Weight Training
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| I'm 15, 170lbs, 5'8". When I first started bench pressing, I could only lift 85lbs max. Then, after I started my routine at home, in 2 months my max was 140. After 3 months, my max is now 165. I think this routine works pretty well since I fell lighter, healthier, leaner, and more cut.
This is a 4 day workout with 3 days rest for muscle repair. For example, you work out on Monday, then you rest on Tuesday, then repeat your workout on Wednesday, then rest on Thursday. Always warm-up.
For each of the 4 days, this is what you do:
# / kind of work / reps / rest
1 / leg ups for abs / 20-25 / at least 40 secs - 1 min
2 / incline push ups / 20-25 / same
3 / sideways crunchies (both sides) / 20-25 / same
4 / dips for triceps / 15-20 / same
5 / regular crunchies / 20-25 / same +left and right motion crunchies / 20-25 / same
6 / dumbbells for biceps / 15-20
(Whatever you can carry. I recommend 10-15 pound weights.)
You're done with the first set! Repeat this in 3 sets ( I recommend after each set you rest for about 3-5 mins so your muscles can rest, then you can do your next set). After you're done, drink water then rest, then you should eat lots of foods that have lots of proteins and fiber. You should have lots of sleep (at least 8 hours). If you do this for 2 weeks, you will get more cut and lean and maybe even get more muscle mass. Your bench press might go up 5 to 10 pounds. Well, that's all.
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Man, I don't know how you came across this workout, but you did and I must say it kicks ass. I've beenon it for 3 weeks, 4 times a week and I went up 25lbs. Before, I was stuck on 110lbs, weighing in myself at 115lbs, but 3 weeks later I went up to 135lbs.
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The routine sounds good, but as far as the rest period goes, anything after a minute to a minute and a half in between sets contributes to a "cooling down" of the muscles. Three to five minutes between sets will definitely cool down the working muscle, therefore increasing the chance of injury. Like I said, the routine is not bad but you should shorten the resting intervals (60-90 seconds).
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| The routine sounds good, but for maximum gains do the exercises until you get so tired you cannot do them. Try to squeeze the most out of your body, like when you do pushups and can't do anymore, then do the girly-type pushups with knees. After you cannot push up anymore, get up and hold the pushup position and lower slowly. This is because the muscles you use for lowering (negatives) have more endurance than pushing up muscles. Every little bit of effort will help trigger muscle growth. After this workout, your arms will be like Jell-O and will be shaking. This is good, because now your body will repair and grow stronger to meet the demands. Remember that for your body to grow, you need to place sufficient demands on it so it has to adapt. When you are in pain, just try to think of mental images of how good your biceps or 6-pack will look if you do 1 more rep, then repeat. Hope this helps.
PK
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| Okay, the first issue we need to address here is the fact the this individual is only 15 and more than likely has not had a lot of weight lifting experience. Therefore, we can reasonably conclude that many programs he tries will be accompanied by very good results. This occurs because his muscles are still going through the pubescent period where his muscles are still learning and he can begin to use many motor neurons he has never used, soliciting a greater response at first.
As for the larger issue at hand, anytime you force you muscles to adapt, you are going to see the results. The problem often lies in when to change so your body doesn't completely adapt and you force it to move towards your desired goals. Which leads me to my next point, depending on the goal of the individual and the composition of their muscle fiber (i.e. short to long fiber ratio) there are different combinations of reps and sets that must be performed to work towards a result. For instance, higher reps while keeping tension on the muscles and small amounts of reps in between work towards a goal of endurance. You will perform best at this if you have more long fibers than short in your muscle composition. The other extreme would be doing a low number of reps taxing the neurological system, requiring 3-5 minutes rest and a chance for your body to replenish its supply of ATP.
Now, I could go on and on to correct all the bad advice individuals using "Gym Science" receive and give out over the course of their life. And what is even more disheartening is the fact that the same wrong advice is given to young people these days even when we have access to all this new data. The main rule of thumb to remember is that what works for one may not work for the other. Also, it is extremely important to ask a certified professional before believe everything your lifting partner has to say. Any questions.
Sorry, didn't mean to rant.
AM
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