Workout Tips

BigD_2

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So I don't know where best to put this on lpsg, so I just posted it here.

I've recently started back at the gym in earnest, and the major goal is to build my upper body - chest & arms. I know how to keep my legs in shape, and how to do the appropriate amount of cardio, but I would welcome any and all suggestions from you guys about how best to build more upper body muscle.

Thanks in advance.
 

B_Nick4444

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review your body type, first

until one of my buds handed me a copy of Arnold's bodybuilding book I was going nowhere fast doing full range of motion

it turns out that for my body type (combination of ectomorph & mesomorph), I should be doing heavy, intense partials

once I changed to that, I started to have to change clothes sizes
 

MovingForward

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In addition, If you work out your chest, give yourself a few days rest and let your muscle repair. I noticed a lot of people tend to work out the same muscles every other day. If you work out your chest really well, you can do it once a week.

Also don't be afraid to ask for help (spot)

Do not be afraid to start with light weights. If you can do 12 reps of a certain weight, than that should be your weight you start with. Just because you can do 5-8 reps at a higher rate does not mean you should just jump to that.

Also if you have a workout magazine that has a chest excercise, bring it with you to the gym. Use it as a reference.

Once again, always ask for advice, maybe someone can help you with making sure you are lifting properly ( by that i mean technically)
 

Shadow69

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one bit of odd advice simply is: "less is more"

don't worry about the constant pushing up of weights and hitting the gym everyday, doing everything that you can.
Work certain groups a day and then move onto the next group the next day, so it goes in a formal pattern -say arms and chest monday, abs and back tues, leg wed, et cetera.

take a day or two of a week to recover because that is what help you to grow and also use at least one day to do some basic cardio routines to cut down on any fat you may have and to built up your stamina.

and always ask for help and advice but don't do everything that people tells you.
take the time to research into what is best for yourself, your lifestyle and your body type as well as what is the best method to do something.

yes, all these was said in different ways but they are important and need to be remembered.

actually have a friend in Ohio who is doing sports medicine with an angle on bodybuilding at college, so can always ask him for exact advice if you want any.
 

D_bbq02hvb

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This is my bag.
1) EAT
2) See 1
3) Lift big, focus on entire body. Specially the big 3, dead, squat and bench. Yes I know you want a chest, but muscle comes from _rest_ after a workout. You're doing yourself zero favors working the same muscle groups every day. You need at _minimum_ 48 hours total rest for a muscle group. longer if you really start to work yourself. Not to mention growth is from a host of other factors going on inside the body too. Like hormones released to aid in repair after a workout. So do bench day A, then squats day B, and your body gets a fresh blast of all that while your chest is still repairing/building.. So in a nutshell, for best gains for your chest, work everything
4) EAT. Diet is 80% of this. if it's not in check, you won't gain. period. You need a ton of quality foods to build muscle. Muscle will ONLY build if there is an excess of nutrients and food inside you. Right off the bat yes, you can get some decent noob gains even with a shit diet, but you will plateau fast and further growth can only come about through a high calorie quality diet that provides your body with all the building blocks for muscle gain.
 

twotimes

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oh yeah and eat. squat and eat you'll get a body.

If you don't know what to eat, mix some skim milk powder with full milk till it's like ice cream and have that with a lb or so of tuna.

Work your whole body a couple of times a week like squats/bench/rows one workout, deads/chinups/military press the other. Do those for about 3 sets, you should puke or almost just from those 9 sets. It's simple :) but it's not easy. You need to keep a notebook and the weights in it need to go up each week without excuses.

Your arms will grow beyond belief if you eat and just do that simple stuff. So will your chest, waist, back, everything.

You should be in the gym for about an hour a week on this schedule. You'll fly past the monkeys who live there.
 
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Kauri Tree

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Any specific tips on how to make progress with a cardio routine? I try to go running 2 to 3 times a week. I run for about 1/2 hour (at a slow pace, mind you) but I get winded pretty soon and I just don't seem to be able to stretch over the 1/2 hour mark, let alone do sprints after that. I used to play tennis all my life and never got winded during singles matches. But running seems to be a different story. I'll be 54 in May. My ECG and stress cardio tests were normal.
Thanks for any advice.
 

zr28

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I am a strength coach at the HS I work at.

I would suggest you obtain Arnold's Encyclopedia; or as we refer to it, the Bible.

If you are just tailoring for upper body the plans and workouts in there are great.

If you are interested in overall strength and development I would add the 3 olympic lifts of Power Clean, Clean and Jerk, and the Snatch. 5x8 for one month, 5x5 for the next month, 3x3 for the final month. Rinse and Repeat
 

twotimes

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HIIT is great for cardio, look it up on google. Best thing about it is you don't have to slog out 1/2hr boring jogs which are mind killers for me.

Make sure you record your progress somehow and always improve that's the key.
 

MovingForward

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Any specific tips on how to make progress with a cardio routine? I try to go running 2 to 3 times a week. I run for about 1/2 hour (at a slow pace, mind you) but I get winded pretty soon and I just don't seem to be able to stretch over the 1/2 hour mark, let alone do sprints after that. I used to play tennis all my life and never got winded during singles matches. But running seems to be a different story. I'll be 54 in May. My ECG and stress cardio tests were normal.
Thanks for any advice.

I am not the best a running also. What I do, is sometimes I try to split my routine on maybe jogging and biking. If I feel like I am injured I run in the swimming pool.