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Workouts.

Blogs > Foucault
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Foucault
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
Sweden2826 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-03 23:25:36
June 01 2009 19:58 GMT
#1
[image loading]


Hello guys!

In my last blog I said that my blogs will be quite unstructured in terms of topics covered, but I will still try and organize my blogs a bit. This blog will be about different basic workouts and how to combine them. I will make more in details descriptions of exercises later on.

In my opinion it's best to mix weight-lifting with cardio a regular basis. That doesn't mean you have to run 4 marathons/week but just getting in some basic cardio will do you good in so many ways. This blog isn't about getting huge or being a powerlifter like InControl (although powerlifting exercises will be covered of course because they are awesome). This blog is about getting a nice, healthy physique that not only is about putting on muscle but also cardio.

I work out 4-5 times a week currently and sometimes I do 6 workouts/week. When you work out that much you will need to get some things in check, namely sleep and food. Otherwise your body will break down pretty fast and you can end up burnt out, feeling fatigued and in worst cases, becoming depressed because of the massive stress on your CNS (Central nervous system), if it doesn't get any chance to recover. Rest is essential in all exercise, however that resting period doesn't have to equal a day free of any sort of exercise. Our bodies are strong and we are capable of going to pretty extreme measures when it comes to using our body.

I will start by explaining 2 different workout routines that I do weekly. First one goes like this:

Monday: Chest, shoulders, triceps + 3-4 sets of bodyweight abs.

Tuesday: Running 5K as fast as possible (while of course being able to actually run the entire length).

Wednesday: Back, biceps, abs

Thursday: Crosstrainer, stairmaster etc. Basically some slower cardio that doesn't compromise your muscle/strength gains as much as running do. Keep in mind my schedules are not about getting a huge body.

Friday: Legs + some assorted stuff like forearm exercises, + 3 sets of muscle groups you need extra working on, like back, chest whatever. Also 3-4 sets of abs.

Saturday: On my "tough" weeks I put in some cardio here too, but this is mainly when I'm cutting a bit.


SO, the basic layout of the body-split for weights is:

chest/shoulders/triceps, (abs)
back, biceps, abs
legs,(abs)

This is a small variation of a very commonly used split, and it's pretty good.


The other weekly exercise routine that I do, goes like this:

Monday: Full body weights workout

Tuesday: Cardio (usually running 5/10K)

Wednesday: Full body weights workout

Thursday: Cardio/rest

Friday: Full body weights workout


This week the workout routine for weights consists of a workout for your entire body 3 times a week. The idea behind this is that it's beneficial to stimulate (use) your muscles several times a week with a lower set-load each time, instead of doing one muscle group only once a week and blasting out 12-15 sets.

A golden rule for weight lifting is that you should always mix things up and change weekly routines. It's best to do one routine for a couple of weeks though and then switching to another one. Right now I'm mixing these workout routines whenever I feel like it basically, just experimenting.

Someone who would only want to put on muscle would usually lift weights 3 times/week and rest the days in between (ie no cardio). This maximizes muscle gain but obviously at the expense of general health. Cardio is so important for many reasons; it lowers stress hormones in your brain and releases endorphins, which will make you feel very good. Also, running or doing some other kind of normal/intense cardio will burn more fat from your abdominal area and make the composure of your body better, more "athletic looking" because of the reduced belly fat. This is of course if you have a negative calorie balance.

One very basic thing you must understand is that you gain weight if you eat more calories than you use during a day and loose weight if you use up more calories than you eat.

This is so basic stuff, and yet extremely important, because many people don't seem to understand this connection. So if you want to add some muscle, eat more calories and also account for the cardio, thus making your calorie count higher. ie eat more. If you wanna cut, eat less calories but not that much less.

The routines I described above is for putting on muscle slowly while keeping a fit body. I'm not one of those people who want to bulk up and become fat and then cut for months. I'd rather stay pretty fit all the time and do slow bodily changes. Also my routines are a result of the fact that I love running and that one of my priorities is trying to run 5K/10K faster all the time.

These workouts are more about a slim, athletic physique than bulging muscles. Everyone has different goals when it comes to exercise, these are mine.

How many sets/reps?
For gaining strength: 1-7 reps
Muscle gains: 8-11/12 reps
Endurance training: 12-15 reps

A good idea is to vary the amout of reps you do for different exercises. Also do more sets when you do a low amout of reps, ie 4-5x6. When you do many reps, 2x15 is enough. For medium range, go with 3-4x8-10 reps. Like on your chest workout for example, you could do 5x5 reps for barbell bench press, 4x8 reps of dumbbell bench press and 3x10 reps of flies. I don't do more than 10 reps very often though. Experiment with it. Remember, variation is the key to success. Some people like to do heavy low-rep workouts (5x5 etc) for a couple of weeks and then switch to like 4x8 for a couple of weeks and then doing 2x15 for a week and then starting over from the top again.

Now onto exercises. I will discuss them more in detail later on, but for now I will link to them. They are also explained very well in the link with gif:s included. Search for the exercises i've written down there.

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

Chest:
Dumbbell bench press
Bench press
Dips
Flies

Shoulders:
Military press
Dumbbell shoulder press
Dumbbell lateral raise

Triceps:
Triceps pulldown with cable

Back:
Deadlift
Barbell bent-over standing row
Sitting row with cable
Chin-up/pull-up
Reverse flies

Biceps:
Barbell/dumbbell curl

Abs:
Sit-ups/twisted sit-ups
Any abs machine.
There are lots of exercises for abs. Search around the exercise bank on the site.

Legs:
Squats.
So many leg exercises as well, look on the site.


Ok this is getting pretty long now so I will wrap it up. I would recommend most beginners here to do the full body workout for starters, 3 times a week like I wrote in my weekly routines above. When you do a full body workout, choose one basic exercise for each mucle group; chest, shoulders, back, abs, maybe 2 for legs. And if you have time/energy do arms too. Thing is that your arms get quite alot of exercise from only doing these basic exercises for your bigger muscle groups, so you don't really need to train them separately every workout.

So an example of a full body workout would be:

Dumbbell/barbell benchpress 3x8
Deadlift/bent-over barbell row 5x5/3x8
Military press/dumbbell shoulder press 3x8
Abs exercise of choice 3x8
Squats 3x8/5x5 and mix it up between workouts with different leg exercises.

The point is that you could go dumbbell benchpress in the monday workout, barbell benchpress at the wednesday workout and dumbbells again Friday. That's why I put some different exercises above. Yeah you get the picture, ask me if you don't understand something I wrote above.

Now do this full body workout 3 times a week for starters and mix in cardio on off days, one day a week in the beginning. Try to keep the weekend off for rest, you will need it. If you wanna gain weight, eat more calories. If you wanna loose weight, eat less calories.

In the next blog I will talk about nutrition, because it's a huge part of working out.

Also remember to only use a weight you can actually handle. I don't want you to get injured and neither do you. Focus on learning the exercises and doing them with good form. For deadlift/squat, always keep a straight back and pull in/tense abs. No fucking slouching. I mean it.

Good luck! And post any questions =)





**
I know that deep inside of you there's a humongous set of testicles just waiting to pop out. Let 'em pop bro. //////////////////// AKA JensOfSweden // Lee Yoon Yeol forever.
sexsexpussyhair
Profile Joined April 2009
Canada133 Posts
June 01 2009 20:05 GMT
#2
do core with legs not with upper body day. you dont have trap work out. chest work out has overlapping exercise, do bench then incline and add cable pulls it is good for giving the pecs shape.
PokePill
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
United States1048 Posts
June 01 2009 20:05 GMT
#3
I'm trying to get really big biceps so how many pushups should I do a day? I also don't have a gym membership or any weights so what can I use around the house to grow my biceps?
Foucault
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
Sweden2826 Posts
June 01 2009 20:10 GMT
#4
On June 02 2009 05:05 sexsexpussyhair wrote:
do core with legs not with upper body day. you dont have trap work out. chest work out has overlapping exercise, do bench then incline and add cable pulls it is good for giving the pecs shape.


Yeah, I do some abs every workout though. That's just me though, with legs is perfectly fine. The full body workout is pretty basic and doesn't really need a specific exercise for traps. About the chest, I'm a bit inspired by powerlifting and there's not that much difference between different exercises for chest after all. But sure, incline benchpresses are good to mix in.
I know that deep inside of you there's a humongous set of testicles just waiting to pop out. Let 'em pop bro. //////////////////// AKA JensOfSweden // Lee Yoon Yeol forever.
Foucault
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
Sweden2826 Posts
June 01 2009 20:12 GMT
#5
On June 02 2009 05:05 PokePill wrote:
I'm trying to get really big biceps so how many pushups should I do a day? I also don't have a gym membership or any weights so what can I use around the house to grow my biceps?


Um, that's just not happening. Pushups are a good body-weight exercise but doesn't really build you that much. For biceps you should get a couple of dumbbells or a barbell. Otherwise it will be hard for you to target biceps.

My blogs are pretty much focused on training in a gym. The nutrition part goes for everyone though
I know that deep inside of you there's a humongous set of testicles just waiting to pop out. Let 'em pop bro. //////////////////// AKA JensOfSweden // Lee Yoon Yeol forever.
Chef
Profile Blog Joined August 2005
10810 Posts
June 01 2009 20:14 GMT
#6
On June 02 2009 05:05 PokePill wrote:
I'm trying to get really big biceps so how many pushups should I do a day? I also don't have a gym membership or any weights so what can I use around the house to grow my biceps?

Just buy some weights and do curls if all you care about is biceps o.o The rest of your muscles will look really small in comparison, but you know.

There isn't really any set number of any exercise you should do. Ideally you want to be working out until you can 'feel the burn' and then stop before you hurt yourself. That's all you can account for with push-ups.

With weight, general consensus seems to be that if you want bigger muscles, you should do fewer reps with more weight, and if you want endurance, you should do more reps with less weight. Both are important to healthy living, but if you just want big muscles you only have to worry about the one.... So for example, if you're working your biceps for muscle gain, you want to find a weight that you can only do 6-8 curls with. Then you want to do that exercise, give the muscle time to heal (a day or two) and then do it again. When you can do more than 6-8 reps with it, you get a bigger weight.

Frankly though, if all you want is big biceps, you're probably working out for the wrong reasons.
LEGEND!! LEGEND!!
Foucault
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
Sweden2826 Posts
June 01 2009 20:18 GMT
#7
On June 02 2009 05:14 Chef wrote:
So for example, if you're working your biceps for muscle gain, you want to find a weight that you can only do 6-8 curls with.


Actually the ideal range for muscle gain is 8-10 (or even up to 11-12).

On June 02 2009 05:14 Chef wrote:
Frankly though, if all you want is big biceps, you're probably working out for the wrong reasons.


True.
I know that deep inside of you there's a humongous set of testicles just waiting to pop out. Let 'em pop bro. //////////////////// AKA JensOfSweden // Lee Yoon Yeol forever.
Racenilatr
Profile Blog Joined August 2008
United States2756 Posts
June 01 2009 20:20 GMT
#8
What if I can't run a 5k? What should you do instead?
floor exercise
Profile Blog Joined August 2008
Canada5847 Posts
June 01 2009 20:22 GMT
#9
Run a <5k
Chef
Profile Blog Joined August 2005
10810 Posts
June 01 2009 20:26 GMT
#10
On June 02 2009 05:18 Foucault wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 02 2009 05:14 Chef wrote:
So for example, if you're working your biceps for muscle gain, you want to find a weight that you can only do 6-8 curls with.


Actually the ideal range for muscle gain is 8-10 (or even up to 11-12).

Show nested quote +
On June 02 2009 05:14 Chef wrote:
Frankly though, if all you want is big biceps, you're probably working out for the wrong reasons.


True.

From what I recall in my Human Kinetics course 11-12 was the happy medium of endurance and muscle gain. That was three years ago though :S
LEGEND!! LEGEND!!
kidd
Profile Blog Joined November 2002
United States2848 Posts
June 01 2009 20:27 GMT
#11
Your work out looks very good, I like you in depth analysis. One thing that you should add however... I saw that you are doing the flies for chest on mondays. You also should be ending with reverse flies on your back days because it is a perfect dyanmic exercise to work the entire back.
Hi
kidd
Profile Blog Joined November 2002
United States2848 Posts
June 01 2009 20:31 GMT
#12
On June 02 2009 05:05 PokePill wrote:
I'm trying to get really big biceps so how many pushups should I do a day? I also don't have a gym membership or any weights so what can I use around the house to grow my biceps?


The best way to do biceps is just to do a workout kind of like the OP is doing. Pretty much most every upper body exercise is going to work your biceps in one way or another. Combing that with a day where you can do curls is going to get your biceps big in no time. Although there are not many many different exercises to work in the biceps there are tons of variations and positions in order to maximize the strain on each part of the arm, so just doing one type of exercise every week will basically get you no where. Make sure to switch it up every 3-4 weeks otherwise your arms will just get used it and you will never grow. Biceps are especially important to switch up the exercises on.
Hi
Foucault
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
Sweden2826 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-06-01 21:00:08
June 01 2009 20:59 GMT
#13
On June 02 2009 05:27 kidd wrote:
Your work out looks very good, I like you in depth analysis. One thing that you should add however... I saw that you are doing the flies for chest on mondays. You also should be ending with reverse flies on your back days because it is a perfect dyanmic exercise to work the entire back.


Very good point. I will add reverse flies for obvious reasons that you mentioned
I know that deep inside of you there's a humongous set of testicles just waiting to pop out. Let 'em pop bro. //////////////////// AKA JensOfSweden // Lee Yoon Yeol forever.
Foucault
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
Sweden2826 Posts
June 01 2009 21:03 GMT
#14
On June 02 2009 05:26 Chef wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 02 2009 05:18 Foucault wrote:
On June 02 2009 05:14 Chef wrote:
So for example, if you're working your biceps for muscle gain, you want to find a weight that you can only do 6-8 curls with.


Actually the ideal range for muscle gain is 8-10 (or even up to 11-12).

On June 02 2009 05:14 Chef wrote:
Frankly though, if all you want is big biceps, you're probably working out for the wrong reasons.


True.

From what I recall in my Human Kinetics course 11-12 was the happy medium of endurance and muscle gain. That was three years ago though :S


Endurance is more like 12-15. I read a study on this and some scientists actually measured different rep ranges and their effect on muscle tissue.

Then again it's maybe not THAT set in stone.
I know that deep inside of you there's a humongous set of testicles just waiting to pop out. Let 'em pop bro. //////////////////// AKA JensOfSweden // Lee Yoon Yeol forever.
Chef
Profile Blog Joined August 2005
10810 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-06-01 21:21:43
June 01 2009 21:19 GMT
#15
Doesn't that just back up what I said? If endurance is 12-15, the medium should be 9-11 or 12, and muscle gain should be around 8 or less.
LEGEND!! LEGEND!!
DeathByMonkeys
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States742 Posts
June 01 2009 21:30 GMT
#16
Just got back from the schools weight room and the track. Good to see a lot of people care about their bodies.

I'm doing it mostly for beach muscle and healthy life style now since I just graduated high school. Previous years was football workouts and getting stronger for that.
Foucault
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
Sweden2826 Posts
June 01 2009 21:41 GMT
#17
On June 02 2009 06:19 Chef wrote:
Doesn't that just back up what I said? If endurance is 12-15, the medium should be 9-11 or 12, and muscle gain should be around 8 or less.


8-12 is muscle gain. 1-7 is strength. That's why you see stuff like 3x8 and 3x10 all the time.
I know that deep inside of you there's a humongous set of testicles just waiting to pop out. Let 'em pop bro. //////////////////// AKA JensOfSweden // Lee Yoon Yeol forever.
kidd
Profile Blog Joined November 2002
United States2848 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-06-01 22:02:41
June 01 2009 22:01 GMT
#18
I would actually say that you are both right. You start your first set at about 12-15 reps. Your second set should be higher weight for 8-12 reps. Third set even higher weight at 6-10 reps and so on. That is the ideal way to build mass and muscle.

Edit: of course form is always very important as well. You can achieve the same results from having perfect form at lower weights then just struggling through high weight exercises.
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