moved.



Thanks to Dane Fletcher for contributing this article to our Bodybuilding blog:

Interval Training Weight Loss

One of the biggest frustrations of bodybuilding and personal trainers is witnessing gym members who work out for two hours or more, 6 or 7 times a week, performing the same using the exact same weight, sets, and repetitions. Instead of challenging their body to do more than it’s capable of, they simply go through the motions. While they do maintain their current strength levels, they never progress beyond this to become even stronger.

What Is Progressive Overload?

The term progressive overload involves gradually increasing the demand upon the muscular system in order to continually make gains in muscle size, strength, and endurance. In other words, in order to become bigger and stronger, you must continually lift more, forcing your muscles to work harder than they are used to. If you don’t, your muscles will not become any stronger or bigger than they currently are. Progressive overload is one of the foundation cornerstones upon which effective bodybuilding workouts are based.

You need progressive Overload!

Let’s say you perform 1 set of the barbell bench press at 150 pounds for 8 reps. As your training progresses, 1 set of 150 pounds for 8 reps becomes easier and easier. Although your chest muscles have become stronger since you first started training, they eventually stop getting bigger and stronger. This is because they have adapted to the weight you are using.

Continuously using the same weight, for the same number of reps, has diminished the need for the muscles to “try” and become bigger and stronger. The demands are simply no longer sufficient. Even if you continued performing 1 set of 150 pounds for 8 reps for the rest of your life, your strength and muscle size would never improve beyond a certain point. In order for your chest muscles to become bigger and stronger, you need to place more demands on them.

Ways To Create Progressive Overload

Unless you are content with your present strength and size, you’ll have to start applying various techniques to force your muscles out of the plateau stage during your bodybuilding workouts. The following are some of the easiest to apply. However, don’t introduce them into your workouts all at once.

Increase the resistance

This is probably the simplest way to employ the progressive overload principle. A good indication that you need to start increasing resistance is when you are able to perform more than your target repetitions. For example, if 10 reps is your goal, but you can easily perform 12 or 15, then you know it’s time to add more weight to the bar (or machine). Do not, however, make the mistake of sacrificing technique just so you will be able to lift more weight. Technique always ranks above weight when it comes to progress and safety.

Increase the number of sets

It won’t be long before 1 or 2 sets of an exercise becomes insufficient at increasing muscle growth. You should increase the number of sets to 3 or 4 around the third or forth week of your training. You’ll notice that you’ll experience the same degree of muscle soreness that you did when you first started working out.

Increase the number of repetitions

Don’t just stop at some random number. Always try to perform 1 or 2 additional reps on each exercise. Initially, you won’t be able to do extra reps without the help of a spotter. However, when the point comes that you can, you’ll know it’s time to increase the resistance during your bodybuilding workouts.

Split the body and increase the number of exercises

One of the primary disadvantages of the full-body routine is that it provides you with only enough time (and energy) to do one or two exercises for each muscle group. Eventually the muscles adapt to those same exercises and plateau. Training different muscles on different days will give you the time and energy to perform more exercises for each muscle.

Increase your training intensity

Increasing the intensity during every set means you can lift more weight and/or add more repetitions. This creates a more productive workout because your muscles have been forced to work beyond what they are normally accustomed to. If you have difficulty motivating yourself, a training partner can be a good external motivator. In addition, a workout partner can help prevent injury and alleviate any subconscious worry about dropping the weight.

Making Progressive Overload Work For You Take a good look at your current bodybuilding workouts and fitness goals. Which of these techniques will work most effectively in creating progressive overload for you? The techniques you chose should be congruent with your current bodybuilding goals. For example, if you are a pre-contest bodybuilder, muscular endurance or losing body fat is probably your primary goal. Therefore, you will probably want to increase the repetitions, rather than the resistance. Conversely if you’re an off-season bodybuilder your primary goal should be increasing muscle strength and size. The bulk of your training should be using as much weight for lower reps (i.e. 6-8). Determine what is important to you and what will improve your overall fitness standing



Thanks to Bob Howard for contributing this article to our Bodybuilding blog:

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