If I have to time, is it best to work out + cardio every day?

[Das Budrick]

isnt there a gym forum for threads like this?

full of people who know all the answers to your questions (i didnt read them)

[Ole16]

Hey donkaments -(sorry in advance if some of this is making no sense - english is not my first language)

"Goal is to shed some fat while building/maintaing muscle. Basically, I am 6'1 weighing 210. I am pretty big but not overweight, but I want to lose some fat."

First of all. You should seriously consider the food you eat. Get rid of the cheese, bacon and pepperoni. Eat more fruit. This is pretty basic stuff but actually has a big impact on how your body burns energy. Of course everything is individual but there is a % of up to 20 as to how much of your fat is "changed" to muscles if you compare:
Working out/cardio vs. working out, cardio AND a healthy diet.

When you work out you should make a programme of 3 times a week for the first 12-14 weeks. You should concentrate on the big muscles groups which you are doing right now, though with one difference. You should work out "opposite" (?antagonist? muscles) muscles groups on the same day. That means the days you work with your bisceps you should also work triceps. When you work out you should start of by finding out your x RM (x repetitions maximum). x is the number of repetitions you can do at the most with any given weight. To start off with you should be able to do sets of 12 then 10 respectively. Within the first 6 weeks you should see significant changes due to your neural drive; CNS and PNS increasing their ability to "activate" your muscles. After the first part (12 weeks~) begin working out 3-4 times a week, now working with RM of 10 and 8 respectively but now with 3 sets: 10-8-8 RM. You should be doing this for about 4 months. After the first 2 months of this part begin working dynamically, meaning that when you do an exercise the movement you make should be forced and fast but slow when pull back. For example bisceps pull up fast and drop slowly.

After the second part you can either keep with this programme or setting your RM a bit lower. I would consider getting asking a personal trainer or whatever if you are getting more serious about your development.
Hope this is understandable - good luck.

[m3dude]

op, it sounds like your a beginner. what id recommend is focusing mostly on big compound exercises. these will get your strength up to a level where u can more quickly build muscle mass by lifting heavier weights. most new trainees go to the gym and spread themselves out way too much doing isolation lifts when they dont have the necessary strength base to add any noticeable muscle mass. once you have a solid foundation THEN u can hit the isolation lifts and target specific muscles.

a routine id recommend would be as follows

mon/wed/fri

rest 3 to 5 min in between sets so u can always recruit maximal muscle strength

3 sets of barbell bench press
3 sets of pullups
3 sets of military press
3 sets of squats/deadlifts
3 sets of lying tricep extensions/barbell curls

*a slash indicates that u alternate between the 2 every other workout. so if monday u do deadlifts, wednesday u would do squats.

cardio can be done on off days, u dont want to do cardio on the same days you lift

the workout seems brief but its very intense. doing 15 sets of heavy compound lifts is much different than doing 25 sets of isolation lifts. also u dont want to overtrain when your working the same muscle groups every other day. you should use a weight where u can do 3 sets of 5 to 6 reps each, the last rep of the 3rd set being just short of muscle failure. in general you dont want to go to muscle failure as it takes your muscles much longer to recover. there are times when ud go to muscle failure, but those times are only for advanced bodybuildiers. this routine will rly build up your strength and give u some density and solid muscle mass as a foundation for whatever u want to do in the future. in general you want your workouts to be 45 minutes to an hour, as any longer and you lose your intensity due to fatgue.

[STAY VEIN]

woot, i come to bbv to learn how to get buff all the time, thanks guys

[d0nkaments]

[ QUOTE ]
op, it sounds like your a beginner. what id recommend is focusing mostly on big compound exercises. these will get your strength up to a level where u can more quickly build muscle mass by lifting heavier weights. most new trainees go to the gym and spread themselves out way too much doing isolation lifts when they dont have the necessary strength base to add any noticeable muscle mass. once you have a solid foundation THEN u can hit the isolation lifts and target specific muscles.

a routine id recommend would be as follows

mon/wed/fri

rest 3 to 5 min in between sets so u can always recruit maximal muscle strength

3 sets of barbell bench press
3 sets of pullups
3 sets of military press
3 sets of squats/deadlifts
3 sets of lying tricep extensions/barbell curls

*a slash indicates that u alternate between the 2 every other workout. so if monday u do deadlifts, wednesday u would do squats.

cardio can be done on off days, u dont want to do cardio on the same days you lift

the workout seems brief but its very intense. doing 15 sets of heavy compound lifts is much different than doing 25 sets of isolation lifts. also u dont want to overtrain when your working the same muscle groups every other day. you should use a weight where u can do 3 sets of 5 to 6 reps each, the last rep of the 3rd set being just short of muscle failure. in general you dont want to go to muscle failure as it takes your muscles much longer to recover. there are times when ud go to muscle failure, but those times are only for advanced bodybuildiers. this routine will rly build up your strength and give u some density and solid muscle mass as a foundation for whatever u want to do in the future. in general you want your workouts to be 45 minutes to an hour, as any longer and you lose your intensity due to fatgue.

[/ QUOTE ]

pretty good advice. I am already pretty much following some variation of this, with the barbell presses, deadlifts, squats, and tricep extentions.

only thing i have to question is "resting 3-5 minutes" between sets. what i have heard from others, and been doing, is trying to rest only 15-30 seconds between sets, and rather resting after each EXCERSIZE. i have heard that this is more efficient, but if i am wrong please explain why.

thanks again.

I am on week 5 out of 12 right now, and have lost ~8 lbs of body fat and put on some muscle (actually noticible difference! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img])

[d0nkaments]

again, i posted in bbv by accident and meant to post in H&F but you guys seem pretty knowledgeable too

[Stake Monster]

www.fitday.com

[d0nkaments]

haha yea, i use that too

[Shephard]

i work out four times a week and i think i has potential

[m3dude]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
op, it sounds like your a beginner. what id recommend is focusing mostly on big compound exercises. these will get your strength up to a level where u can more quickly build muscle mass by lifting heavier weights. most new trainees go to the gym and spread themselves out way too much doing isolation lifts when they dont have the necessary strength base to add any noticeable muscle mass. once you have a solid foundation THEN u can hit the isolation lifts and target specific muscles.

a routine id recommend would be as follows

mon/wed/fri

rest 3 to 5 min in between sets so u can always recruit maximal muscle strength

3 sets of barbell bench press
3 sets of pullups
3 sets of military press
3 sets of squats/deadlifts
3 sets of lying tricep extensions/barbell curls

*a slash indicates that u alternate between the 2 every other workout. so if monday u do deadlifts, wednesday u would do squats.

cardio can be done on off days, u dont want to do cardio on the same days you lift

the workout seems brief but its very intense. doing 15 sets of heavy compound lifts is much different than doing 25 sets of isolation lifts. also u dont want to overtrain when your working the same muscle groups every other day. you should use a weight where u can do 3 sets of 5 to 6 reps each, the last rep of the 3rd set being just short of muscle failure. in general you dont want to go to muscle failure as it takes your muscles much longer to recover. there are times when ud go to muscle failure, but those times are only for advanced bodybuildiers. this routine will rly build up your strength and give u some density and solid muscle mass as a foundation for whatever u want to do in the future. in general you want your workouts to be 45 minutes to an hour, as any longer and you lose your intensity due to fatgue.

[/ QUOTE ]

pretty good advice. I am already pretty much following some variation of this, with the barbell presses, deadlifts, squats, and tricep extentions.

only thing i have to question is "resting 3-5 minutes" between sets. what i have heard from others, and been doing, is trying to rest only 15-30 seconds between sets, and rather resting after each EXCERSIZE. i have heard that this is more efficient, but if i am wrong please explain why.

thanks again.

I am on week 5 out of 12 right now, and have lost ~8 lbs of body fat and put on some muscle (actually noticible difference! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img])

[/ QUOTE ]

its wrong because your giving your muscles no time to recover so u can deliver maximal strength for the next set. if your resting only 15 to 30 seconds between sets your lifting much lighter loads and you will not build up any strength increases.