General Work out questions from a novice

First topic message reminder :

Ok bit of back ground. I've lost about 3 stone over the last few years through diet and exercise and I am now at a perfect weight I am happy with.

I eat around 2000 ish maybe less calories per day.
I walk for an hour around 5 times a week.
I run 5k 2 maybe 3 times a week.
I do sit ups, press ups, bicep curls, shoulders and triceps 3-4 times a week.
((these consist of 6 sets of 30, 20, 40, 10, 10 respectively) weights are only 6kg each)

I've only been doing the weight exercises for 2-3 months. I can see a big difference in my biceps already and my shoulders look a little larger. Problem I have is the rest of my upper body doesn't really look like I work out. Will this just come with time? Do I not eat enough? Should I be training harder?

I'm trying not to be too specific. I don't really want to look like Arnie or anything I just want to look like I work out. Look fitter and stronger etc.

Thanks in advance

http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

https://www.completehumanperformance.com/how-to-build-muscle-protein/

http://skinnyfattransformation.com/optimal-protein-intake/

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/the-protein-myth-why-you-may-not-need-as-much-as-you-think.html

http://www.eatright.org/resource/fitness/sports-and-performance/fueling-your-workout/protein-and-the-athlete

If you use too much protein, you will store that as fat. Protein are still calories.

I'm not being rude, but if protein never turned to fat, then there are no use for steroids.

I am not saying you're wrong, but in my experience excess is a waste.

The supplement industry is a huge money spin. A lot of health mag's and sites will of course sell the idea of needing more. There is money to gain.

Every man/woman has a genetic limit. Only through drugs will you surpass how much muscle you are supposed to hold.

Strength is a little different. You can still be very strong and drugfree, but If I see a guy that looks shredded at a huge bodyweight and they claim natural, I think balls. There are some gifted individuals for sure, but they are an exception.

AdamT wrote:http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

https://www.completehumanperformance.com/how-to-build-muscle-protein/

http://skinnyfattransformation.com/optimal-protein-intake/

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/the-protein-myth-why-you-may-not-need-as-much-as-you-think.html

http://www.eatright.org/resource/fitness/sports-and-performance/fueling-your-workout/protein-and-the-athlete

You should probably read your links before you post them to make sure that they actually back up the point you are trying to make

Your first link-
The Recommended Daily Allowance, or “RDA” of protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram, or 0.36 grams per pound. If you eat less than that, you’ll likely run into health problems eventually.
Research has consistently shown that strength athletes and bodybuilders need more protein than average people...The latest studies indicate that if you’re trying to gain muscle, you’ll generally get the best results by eating... 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight...There is some evidence that you might benefit from eating slightly more than this. In one study, weightlifters who ate 2.7 g/kg gained slightly more muscle and had higher markers of protein synthesis.

You’ll probably get excellent results if you eat..-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body mass.
That’s 1.0 grams per pound of lean body mass.

so even your first link is agreeing with my point of 1g protein per lb bodyweight.

and your next link also agrees with me The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for athletes, depending on training. Protein intake should be spaced throughout the day and after workouts

Ok you win. My hats of to you.

Keep giving us all tips, I for one know nothing about training.

You do realise one of your links states 175g a day. What if someone weighs 220??

AdamT wrote:Ok you win. My hats of to you.

Keep giving us all tips, I for one know nothing about training.

Let's talk about your training, what exercises do you do, how many reps, how many sets and how many days a week do you work out.

Why? I don't bodybuild. My training changes depending how close I am to a lifting comp.

I have gave you props for being more knowledgeable.

Could you kindly share your routine.

Musclular-mouse wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:I disagree that you need to do isolation exercises on your biceps and triceps.

I have big arms...that come from the heavy compound exercises through the years and from pull ups and dips.

I very rarely to curls or any form or of bicep work. Trust me...50-100 Pull ups / chins 3/4 times a week is more than enough! And develops genuine strength.....

but if you are doing 100 bicep reps (pull-ups) you will not get big because that many reps of anything will create toned but skinny muscles that are suited for endurance.

I would also add that training your biceps 4x a week is not good, and you will never grow because your muscles have no time to rest. If you overwork your muscles by training them too much eg training biceps 4x a week they cant recover and recovery is where your muscles get bigger and stronger.

Lots of reps = endurance training which is skinny and toned.

I would also add that relying solely on 1 particular bodyweight exercise for a certain muscle is not good for a number of reasons. The first being that your muscles get bored of the same exercises and kind of adapt to that exercise and wont grow. You need to shock your muscles with different exercises and techniques.

Also after a while of just doing chin ups for bicep exercises you will find that it becomes too easy as the weight is always the same (bodyweight) so theres no room to improve. Of course there are ways around this such as doing more reps but once again more reps does not =bigger muscles, it is the opposite and more reps =skinnier muscles.

You need a well balanced work out routine with isolation and compound exercises. When it comes to biceps do chin ups, 3 sets of say 8-10 but do bicep curls as well and hammer curls and bar bell curls and crucifex curls. Train your biceps twice a week and do 3 sets of exercises 8-10 reps if you want size and 3 different exercises from the ones I mentioned. mix up the exercises so you are not doing the same 3 every time you do biceps so that you can shock your muscles with new techniques.

Well I don't do loads of bicep and tricep exercises....I do Bench, Deads, Squats, SH Press (Barbell), Dips and Pull ups. Then boxing (press ups etc)

I am currently pushing 17st, very lean waist and with a large muscular frame. I don't train to body build at all, I do powerlifting and boxing...yet the training gives that in a side effect.

Geordie Falcon we are very similar my friend. You talk sense, but unfortunately flex magazine and other nonsense doesn't agree.

I train for speed and strength. You are half a stone heavier and most likely leaner!!

GeordieFalcon wrote:

Musclular-mouse wrote:

GeordieFalcon wrote:I disagree that you need to do isolation exercises on your biceps and triceps.

I have big arms...that come from the heavy compound exercises through the years and from pull ups and dips.

I very rarely to curls or any form or of bicep work. Trust me...50-100 Pull ups / chins 3/4 times a week is more than enough! And develops genuine strength.....

but if you are doing 100 bicep reps (pull-ups) you will not get big because that many reps of anything will create toned but skinny muscles that are suited for endurance.

I would also add that training your biceps 4x a week is not good, and you will never grow because your muscles have no time to rest. If you overwork your muscles by training them too much eg training biceps 4x a week they cant recover and recovery is where your muscles get bigger and stronger.

Lots of reps = endurance training which is skinny and toned.

I would also add that relying solely on 1 particular bodyweight exercise for a certain muscle is not good for a number of reasons. The first being that your muscles get bored of the same exercises and kind of adapt to that exercise and wont grow. You need to shock your muscles with different exercises and techniques.

Also after a while of just doing chin ups for bicep exercises you will find that it becomes too easy as the weight is always the same (bodyweight) so theres no room to improve. Of course there are ways around this such as doing more reps but once again more reps does not =bigger muscles, it is the opposite and more reps =skinnier muscles.

You need a well balanced work out routine with isolation and compound exercises. When it comes to biceps do chin ups, 3 sets of say 8-10 but do bicep curls as well and hammer curls and bar bell curls and crucifex curls. Train your biceps twice a week and do 3 sets of exercises 8-10 reps if you want size and 3 different exercises from the ones I mentioned. mix up the exercises so you are not doing the same 3 every time you do biceps so that you can shock your muscles with new techniques.

Well I don't do loads of bicep and tricep exercises....I do Bench, Deads, Squats, SH Press (Barbell), Dips and Pull ups. Then boxing (press ups etc)

I am currently pushing 17st, very lean waist and with a large muscular frame. I don't train to body build at all, I do powerlifting and boxing...yet the training gives that in a side effect.

You said you train biceps 4x a week by doing 100 chin ups....

Pull ups are a compound exercise. Not really the same as some guy curling dumbbells!

AdamT wrote:Pull ups are a compound exercise. Not really the same as some guy curling dumbbells!

I'm not disputing that its compound but chin ups focus heavily on biceps making it a good bicep work out.

If you do pull ups 4x a week and do 100 of them in each workout you will not increase in size for 2 reasons. The first being you are not giving your biceps enough time to rest. Rest days are when your muscles recover from being broken down by weight lifting. If you keep exercising the same muscle every day or 4x a week that muscle will just keep getting broken down and will never have enough time to recover and re-build which is what makes the muscle bigger because when it rebuilds it uses the protein you digest and thus gets bigger and stronger.

Secondly as I said previously doing any exercise and doing 100 reps is not a formulae for muscle and size building. That kind of training will do the opposite of getting you bigger and will get you toned but smaller. You are training your muscles for endurance doing that many reps which is not something you should be doing if you want to increase size.

Less is more when it comes to building size. work each muscle twice or even once a week and work them out hard in that session and with a few rest days in between your muscles can really grow and get enough time to recover ready for your next work out.

chin ups are a good work out for biceps and I do that workout, 3 sets of 10 chin ups and I do 3 sets of 2 other exercises either bar bell curls, dumb bell curls, crucifex curls to make sure I am getting that peak when I exercise to give my biceps size and definition.

Geordie isn't after size and to be fair he is 17 stone, so he knows what he is doing. We are not bodybuilders.

AdamT wrote:Geordie isn't after size and to be fair he is 17 stone, so he knows what he is doing. We are not bodybuilders.

I was correcting the advice he gave someone else who wanted to get bigger and add some size to his frame.

He claims to be 17 stone with a flat waist, maybe he is, maybe he isn't it is irrelevant really because the advice he gave was really bad and was the kind of advice someone would give who doesn't know too much about the gym.

And doing isolation exercises for biceps isn't just for bodybuilders, it is for anyone who wants their arms to look bigger. Yes chin ups are a good work out for the arms but you really need to be complimenting that workout with isolation exercises such as hammer curls and bicep curls etc for the best results not only in size but strength too.

I would also add that the advice that he gave that you only need to do tricep dips for triceps is also wrong for anyone wanting to add size or anyone wanting to work out correctly. You should be doing a better work out for your tris ten just dips. Get on the bench press and do some close grip presses or do some dumbbell overhead tricep presses or some tricep pushdowns on the cable machine but just doing dips is not a great workout.

What's your max lifts, bench , squat and deadlift. Real max.

AdamT wrote:What's your max lifts, bench , squat and deadlift. Real max.

I haven't done a 1 rep max for years on the bench and due to my job I can't get too big because part of my job involves fitness training 3x a week (5 mile runs or 8 mile tabs) and I would die on a 5 mile run if I weighed 17.5 stone but when I bench now I do 3 sets of 6 reps at 115kgs.

I have a reason to ask you, but you're not another poster.

This forum is famous for aliases and I mistakenly thought you were one.

Good bench

whereabouts are you from? if you are near me we could go to the gym together

I'm In Ireland mate.

I don't think my advice was bad at all. Pull Ups are a compound exercise that will increase strength hugely and will give size . (Note as Adam says, Size was NEVER my goal...yet I have achieved that doing this sort of training most of my life)

You can do weighted Pull ups and Chin ups etc.

But then again as Adam correctly mentioned im not a bodybuilder.

I'm not saying chin ups or dips are bad. I am saying for best results (size wise) then other exercises are needed in conjunction with chin ups and dips. Curls are needed for biceps and extensions and close grip bench press for triceps along with other exercises,