I need to get more out of my gym workout...ADVICE please?!
Question: I am at my ideal weight and go to the gym 5-6 days a week along with walking/running a bit in the morning the only problem is that I when I go to the gym I dont quite have a plan..and cant really rigure out how to make one...
I know i nee dto decide if i want to do my arms one day and so on... But I run for awhile on the tradmill then do some arms and situps...
I think I just really need help with a workout plan that I can just execute. I am thinking about getting an hour session with a trainer but I figured I'd ask here first so I dont have to pay a ton... ANY info would be great!
Answers: I am at my ideal weight and go to the gym 5-6 days a week along with walking/running a bit in the morning the only problem is that I when I go to the gym I dont quite have a plan..and cant really rigure out how to make one...
I know i nee dto decide if i want to do my arms one day and so on... But I run for awhile on the tradmill then do some arms and situps...
I think I just really need help with a workout plan that I can just execute. I am thinking about getting an hour session with a trainer but I figured I'd ask here first so I dont have to pay a ton... ANY info would be great!
Skip the trainer, here is what you need to do. Keep doing the running and walking. That will keep the fat off, or just keep your heart and lungs in good condish.
I could make a really specific workout plan for you, but there is so many good ways to workout that I think ill just put out the basics and let you figure out what you like best and make your own routine.
5-6 days is too much for building muscle unless you split your muscles up into that many groups like the person above me says. Your body technically only does the actual muscle building while recovering so only workout 3 times a week, keep the workouts simple and short and let yourself rest the other days. Lots of sleep too! You might think you need to workout all the time, but if you lift too much your body won't change a bit because you arn't letting it recover!!!
You can basically break down the body into 3 major muscle groups. You can throw in some isolation exercises (calf raises, curls, abs) if you want but you can really cover the entire body with 3-4 exercises.
There is a push muscle group. pecs, triceps, front delt.
The pull muscle group. lats, rear delt, biceps.
Last there is the legs group. calves, hams, quads, gluts, and also often uses the core muscles for stabalization
Ok so when picking exercises keep these things in mind.
If an exercise uses more weight it is either a smaller range of motion, or uses more muscle. If you are using more muscles at once you are building muscle more effieciently, and probably hitting more muscles in general than if you just did a bunch of isolations.
THE EXERCISES
First off try not to use machines. They tend to do part of the work for you because you don't need to stabalize or guide your motion. Stuff like calf raises are fine because the stabalization helps you lift a significant amount more weight.
Push: Benchpress and dips are amazing. You can add weight to dips with a dipbelt. Tricep extensions do good isolation on the triceps.
Pull: Chinups are pretty much all you need to do. You can also add weight with the dipbelt for chins. Lat pull downs are pretty much the same at chins. Seated rows, Bent-over rows are also great pulling exercises. You can isolate the biceps with curls. curls helps increase forearm strength if you switch up between different types of curls (overhand, underhand, hammer curls). This also prevents wrist pain.
Legs: Deadlift. Deadlift also does a tremendous amount for the core, lower back, delts, and shoulders. If you can find a trapbar, or hex bar, you are set for life. Trapbar deadlift does amazing things for you. Squats are really great too. Try box squats, and full squats. Different ranges of motion on squats will work certain muscles more than others (true with most exercises really). Calf raises are pretty neat too, just keep your knees and hips still and do a full range of motion.
For abs do weighted decline situps.
Ok you can split pull push and legs up and do one per day of the week you workout or do them all every day or do 2 upper body combined days and one leg day (that's what I do). Any combination is pretty effective. For beggining i recommend doing all of them each day so you get better at the motions. Do sets of 5-12 reps 1-4 times for each exercise or until you are tired and that will be a good workout. You can also do high rep. It really doesnt matter as long as you work your muscles hard and challenge yourself with higher weights and more reps.
Eat a lot of food, and drink a lot of milk. You need it to grow muscle, especially protein. Then get your sleep.
Ok so I'm pretty sure you are female, if not just ignore this. Females sometimes think they need to workout differently than men to get tone and not "bulky" muscle. This is a myth and you should workout just like men do because men and women build muscle the same way. Your body will become toned far before it becomes too bulky for most females. So when you get to the look you want, just stop increasing the weight you do, and stop eating enough to gain weight. If you don't care about having some extra muscle then keep increasing your weight. I think muscle looks good on women anyways.
email is jogogoman@hotmail.com if you have questions. There is a lot of information on how to do these lifts if you just google.
maybe what you are doing is better so that you dont get bored of the same routine. I try to mix it up and do different things. As long as it all adds up to at least an hour of working out then that works for me.
okay you should train 1 body part a day like
monday-chest
tuesday-shoulders
wednesday-back
thursdsay-arms bicep and tricep
friday-legs
weekends- rest
and keep changing body part each week for the machines its easy just look at wat others do and go from there just do like 6 different machines involving that body part and dont always use the same machines because your muscle will get use to do it. hope that helped