all round training advice?

helpimcrap · 18 Nov 2006 at 00:11

hi guys, right... im gyming it now and will be for a while. seeing as its been a while since i went gym ive started a 5 day routine...

bearing in mind i used to do 3 sets of 10 on heavier weights im doing the following this week(and god im aching now....)

monday - running x 20mins, footy(7 a side) x 30mins.
tuesday - legwork - 5 sets of 10 on 3 machines (leg press, curl and another that does quad - push out your ankles), and 5 sets of 10 on a sit up curling machine. all weights at 70lb.
wednesday - arm work - 5 sets of 10 on 3 machines, (one starts at side of head and bring arms to front of face, another you pull towards you, and the other one you pull down from above) again all weights at 70lb.
thursday - see tuesday
friday - see wednesday

sat/sun off.

i do 5 mins rowing at sub 2min/500m to warm up each day too.

im thinking of doing this for 2 weeks then increasing the weights by 20lb every 2 weeks until about 150lb. does this seem sensible? dont want to bulk up loads, just tone up and increase overall fitness. will be doing more running once ive got muscles up to near where i want.

food wise i eat crap, but i am looking at getting mulivitamins from the health shop with excess in certain areas for gym work. im trying though, such as cutting out chocolate all together but i still eat other less healthy foods like takeaways and lots of beer. suggestions to improve it? i will listen to all suggestions even if i ignore them.

Malarkee · 18 Nov 2006 at 13:00

I'd do some more work outs focused on my core, ab and lower back work.

helpimcrap · 18 Nov 2006 at 13:50

Malarkee said:
I'd do some more work outs focused on my core, ab and lower back work.

like what? :confused:

Killa_ken · 18 Nov 2006 at 14:11

Ditch the machines, free weights are all you need, there are guys i know who only have a set of dumbbells and are among the strongest and 'buffest' guys that go to our college.

Machines do not activate any stabaliser(sp?) muscles, for example a bench press machine is up and down, up and down wear as a set of dumbbells your will have to use muscles to:

A) Keep the dumbbells straight
B) stop them from turning into each other

for your energy you'll see better results with dumbbells

for your back try some deadlifts. that should work your abs as well. I don't specifically target abs as imo they're just t shirt muscles and have not that much everyday use. Your abs will get stronger with compound excersizes anyway.

Deadlift
Military Press
Squats
Decline flys

are really what you should be concentrating on before you start to target individual muscles.

helpimcrap · 18 Nov 2006 at 15:11

cheers ken, that kinda makes sense to a noob like me.

thanks.

Malarkee · 19 Nov 2006 at 13:57

Killa_ken said:
I don't specifically target abs as imo they're just t shirt muscles and have not that much everyday use.

Nonesense...

It's called your core for a rason...

you use them doing virtually anything outside of isolated movements like curling (when was the last time you picked up a 40kg phone? catch my drift? Unless you are training for a specific movement being able to (eg

curl a lot and have huge biceps are T shirt movements)

Outside of the weights room virtually any movement you make with something heavy is a compound movement, you said it your self, compound lifts will work your abs...

Think of the nature of your spine and body as a whole, a lot of bad backs are caused because people have under developed abs.