Compound lifting

[Rakim]

[quote=Sagefrancis]

Originally Posted by younghypnotiq

now ur a fucking mroon. 8-9 is a bulkiing routine 8-12 - hypertrophy. low reps dont make u gain weight. aslo only way to gain weight is by eating.[/quote]

im glad someone on this forum understands that.
the routines posted so far are all good. i would keep both the rows and the lat pulldown/pullups.
the deadlift is essential. make sure your well instructed on how to perform them though.
good luck with all your training.

Cheers mate. I'm glad to see that I've basically been doing a half-decent program, apart from not doing any deadlift. I'm going to add that to my routine and stick with my 5x5 because it took me a couple of sessions to find the right amount of weight for each exercise with 5 reps. My new routine...........


5x5 squats
5x5 bench
5x5 pulldowns/pullups
5x5 rows
5x1 deadlift

I'll do a little CV work either side of this, both to warm me up/down and to keep improving my fitness. Is it still a good idea to do isolation exercises once a week or something, or should I stick to doing this programme all the time for a few months and just keep on adding weights to my lifts?

[Sagefrancis]

Originally Posted by Rakim

Is it still a good idea to do isolation exercises once a week or something, or should I stick to doing this programme all the time for a few months and just keep on adding weights to my lifts?

I still do alot of isolated exercises. They're great for a change.
What i did when I first started lifting was to just do isolated exercises (besides bench) and when i started doing compound ones (chinups, squats, rows etc) i could do a fair bit of weight.
youve made the right choice in doing compound exercises. However you may find in a few months that your starting to reach a plateau in some of your exercises. This is where i believe isolated exercises are useful.
By strengthening muscles individually that you use in a lift you can make the whole lift stronger when you get back to it.
eg. Lets say your doing bench press. youve reached a weight which you cant pass. every 2nd workout you do for your triceps, pecs and deltoids try tricep pulldown, dumbell press (with arms almost paralell for chest most and to the side for anterior deltoid) and dumbell shoulder press.
this should help you to get over your plateau.


also i love my biceps so i still do bicep curls.
hopr that helps

[Rakim]

Originally Posted by Sagefrancis

I still do alot of isolated exercises. They're great for a change.
What i did when I first started lifting was to just do isolated exercises (besides bench) and when i started doing compound ones (chinups, squats, rows etc) i could do a fair bit of weight.
youve made the right choice in doing compound exercises. However you may find in a few months that your starting to reach a plateau in some of your exercises. This is where i believe isolated exercises are useful.
By strengthening muscles individually that you use in a lift you can make the whole lift stronger when you get back to it.
eg. Lets say your doing bench press. youve reached a weight which you cant pass. every 2nd workout you do for your triceps, pecs and deltoids try tricep pulldown, dumbell press (with arms almost paralell for chest most and to the side for anterior deltoid) and dumbell shoulder press.
this should help you to get over your plateau.


also i love my biceps so i still do bicep curls.
hopr that helps

Yeah that's great, cheers mate. If I were to do any isolation stuff, I'd include weighted calf raises, crunches, bicep curls, tricep pulldowns, and some kind of shoulder exercise. I think the compound lifts would compliment that nicely, as they work my back, thighs and hamstrings pretty hard. Cheers again for the help mate.

[jimmy c]

if u carnt do 5 chins/pullups at once do 5singles rest pause
they are far superior to rows especially as u say u wont strength perhaps alternate 1week rows
1week chins/pullups

[jimmy c]

do not use a weight belt for any of your training your lower
back muscles must strenghten along with everything else

[Marvelous Marcum]

I would love it if someone could explain to me why pull ups (which work your LATS) are better than rows (which works an entirely different muscle, your Rhomboids. Which also happens to be your MIDDLE back.) I mean I know they do work different muscles and all, but if you could just point out to me what exactly makes them a superior exercise. I thought I knew a little something about working out but experts have proven me totally wrong.

P.s. Yes I do realize in rows your lats are worked, and so are your biceps. However they are secondary muscles if you're doing them with any kind of proper form.

[younghypnotiq]

because hes not a body builder. he only needs a pulling motion doesnt matter what muscles it works.

[average_joe]

You could even do fewer reps I think for best strength gains. Try 3-4 reps.

Also, don't leave out rest between sets. For strength gains, make sure you get about 3 mins of rest (If you don't have time for this, bring it down to 2). This allows you to recover more, meaning you can move more total weight.

[Rakim]

Originally Posted by average_joe

You could even do fewer reps I think for best strength gains. Try 3-4 reps.

Also, don't leave out rest between sets. For strength gains, make sure you get about 3 mins of rest (If you don't have time for this, bring it down to 2). This allows you to recover more, meaning you can move more total weight.

I do my lifts in a cycle, I do 5 reps of squats, then 5 bench, then 5 pulldowns, then 5 rows, then start over again until I've done 5 sets of each. So I do rest in a way.

[jimmy c]

pullups/chins work the entire back
e.g gymnasts exeptionaly strong exceptional back development tons of pullup/chin movements

[Marvelous Marcum]

Originally Posted by jimmy c

pullups/chins work the entire back
e.g gymnasts exeptionaly strong exceptional back development tons of pullup/chin movements

My dear friend... they have exceptionally strong lats and trapz. But just a question for you, when is the last time you've felt your lower spinal erectors being worked during a pullup/chin movement? Chances are you have yet to feel that, because it just doesn't happen.

Now, back to the point at hand. He should be doing both, neither will work the entire back. And don't forget the lower portion of the spinal erectors IS part of your core; so if you develop them it will help punching power.

Now to the final point: to say that one exercise is superior to the other is simply idiotic.

[Nwil]

rakim, your routine is decent, but add in some explosive lifts like cleans, snatches and swings.

on the whole pull-up/row thing, pull ups do work your whole back, or lats (not lower back>>deadlifts). Pull ups are better than rows because of the vertical motion, not to mention your working both halves of your back with your body rather than one at a time with dummbbell. bent over rows work the whole back, but again, the vertical pulling motion is why pull ups are so effective.

sagefrancis, you do isolation exercises? I get your point about increasing each muscles strength for the compoung, but does it actually work? either way, I wouldn't want to teach my muscles to work by themselves.

also i love my biceps so i still do bicep curls.

[Shev]

Nobody in the gym is more vain than Mr Bicep.

[Sagefrancis]

Originally Posted by Nwil

sagefrancis, you do isolation exercises? I get your point about increasing each muscles strength for the compoung, but does it actually work? either way, I wouldn't want to teach my muscles to work by themselves.

if youve got the muscle memory to perform a compound movement then regardless of wether youve been gaining strength in each muscle through compound or isolated movements your still going to be able to lift.
as i think i said (i cant remember) i use isolated to get past plateaus. and for me this has worked on a few occasions. but i do see where your coming from.
it can be a good idea to use isolated exercises in addition as well if you wish to step up your training a bit.

[Marvelous Marcum]

Originally Posted by Nwil

on the whole pull-up/row thing, pull ups do work your whole back, or lats (not lower back>>deadlifts). Pull ups are better than rows because of the vertical motion, not to mention your working both halves of your back with your body rather than one at a time with dummbbell. bent over rows work the whole back, but again, the vertical pulling motion is why pull ups are so effective.

They're better because of the vertical motion?

Bent over rows done with a barbell will work both sides of the back, at the same time my friend. Sorry I didn't specify.