If you are a beginner or are asking for a program please read this

[blakedaddy]

I noticed lately that many posters have no idea where to start, or think they need an advanced program, when they just need more emphasis on the basics to get closer to their goals..

so please read through this link, it will really help you

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224

for the regulars here, let's constantly keep this thread up so the newbs can see it...

[vinoi]

Good link.

Tips for the new guys: If you know how to search for people on facebook, then I'm pretty sure you na kaya nyo din mag search ng ibang sagot sa mga tanong tungkol sa body&fitness. Hehehe

[AkiFoblesia]

I have no problem with my consistency and food discipline. Unfortunately I seem to have done all the wrong combination and feel like I should start like a newbie after 2 years of consistent workout yet without obvious results.

The only thing I gained is to predictively increase or decrease my weight. That's no problem for me now. But the muscles? Still wishing.

Have to unlearn a lot. Oh well, tomorrow is a new start.

Question: Do I really have to do cardio and strength on separate days? Is a little cardio after workout fine? By a little cardio I mean brisk walk to jog for 10 to 25 minutes. Asking this because I will need to prepare my stamina for the next coming weeks.


Thanks a lot. The link was good.

[blakedaddy]

Just one question. Do I really have to do cardio and strength on separate days? Is a little cardio after workout fine? By a little cardio I mean brisk walk to jog for 10 to 25 minutes. Asking this because I will need to prepare my stamina for the next coming weeks.

doing cardio after working out is fine

[AkiFoblesia]

Thanks blakedaddy. A follow up question:

Suggestion at the site was:
Workout A
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlift

Workout B
3x5 Squat
3x5 Standing military press
3x5 Power cleans

Really? 3x5? I usually see people do it 3x12, which is what I do as well.

[jamesbryant]

yup 3x5 talaga.. my Q&A bout dun sa sets and reps

[blakedaddy]

Really? 3x5? I usually see people do it 3x12, which is what I do as well.

well as you know by now, what everyone does doesn't necessarily mean its the correct or best thing...

for beginners, doing high reps isn't the best idea since their coordination is still off... so keeping the reps at 5 and just doing more sets helps them learn and master the mechanics of the lift better.

[jrMostwanted]

right now im doing 3x10 bout 3x5, how can i adjust? should i increase my lbs and lower my reps?

[brianpex]

This explains why it's 5 reps:

[blakedaddy]

right now im doing 3x10 bout 3x5, how can i adjust? should i increase my lbs and lower my reps?

best thing to do is test what you can do for 5 reps... wherein the 6th rep you'll suffer a bit in form... once you get than reduce the weight by roughly 15 lbs and start there

[patrickt]

Hi jrMOSTWANTED!

You may find some of the PERCENTAGE-REPETITION tables useful.

Its just a table that says you can do a certain no. of reps for a given percentage of your 1 Repetition Maximum (RM).

If you dont know yet, 1 RM is the ABSOLUTE amount of weight you can lift for ABSOLUTELY 1 repetition only!

100%- 1 repetition
98%- 2 repetitions
95%- 4 repetitions
90%- 5 repetitions
85%- 8 repetitions
80%- 10 repetitions
70%- 15 repetitions
60%- 20 repetitions

The reps given above of course are only APPROXIMATIONS and vary depending on your strength or weakness for a given exercise, as well as your mental tenacity. Other tables list less reps than the above.

Of course the most accurate way is to determine your 1 RM (max out) and then take approx. 90% of this.

But maxing out requires a LOT from you, physical and mental. If you`re pretty CONFIDENT of both, you can max out, when in doubt, dont. Or you might just decide to get a 8RM or whatever, your choice The heavier you go, the greater the danger of INJURY!

I`ve worked with Percentage-rep tables all of my competitive and non-competitive life and found them very useful. In fact any serious lifter who trains with any inkling of science uses a Percentage-Repetition table.



BRIANPEX and EVERYONE- Your table is absolutely right and obviously highlights
the benefits of LOW rep training in general (1 to maybe 6 reps).

This is all OK for a relatively advanced/fit person. But assuming a GENUINE 5 RM (approximately 90% of 1 RM) for a beginner, this is NOT reccomended!

Why? Due to a beginners general lack of conditioning (very weak stabilizer muscles, lack of coordination, etc..) which could cause bad form and lead to potential injury!

If you`ve ever done a SINCERE 5 RM (somebody calls it "blood and guts" i think) you will KNOW that any deviation from less than "perfect"/safe form may lead to an injury! Doing a TRUE 5 RM requires 110% CONCENTRATION as well as a developed KINAESTHETIC perception (knowing the position of your body and limbs when doing a movement/exercise).

Its HARD/DANGEROUS enough for a seasoned athlete or lifter with GOOD stabilizer muscles and coordination to do a 5RM given he`s 110% CONCENTRATION and well developed KINAESTHETIC awareness! What MORE for a BEGINNER!

I speak from EXPERIENCE!

On the subject of using HEAVY LOW reps to master FORM... i wonder if there has not been a misinterpretation of this?

When training FORM/TECHNIQUE/COORDINATION with Muscular Strength for something like a CLEAN and JERK or SNATCH or something similiar, HEAVY WEIGHT and LOW reps is what ADVANCED lifters use (necessary to satisfy the Principle of SPECIFICITY). BEGINNERS are NOT ADVANCED lifters.

No less than people like VLADIMIR ZATSIORSKY support my belief in this post from my EXPERIENCE. If you dont know him, he is a Russian sports scientist that worked 18 yrs as dept chairman and taught at the Dept of Biomechanics at the "Central institute of Physical culture" in Moscow.


Some of you may consider him as simply a nerd with no REAL athletic background and no REAL contribution to SPORTS. But this is UNTRUE of course, otherwise he wouldnt have been appointed as consultant to the U.S.S.R. National OLYMPIC teams for 26 years. In fact even LOUIE SIMMONS of WESTSIDE BARBELL has read ZATSIORSKY`s stuff as part of his LEARNING.


BUT WAIT, there`s (just a little) more...

Me and BLAKEDDADY have had these discussions, and he says that he does LOWER the WEIGHT of the 5RM if he notices a FORM BREAKDOWN.

I find the 5x5 for BEGINNERS acceptable if done with his method , just BE ULTRA CAREFULL nevertheless for reasons i stated above.





T

[blueorgreen]

what about for the girls whose goal is to lose weight?

any advice?

which is advisable whole body workout or split workout,circuit program(working out 5-6x a week)?

if whole body, wouldn't it be over training?

[blakedaddy]

^ you can read through the link and it is also ideal for women

I've been doing fullbody for ages, my gf has been doing fullbody for more than 3 years and yet she has never over-trained

[patrickt]

Hi BLUEORGREEN!
ANY program you decide to do (full body or split or whatever) can OVERTRAIN you if you do TOO MUCH TOO SOON, thats the bottom line. Easier said than done, but WORTH doing anyway!
patrick

[jrMostwanted]

thanks guys.... i think u really help people here.... im glad i found this site hehe.....

[patrickt]

Your Welcome!

[drifter8]

1. Sir for begginers ano ba mas effective na program?
2. ano ba mas maganda? heavy weights na kaunti *** repetition o normal weights na madming repetition? kasi may nagsabi sa akin na mas madaming repetition ginagwa mo for muscle cuts daw un and mas heavy weights for muscle mass! totoo ba un?

[military_press]

^

1. for begginers, the best program is startting strength of mark ripptoe. here's the link http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224

2.hindi totoo yung high reps for cuts. para maging cut ka dapat you have to lower your body fat % below 9%. to have cuts/ripped nasa diet lang yan. diet is the biggest part. to have a lower body fat dapat sympre very clean dapat diet mo

[blueorgreen]

how would you know/classify if you are already overtraining??

how many exercises do you do per muscle group??

sir blake,(just curious)

how heavy was your GF's heaviest lift(squat,chest presS) so far??

thanks!

[military_press]

one per body part is enough.

sa starting strength gagawin mo lang eh:
workout A
squat
bench
deadlift

workout B
squat
military press
rows

that's it.

for me, overtraining if you are doing too many exercise and doing forced reps aka as spots.