Quote: (05-07-2013 10:32 AM)Plutoman Wrote:
I'm 6'2", in the same boat... currently weigh 165 at like 7-8% BF. Goal is to get enough on me that my ribs don't show in any place. Good core, but no chest to speak of atm - getting there, I'm seeing gains over the past couple weeks.
Time limited, so I'm going to follow Valentine's study there a bit. Even if it -isn't- as efficient as a full blown training program, if I can get 2/3rds of the benefits from 90min/week compared to 12+ hours a week, it'd be worth it. Time and calorie intake have been my two major blocks.
It's the only type of workout I've been able to stick to long-term, the time investment really is so small there's no excuse to not going to the gym.
Just a few pointers on creating a workout program:
1) You need to have at least 1 Push (e.g. bench press), 1 Pull (e.g. chinup) and 1 Lower body exercise. I use 2 of each but I'm not sure it's all that necessary.
e.g.
1 Push vertical plane i.e. shoulder press + 1 horizontal plane i.e. bench press
1 Pull vertical plane i.e. chinups + 1 horizontal plane i.e. rows
1 Quadricep-dominant i.e. leg press + hamstring-dominant i.e. leg curl (don't squat, note at bottom of post)
There's a few more exercises I do e.g. grip training, vacuums etc but they're just supplemental.
I do a split-body workout upper/lower with 6 days rest between an upper and a lower workout. You'll have to track your results to find out how quickly you recover.
2) Going to
total failure is the most important part. I use drop sets to make sure I get there but it's all down to personal preference.
If you're not setting a personal record every time you hit the gym, you're doing something wrong. Think about it: when you workout you're creating a stimulus that makes you body think
fuck, I need to grow or next time this lion or whatever the massive weight I'm pushing away is going to kill me.
If you're not getting stronger, then you either haven't been resting long enough (increase time between workouts/reduce volume of exercises), eating enough or pushing yourself to total failure. Remember:
gun to head intensity.
It will hurt.
A LOT. But that is the price for excellence.
3)
Tracking your workouts is also massively important. You want to use a weight you can lift with a slow, controlled tempo (e.g. 3-1-3) for between 45 seconds to 2 minutes before you can't complete a full repetition. Log down how long you managed to push for, then complete drop sets (or keep pushing the original weight) to total failure.
More info on High Intensity Training here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rNm4kSl3Og
More info on why (back) squats are terrible for your body:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF7FJsDrpWY