[quote]Skrussian wrote:
Shrugs are in front.[/quote]
So is there any advantage in using a barbell as apposed to just free weight dumbells like i am doing at the moment?
Thanks again.
[quote]Fordy wrote:
Skrussian wrote:
Shrugs are in front.
So is there any advantage in using a barbell as apposed to just free weight dumbells like i am doing at the moment?
Thanks again.
[/quote]
Actually, you can do it in front, behind, or with dumbells. You can even do overhead shrugs. If you always do dumbbell shrugs, try using a barbell. You can also go much heavier on barbell shrugs because dumbbells are pretty limited at most gyms.
[quote]Robert P. wrote:
Fordy wrote:
Skrussian wrote:
Shrugs are in front.
So is there any advantage in using a barbell as apposed to just free weight dumbells like i am doing at the moment?
Thanks again.
Actually, you can do it in front, behind, or with dumbells. You can even do overhead shrugs. If you always do dumbbell shrugs, try using a barbell. You can also go much heavier on barbell shrugs because dumbbells are pretty limited at most gyms.[/quote]
The gym i go to have dumbbells up to 50kg so i am ok on that side. However the position of your hands and movement is different - when i use the dumbbells my hands are down by my side however i would imagine if i use the barbell my hands will be out front with the hands facing downwards…
I will give it a go. ON the plan i follow i also do haney ones which are behind the back on a smiths machine.
Thanks
OP,
You seem to have a good attitude which will serve you well, here’s my advice.
I think you would do well to keep things simple, all someone starting off needs to know IMO is:
What foods are good.
What foods are bad.
How to perform exercises properly.
That’s it.
Once you have that covered all you need to know is if you aren’t gaining weight you need to eat more. If you’re not gaining much muscle then you need to train harder and if you’re putting on too much fat you may need to eat less.
Based purely on the picture you originally posted I would say that achieving that sort of physique is fairly easy, any average male should be able to get to that stage (or further) within a year.
As for the abs, maybe it’s just me but they’re nothing special (especially if he is really 4% bf), and I don’t think you would need to do much direct ab work at all to get that kind of development.
A lot of the posts lately lead me to believe that there are a lot of people who would benefit from forgetting most of the information they know, you don’t need to make the same mistake.
Good luck.
[quote]IQ wrote:
OP,
You seem to have a good attitude which will serve you well, here’s my advice.
I think you would do well to keep things simple, all someone starting off needs to know IMO is:
What foods are good.
What foods are bad.
How to perform exercises properly.
That’s it.
Once you have that covered all you need to know is if you aren’t gaining weight you need to eat more. If you’re not gaining much muscle then you need to train harder and if you’re putting on too much fat you may need to eat less.
Based purely on the picture you originally posted I would say that achieving that sort of physique is fairly easy, any average male should be able to get to that stage (or further) within a year.
As for the abs, maybe it’s just me but they’re nothing special (especially if he is really 4% bf), and I don’t think you would need to do much direct ab work at all to get that kind of development.
A lot of the posts lately lead me to believe that there are a lot of people who would benefit from forgetting most of the information they know, you don’t need to make the same mistake.
Good luck.[/quote]
Thankyou very much for the reply it has definately helped. From what you have said i wont really start learning what my body needs/wants until i get a few weeks into my plan and i can see changes/weaknesses/development.
Alot of the lads in the gym keep telling me i am getting bigger however, they also say that i wont get abs whilst on so much protein. I take protein morining, pre workout and at night before bed.
i also cant seem to get my head around my diet. I mean i suppose if i go for say 3000 calories 50% carbs 30% protein and 20 fat…is it best to spread this over the day or is it best to eat a high % of carbs in the morning.
I also cant seem to grasp the idea of taking in more carbs than protein. If i am eating 30% protein and taking in 83g x 3 intakes per day of protein, is this too much
I have tried reading alot and i mean alot of posts but they are conflicting at times.
I suppose as a conclusion the only way i am going to find out is to train and adjust my intake until i find a happy medium.
If only bodybuilding was easy…lol
I’m no expert but I think you’re making it harder than it needs to be!
You don’t really need to do obscure lifts or micro manage nutrients to make good gains. JMO but consistantly busting ass in the gym and eating pretty ok goes a long way, especially in the beginning…
I’m going back to lurking now! But I just know from personal experience that things can get frustrating when they’re needlessly overcomplicated.
[quote]Fordy wrote:
Thankyou very much for the reply it has definately helped. From what you have said i wont really start learning what my body needs/wants until i get a few weeks into my plan and i can see changes/weaknesses/development.
Alot of the lads in the gym keep telling me i am getting bigger however, they also say that i wont get abs whilst on so much protein. I take protein morining, pre workout and at night before bed.
i also cant seem to get my head around my diet. I mean i suppose if i go for say 3000 calories 50% carbs 30% protein and 20 fat…is it best to spread this over the day or is it best to eat a high % of carbs in the morning.
I also cant seem to grasp the idea of taking in more carbs than protein. If i am eating 30% protein and taking in 83g x 3 intakes per day of protein, is this too much
I have tried reading alot and i mean alot of posts but they are conflicting at times.
I suppose as a conclusion the only way i am going to find out is to train and adjust my intake until i find a happy medium.
If only bodybuilding was easy…lol
[/quote]
The only way you can find out if something will work for you is to try it.
As for the macronutrient splits etc. this year I made a conscious decision to make things simpler, I have no idea how many calories I’m eating, I have no idea what the macronutrient split of those calories is but what I do know is that I am the strongest I have ever been in my life and making good progress.
If I stall gaining weight I know I need to eat more, if I work out what my calorific intake has been and the macronutrient breakdown it doesn’t actually change anything, I still need to eat more.
The numbers are not important what you do to those numbers is what matters, unless you are dealing with a very specific goal who cares if your protein intake is 30%, 40% or 50% of your overall calories, as long as you are getting enough to grow there’s no need to worry.
[quote]IQ wrote:
Fordy wrote:
Thankyou very much for the reply it has definately helped. From what you have said i wont really start learning what my body needs/wants until i get a few weeks into my plan and i can see changes/weaknesses/development.
Alot of the lads in the gym keep telling me i am getting bigger however, they also say that i wont get abs whilst on so much protein. I take protein morining, pre workout and at night before bed.
i also cant seem to get my head around my diet. I mean i suppose if i go for say 3000 calories 50% carbs 30% protein and 20 fat…is it best to spread this over the day or is it best to eat a high % of carbs in the morning.
I also cant seem to grasp the idea of taking in more carbs than protein. If i am eating 30% protein and taking in 83g x 3 intakes per day of protein, is this too much
I have tried reading alot and i mean alot of posts but they are conflicting at times.
I suppose as a conclusion the only way i am going to find out is to train and adjust my intake until i find a happy medium.
If only bodybuilding was easy…lol
The only way you can find out if something will work for you is to try it.
As for the macronutrient splits etc. this year I made a conscious decision to make things simpler, I have no idea how many calories I’m eating, I have no idea what the macronutrient split of those calories is but what I do know is that I am the strongest I have ever been in my life and making good progress.
If I stall gaining weight I know I need to eat more, if I work out what my calorific intake has been and the macronutrient breakdown it doesn’t actually change anything, I still need to eat more.
The numbers are not important what you do to those numbers is what matters, unless you are dealing with a very specific goal who cares if your protein intake is 30%, 40% or 50% of your overall calories, as long as you are getting enough to grow there’s no need to worry. [/quote]
Only one way to find out then…
I am just going to make sure i eat every 2-3 hours, take my sups and stick to my plan (Opinons on the plan i have choose are more than welcome) i dont know if anyone agrees with what plan i am following in order to reach my goal or whether it would be a better idea to go for a full body workout…
Wait!!! I think i am learning now - the only way i am going to find this out is my trying them out and seeing what works for me…
Hopefully i will have some good news and feedback in a few weeks.
Fordy
Fordy,
if you make the effort you will easliy achieve your goal. did you not see the state of ryan renolds before blade 3. and the last time i checked he was human just like the rest of us!
if you want it get stuck in!
good luck
Dave
[quote]Large Dave wrote:
Fordy,
if you make the effort you will easliy achieve your goal. did you not see the state of ryan renolds before blade 3. and the last time i checked he was human just like the rest of us!
if you want it get stuck in!
good luck
Dave[/quote]
I know alot of people say this but i am 100% commited to this and hope i can achieve my goal.
I have been looking over my plan just to ensure that everything is going ok and i have a structure…couple of things i wansnt sure about.
1, when i look to cover 2 muscle groups per day - should i do 1 muscle group at a time or do say 2 of one then two of the other? Is it beneficial to work one then the other?
2, was does it mean when the plan i have chosen show a1 a2, b, c, d Etc? SHould i be following my plan and doing the exercises in a certain order?
Once again thanks for the help.
Fordy
[quote]Fordy wrote:
I know alot of people say this but i am 100% commited to this and hope i can achieve my goal.[/quote]
Don’t hope you can. KNOW you WILL. Make no excuses short of something like getting both legs chopped off or mass famine.
[quote]DSmolken wrote:
Fordy wrote:
I know alot of people say this but i am 100% commited to this and hope i can achieve my goal.
Don’t hope you can. KNOW you WILL. Make no excuses short of something like getting both legs chopped off or mass famine.
[/quote]
Valid point.
Positive mental attitude is the phrase i think…
I didn’t really read this thread because I thtought it was a joke for the longest time, but this is a 100% achievable goal. Heck, I reached it in 8 months or serious training (up from a bean pole 120lbs). Once you hit his size though, if you’re like me, you’ll realize how small it is and want to keep getting bigger.
Eat, lift, be merry. Good luck.
[quote]Zero_Z wrote:
I didn’t really read this thread because I thtought it was a joke for the longest time, but this is a 100% achievable goal. Heck, I reached it in 8 months or serious training (up from a bean pole 120lbs). Once you hit his size though, if you’re like me, you’ll realize how small it is and want to keep getting bigger.
Eat, lift, be merry. Good luck.[/quote]
Yeah, alot of people have said that to me however i dont want to be any bigger as i play semi pro football and getting any bigger would be of a disadvantage…
Hopefully when i reach my first goal i will them look to really rip myself whilst staying that kind of size.
I was also wondering - the plan i have in place covers minimal ab work…will i beable acheive a well formed 6 pack when only using the exercises shown or will i have to include more intense ab work? Its something i have never really looked into - i have always been under the impression that it is extremely hard to form a 6 pack and your bady fat % is best kept low.
I mean currently i will peform 3 different exercises on my abs after my workout - usually 3 sets of as many as poss…would you imagine this would be sufficient?
thanks
[quote]Fordy wrote:
Zero_Z wrote:
I didn’t really read this thread because I thtought it was a joke for the longest time, but this is a 100% achievable goal. Heck, I reached it in 8 months or serious training (up from a bean pole 120lbs). Once you hit his size though, if you’re like me, you’ll realize how small it is and want to keep getting bigger.
Eat, lift, be merry. Good luck.
Yeah, alot of people have said that to me however i dont want to be any bigger as i play semi pro football and getting any bigger would be of a disadvantage…
Hopefully when i reach my first goal i will them look to really rip myself whilst staying that kind of size.
I was also wondering - the plan i have in place covers minimal ab work…will i beable acheive a well formed 6 pack when only using the exercises shown or will i have to include more intense ab work? Its something i have never really looked into - i have always been under the impression that it is extremely hard to form a 6 pack and your bady fat % is best kept low.
I mean currently i will peform 3 different exercises on my abs after my workout - usually 3 sets of as many as poss…would you imagine this would be sufficient?
thanks
[/quote]
Use the glute/ham developer and do piston press or light bench.
Do lots of ball work (www.gymjones.com)
^also good high-intensity cardio
Bent over rows, deadlifts, military press (standing, if you didn’t know that already).
Direct ab work (situps/crunches) doesn’t put as much stress on your ‘core’ as the above exercises. I do situps a lot for the military, so feel free to do that too, but I can see my abs pretty well. I can do around 100 situps in 2 minues, and don’t really try for more than that since it maxes every PT test I would ever incounter.
[quote]Fordy wrote:
Yeah, alot of people have said that to me however i dont want to be any bigger as i play semi pro football and getting any bigger would be of a disadvantage…
[/quote]
Just to translate this into American… football = soccer, i.e. lots and lots of running.
OP - good luck man.
I would suggest that once you are happy with your progress on this plan you could look for something more sport specific to help you on the field. I’m thinking along the lines of learning power cleans, dealifts, glute/ham raise, squats, high pulls etc and incoporating them into a plan that will support the development of explosive lower body power.
This should help you with your speed and acceleration on the football pitch.
Cheers,
Any ideas what Ryan’s stats actually are? looks around 180 and 7-8% to me
anyone know for sure?
[quote]Fordy wrote:
Yeah, alot of people have said that to me however i dont want to be any bigger as i play semi pro football and getting any bigger would be of a disadvantage…[/quote]
First of all, what the heck is semi pro? Either you get paid and then you’re a pro, or you don’t and you’re an amateur. No semi anything. Say high level or state the league you play in.
I have an issue with everyone who claims he will have a disadvantage in football/soccer because of weight. I’m up twenty pounds in six months with a bit more bodyfat, from 180 to 200. During my whole winter bulk, I didn’t do any cardio whatsoever.
Despite of this, my soccer performance is better than ever. I usually play defense, but my dribbling has improved because I can muscle other players, whom I usually outweigh, out of the way.
My defending has improved a lot, no being pushed around by forwards. Shots are more powerful, I can shield the ball better, my ability to run the field has barely decreased, and it wouldn’t have decreased at all if I had done some cardio.
The only way added weight could harm you in soccer is if you stop doing any type of cardio and gain around 50-100 pounds. Add 20-30 pounds to Reynolds physique and he won’t be any worse at soccer than he is now.
The only issue is gaining weight and keeping it on with regular practices. But muscle will never hurt soccer performance, especially when we’re talking physiques like the Reynold has.
Sorry for the long post, but the fact that very many soccer players no nothing about proper weight training pisses me off.
Just to add something constructive, you can’t “form” a sixpack. It’s the natural shape of your abs. Maybe the look like Reynold’s maybe they look like Ronnie’s (probably not), or maybe they look completely different from those I mentioned.
All that your training will do is increase their size. Low bodyfat will make them visible, but you already have low bodyfat, you’re just lacking muscle all over.
[quote]legend wrote:
Any ideas what Ryan’s stats actually are? looks around 180 and 7-8% to me
anyone know for sure?[/quote]
According to Mens Health he is 180 and 4-5 % bodyfat…not sure if it is correct or what he was on the photo i posted.
[quote]Robert P. wrote:
Fordy wrote:
Yeah, alot of people have said that to me however i dont want to be any bigger as i play semi pro football and getting any bigger would be of a disadvantage…
First of all, what the heck is semi pro? Either you get paid and then you’re a pro, or you don’t and you’re an amateur. No semi anything. Say high level or state the league you play in.
I have an issue with everyone who claims he will have a disadvantage in football/soccer because of weight. I’m up twenty pounds in six months with a bit more bodyfat, from 180 to 200. During my whole winter bulk, I didn’t do any cardio whatsoever.
Despite of this, my soccer performance is better than ever. I usually play defense, but my dribbling has improved because I can muscle other players, whom I usually outweigh, out of the way.
My defending has improved a lot, no being pushed around by forwards. Shots are more powerful, I can shield the ball better, my ability to run the field has barely decreased, and it wouldn’t have decreased at all if I had done some cardio.
The only way added weight could harm you in soccer is if you stop doing any type of cardio and gain around 50-100 pounds. Add 20-30 pounds to Reynolds physique and he won’t be any worse at soccer than he is now.
The only issue is gaining weight and keeping it on with regular practices. But muscle will never hurt soccer performance, especially when we’re talking physiques like the Reynold has.
Sorry for the long post, but the fact that very many soccer players no nothing about proper weight training pisses me off.
Just to add something constructive, you can’t “form” a sixpack. It’s the natural shape of your abs. Maybe the look like Reynold’s maybe they look like Ronnie’s (probably not), or maybe they look completely different from those I mentioned.
All that your training will do is increase their size. Low bodyfat will make them visible, but you already have low bodyfat, you’re just lacking muscle all over.[/quote]
I play football and get paid but not very much - anyway i wasnt really sure if increased muscle mass would be of a disadvantage so thanks very much for clearing that up - its exactly what i wanted to here.
I definately think it is vital to decrease my body fat lower than it currently is at the moment to develop my abs.
thanks for the reply