Do You Exercise Regularly?

[ksz]

But, I have some questions related to ksz's post:

First off, if I do a different muscle group each time, and take all those breaks, then I'm only doing each group once a week. Is that enough to get ahead, or won't I slip behind?

Good question. What I actually do is this:

Day 1:
Chest and Triceps: Multiple sets, multiple machines, medium to heavy.
Back, Biceps: One set each, 12 repetitions, 2nd-heaviest weight.
Legs: Squats only, 1 set, 20 repetitions, 2nd-heaviest weight.
No shoulders.

Day 2:
Rest.

Day 3:
Legs and Shoulders: Multiple sets, multiple machines, medium to heavy.
Chest, Triceps: One set each, 12 repetitions, 2nd-heaviest weight.
Back, Biceps: One set each, 12 repetitions, 2nd-heaviest weight.

Day 4:
Rest.

Day 5:
Back, Biceps: Multiple sets, multiple machines, medium to heavy.
Legs: One set, 20 repetitions, 2nd-heaviest weight.
Shoulders: One set, 12 repetitions, 2nd-heaviest weight.
Chest, Triceps: One set, 12 repetitions, 2nd-heaviest weight.

Day 6:
Rest.

Day 7:
Repeat cycle or take the day off as well, depending on level of recovery. Always listen to your body for signs of exhaustion.

How does one exercise their shoulders? Does a military press count? Or do you mean shrugging with weights?

Both. I like behind-the-neck shoulder press, military press (front of neck), dumbbell raises, and Smith machine.

 

[paddy]

Whenever I'm angry or in a bad mood (quite a lot I'm afraid!) I'll do a colossal amount of sit ups, press ups and chin ups. Great stress relievers. Oh, I also jog a fair bit too.

 

[MarkCollette]

Ok, this is my first sketch at putting everyone's ideas together. Hopefully this helps someone else too, and isn't just me going on about myself...

I've already started doing more weights/less reps. Also, one benefit from this different-things-each-day approach, is hopefully I won't be doing my old 1.5-2 hour workouts that leave me so tired. These should go quicker. All exercises are 4 sets.

Chest:
- Bench press (dumbells)
- Fly (arms push together, sitting up)

Biceps:
- Arm curls
- Chin ups

Triceps:
- One knee and one palm on bench, pulling up dumbell
- Standing up, pulling barbell from below waist up to chest

Back:
- Machine where you sit, going from hunched over to being straight back
- Thing where your legs to waist are horizontal, and you raise your upper body from pointing down to being horizontal too.

Legs:
- Machine where you sit back and push out weight (quads and calves?)
- ??? No idea what else to do. Used to do the machine Floriflee recommends to avoid

Shoulders:
- Military press
- Shrugs
- Might try the barbell in front and behind the head
- ??? Not sure what a Smith machine is.

Stomach:
- Machine where you sit, and crunch forward and down, pressing a thing with your chest
- Machine where you sit and twist/rotate upper body
- Crunches and side crunches


Day A:
- Chest
- Back (can't really do stomach same day as back)

Day B:
- Biceps
- Stomach
- Legs

Day C:
- Triceps
- Stomach
- Shoulders


With rest inbetween, and probably two days rest after C. I could swap A's Back with B's Stomach and Legs if that's somehow better.

 

[ksz]

Chest:
- Bench press (dumbells)
- Fly (arms push together, sitting up)

If there's a bench press (i.e. with a bar, not dumbells) in your gym, I suggest using that. It's the single best exercise for the chest.

Biceps:
- Arm curls
- Chin ups

A Nautilus machine for arm curls is good too. It's better than dumbells because it enforces good technique. It's too easy to cheat with dumbells.

Triceps:
- One knee and one palm on bench, pulling up dumbell
- Standing up, pulling barbell from below waist up to chest

How about tricep pull/push-downs with a bar attached to a vertically hanging cable? Most Smith machines have this. Grab onto the bar with palms facing up towards the ceiling and pull down. Then grab the bar with palms facing the floor and push down. Here it's important to take advantage of negative resistance (i.e. the release movement of the rep should be done slowly).

Back:
- Machine where you sit, going from hunched over to being straight back
- Thing where your legs to waist are horizontal, and you raise your upper body from pointing down to being horizontal too.

First one is called the seated row if I understand the description. It's like rowing a canoe or kayak. Second one is better done in a seated position instead of a bent-over position. The bent-over position is more advanced and technique is important. Better to start with the seated version.

Legs:
- Machine where you sit back and push out weight (quads and calves?)
- ??? No idea what else to do. Used to do the machine Floriflee recommends to avoid

First one sounds like the seated leg curl. It works the quads, but not the hamstrings. Squats and seated leg extensions are good for hamstrings, as is the hamstring curl.

For legs, also try lunges. Either grab dumbells or a barbell and lunge forward with one leg, return to your original position, and repeat with the same or opposite leg. You won't be moving forward, but a simple variation on this is to also move forward. Keep lunging with opposite legs as you traverse the length of the gym, then turn around and lunge back.

Shoulders:
- Military press
- Shrugs
- Might try the barbell in front and behind the head
- ??? Not sure what a Smith machine is.

Here's a Smith Machine:

Notice the top left of the picture; there's a bar hanging from a clip. That thing works wonders for triceps (tricep pull/push-downs).

 

[BoyBach]

I play one or two games of 5-a-side football a week, go to the gym 2-3 times a week and go running occasionally (if it's not too hot/cold or wet!)

However, I've just signed up to a new gym on a special rate of £3.99 per week (I was paying £3.50 per session) so I'll be able to start my new 5 sessions a week 'hardcore' training regime to run for the next couple of months! Which means, "Super Buff" in time for the Christmas/New Year parties