GordyR's Beginners Guide to Bodybuilding

Actually calf raises are one of the few things the smithy is very good for. Either load the bar up and do them standing (my preference as you also get your bodyweight involved) or use a bench, get a towel over your thighs and rest the bar on thighs and do seated calf raises... magic! ;)
 
Cheers for the answer, I thought that the Smith machine would be ok since it follows a vertical path but I wanted some confirmation first. I'm still going to call the people who run the gym morons but perhaps slightly less often than I would have done because of this. :)
 
I'm guessing if you're doing standing calf raises in a smith machine you raise the balls of your feet up with a plate of something similar?
 
There is no squat rack at my gym, so I guess it may be hard to do front squats with?

The SLDL seems difficult compared to normal deadlifts, is it safe for the back? gonna have to try get the technique spot on I guess.

What of Romanian Deadlifts? useful? do you use them? main muscle group worked?
 
Chong Warrior said:
Actually what I call SLDL's other people call Romanian Deadlifts... though I've yet to have someone explain to me what the difference is lol.
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There isn't one (as far as I know) but your SLDL's aren't the same as other people's SLDL's ;).

As in SLDL's are Straight Legged Deadlifts, RDL's are Stiff Legged Deadlifts.
 
sh4rk said:
I'm guessing if you're doing standing calf raises in a smith machine you raise the balls of your feet up with a plate of something similar?
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I probably should have done because the range of motion didn't feel quite enough for me but I didn't think of it at the time plus I was getting strange enough looks as it was.

However on a brighter note I did manage to beat all my (sort of) PBs for leg exercises and I reckon I've got more in reserve if I feel as good next week as I did today. :)
 
Well I usually google or youtube videos so I can get an idea of the form, it seems that the difference between the Romanian Deadlift & the SLDL is:

"This is a romanian deadlift, not a stiff-legged deadlift. The main distinction between the two is that the RDL is controlled from the hips -- the butt is "punched" backwards causing the torso to lower and then pulled back in to return to upright. In a SLDL, on the other hand, the movement is initiated by lowering the upper body in an attempt to maintain the hips' position in space; the butt is not punched backwards. In either movement, you want to minimize knee bend so that the posterior chain can take the grunt of the load; however, in a RDL, the knees are allowed to bend further if necessary, especially when flexibility is inadequate."

Seems accurate but you can all make your judgements:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eZA_QDy9cY

Either way which form should I be going for, the RDL or the SLDL movement, suppose since what you say Chong, it will be the RDL.

So is it fine to work 5x5 by having Upper, Lower, Upper, Lower in a split. But for legs what is chosen and in what order should it be completed?

Squats
Front Squats
SLDL/RDL (w.e you want to call it)
Lunges
Calf Raise? (On smith as you say)
Step-Ups
Leg Curls

So from that and if theres anymore you would add in what order and what to keep and not to keep?
 
front squats
back squats
sldl's / romanian (i do romanian and stick my ass out)
calf raises

that should be all.
speaking of which, CW, you are a barsteward and i hate you, i will hate you even more tomorrow.
 
Morba said:
front squats
back squats
sldl's / romanian (i do romanian and stick my ass out)
calf raises

that should be all.
speaking of which, CW, you are a barsteward and i hate you, i will hate you even more tomorrow.
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I reckon im going to have a hard time getting my form right on this one. (Romanian). And would it matter if say I did leg curls instead of calf raises, just doing this on the Smith machine and all..
 
SK07 said:
I reckon im going to have a hard time getting my form right on this one. (Romanian). And would it matter if say I did leg curls instead of calf raises, just doing this on the Smith machine and all..
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They're completely different? Do Calf raises on the smith machine.
 
Styles said:
They're completely different? Do Calf raises on the smith machine.
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Crap, leg curls do the hamstrings, half asleep, well is there anything else I should add in? such as maybe back exercises as i've neglected that area. What do you reckon? I could add back into my upper body day but it's already quite cramped as it is, not that I can't manage it more of the effects of "over-training". it's fine doing 5x5 Upper, lower, upper, lower, as a 4 day split? or do you reckon I should change things? Im not even sure what I want to build on, strength, mass or what? hell im even confused weather I want to bulk or cut, but thats another story....
 
Mate, you need to:

1. Sort out your goals
2. Bulk, what's the point of cutting now?
3. Nail down your ideas on what routine you want.
4. Read more material and learn

Train legs seperatly. If you want to, at a much later date when you're more experienced, try something like HIT then do so. For now, keep it simple. Why don't you just do a 3 day split? Tbh I think that would be good for you so you can just learn everything and get to know your body and how it all works.

Day 1: Legs

Day 2: Chest/shoulders/biceps

Day 3: Back/Triceps

What's wrong with that?
 
Styles said:
Mate, you need to:

1. Sort out your goals
2. Bulk, what's the point of cutting now?
3. Nail down your ideas on what routine you want.
4. Read more material and learn

Train legs seperatly. If you want to, at a much later date when you're more experienced, try something like HIT then do so. For now, keep it simple. Why don't you just do a 3 day split? Tbh I think that would be good for you so you can just learn everything and get to know your body and how it all works.

Day 1: Legs

Day 2: Chest/shoulders/biceps

Day 3: Back/Triceps

What's wrong with that?
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Well see, for the last months I've been cutting, im eager to bulk, I don't want to gain fat. If I could it would be great if I could gain muscle and shred the fat but thats not likely. However I want to cut so I can get down to an acceptable body fat %, (20% last month when I checked). After that the plan was to mass, im kind of eager to do this because I've been cutting for like 4 months, when cutting, not really sure how much protein to take but I usually take 2 shakes a day.

Next problem is my workout, it's fine sure but is it my goal? maybe. I can manage to go 5 times a week to the gym and at that im strapped for time, however it's deciding what to train and when, sure that split is fine but what about the fourth day? cardio on each of those days? will working out less mean less development (weight training).

Another thing is I don't want to newbie it, I want to jump into it, I know my body and how to train this and that and whats good nutrition etc, I just ask a lot of questions, too many that it ends up making me look like a douche or a complete noob. But in all honesty if cutting im not sure how I want to be training? whats going to be beneficial or is it personal choice, strength training, mass, endurance which is the best choice when doing this. My calories won't be massive, around 2,000-2,500, so it's not going to be a bulk.

But you know what though? I've noticed a lot of progress, more muscle, more definition and more strength. But my goal is to really lose the rest of this body fat, theres not much there but it's still a goal, but at the same time I want to still weight train. So you reckon a 3 day split, and hows about 2 days for cardio and maybe 20-30 mins cardio (low int) after each weight training workout.
 
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