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  #1   ^
Old Tue, Jan-12-10, 21:26
feelskinny's Avatar
feelskinny feelskinny is offline
AntiSAD
Posts: 6,800
 
Plan: finding my happy place
Stats: 245/231.4/200 Female 67 inches.
BF:
Progress: 30%
Location: Saskatchewan.
Default A ? for those experienced at lifting

I should prly start a gym log - yet I don't know how faithful I'll be posting everyday.

I'm on my 3rd week of using the bowflex and LOVING it!
However, everyday I get more familiar with it, the more questions I seem to have.

Here's an example of my workout.
Today is day three of the 7 day circuit.

Bench Press 4 sets of 15 - 90lbs
Chest Fly (incline) 4 sets of 15 - 90lbs
Chest Fly (decline) 4 sets of 15 - 90lbs
Seated Shoulder Press 3 sets of 12 - 80lbs
Crossover Read Delt Row 4 sets of 12 -80lbs
Shoulder Raise 4 sets of 12 - 60lbs
Shoulder Shrug Scapular 4 sets of 15 - 100lbs
Resisted crunch 4 sets of 12 (barely) - 80lbs

This circuit takes me 50 ish minutes.

Not sure what's more important at this time; the plan is to do 2-4 sets of 8-15 reps.
Should I lift heavy and do less sets, or should I get all the sets/reps in even if I'm lifting lighter to do so??

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  #2   ^
Old Wed, Jan-13-10, 16:18
Hoppinn's Avatar
Hoppinn Hoppinn is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,013
 
Plan: CALP & Exercise
Stats: 236/129/140 Female 5'3"
BF:
Progress: 111%
Location: California
Default

I also use the Bowflex and have been getting the 20 Minute Better Body Workout done for awhile now. According to my Owner's Manual and Fitness Guide, the frequency of this program is 3 Days Per Week.

"Start by performing one set of each exercise. Warm up with a light resistance that you can perform easily for 5-10 reps without fatiguing. Focus on practicing and learning your technique before increasing the resistance. Then move to a more challenging resistance that you can perform no less than 10 reps and no more than 15 reps without your form deteriorating. As you become stronger, you can advance to two sets for each exercise. Complete all sets of each exercise before moving on to the next one. Rest 30 to 45 seconds between sets. Move slowly on each rep. Use a pace that would allow you to stop the movement instantly at any point in the rep. Count three seconds up and three seconds down and work to fatigue during each set."

I hope this helps!
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  #3   ^
Old Wed, Jan-13-10, 16:20
klowcarb's Avatar
klowcarb klowcarb is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 1,136
 
Plan: Zero Carb / Warrior Diet
Stats: 100/100/100 Female 5' 4"
BF:
Progress:
Location: Boston, MA
Default

Heavy and less sets, definitely. It is more important to break down the muscle that to just "exercise" it for endurance.
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  #4   ^
Old Wed, Jan-13-10, 19:10
AlienBug's Avatar
AlienBug AlienBug is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 241
 
Plan: PP-ish
Stats: 202/149/147 Male 5'8
BF:~10%
Progress: 96%
Location: Connecticut
Default

Are you a bodybuilder? Why do THREE separate chest exercises? You also appear not to have a body below the waist. I would ditch the chest exercises (they're a useless muscle group) and go heavy on shoulder, back and legs. These will give you by far the most bang for your buck. Also, I don't get the weighted crunches. Are you going for a thick midsection? If you want defined abs, you build those in the kitchen, not the gym.

My workout would be considered laughable by most. I do one-arm clean & shoulder press and deadlift. On alternate days I may do some pullups or kettlebell swings and maybe some dips. And all exercises are done with the maximum weight with which I can do 6 reps.
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  #5   ^
Old Wed, Jan-13-10, 20:36
klowcarb's Avatar
klowcarb klowcarb is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 1,136
 
Plan: Zero Carb / Warrior Diet
Stats: 100/100/100 Female 5' 4"
BF:
Progress:
Location: Boston, MA
Default

I agree, Alien Bug.

For women, I would focus on shoulders and back to get that great torso, symmetrical look. I would NEVER EVER do weighted abs. Abs ARE made with a very, very low carbohydrate diet. My abs are entirely ZC--well 95%. The other 5% is from abs getting worked indirectly via my weightlifting routine.

Pullups, pushups and dips are fantastic too. And I agree on the 6 reps.
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  #6   ^
Old Thu, Jan-14-10, 15:51
feelskinny's Avatar
feelskinny feelskinny is offline
AntiSAD
Posts: 6,800
 
Plan: finding my happy place
Stats: 245/231.4/200 Female 67 inches.
BF:
Progress: 30%
Location: Saskatchewan.
Default

The circuits rotate different muscle groups 6 days a week. The program I'm on is for building. My core is week so I'm doing the resisted crunches to get more strength in that area.

I can see now that I'm doing too many reps for all my exercises.
Thanks for the response.
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  #7   ^
Old Thu, Jan-14-10, 16:01
klowcarb's Avatar
klowcarb klowcarb is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 1,136
 
Plan: Zero Carb / Warrior Diet
Stats: 100/100/100 Female 5' 4"
BF:
Progress:
Location: Boston, MA
Default

I still think 6 days a week is too much for weights. But give it a try--the heavier you lift the more you build but the more rest you need.

Good luck, Enid! I'll be keeping up on your progress.
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  #8   ^
Old Thu, Jan-14-10, 17:22
galatia's Avatar
galatia galatia is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 13,640
 
Plan: low carb
Stats: 173/135.8/130 Female 5'4"
BF:
Progress: 87%
Location: Mississippi
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Quote:
I would ditch the chest exercises (they're a useless muscle group)
Why do you feel this way?
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  #9   ^
Old Fri, Jan-15-10, 06:44
AlienBug's Avatar
AlienBug AlienBug is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 241
 
Plan: PP-ish
Stats: 202/149/147 Male 5'8
BF:~10%
Progress: 96%
Location: Connecticut
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by galatia
Why do you feel this way?


For functional strength, they really have no role. In 8 years of daily work involving loads of physical labor, I have woken up with a sore back, sore legs, sore shoulders, but never ever felt like the ol' pecs had been worked hard. Now bodybuilders need a big chest, but they get graded exclusively on how they look and that's the standard so that's what they train.

When Jesse Marunde (World's Strongest Man competitor) was alive, he had a strength competition web site and the members all agreed that the #1 most aggravating question the faced at the gym was "What do you bench? What!? You don't bench?"

In the course of living, do you ever use your chest muscles? Pushing a stalled car out of the garage? That's really more leg and shoulders.
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  #10   ^
Old Fri, Jan-15-10, 08:01
klowcarb's Avatar
klowcarb klowcarb is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 1,136
 
Plan: Zero Carb / Warrior Diet
Stats: 100/100/100 Female 5' 4"
BF:
Progress:
Location: Boston, MA
Default

I agree. Chest can get worked with back and shoulders. I work chest while I work back and shoulders. Similarly, a lot of compound weight exercises hit triceps so isolation tricep exercises are useless. I focus on working large muscle groups at once, to get the most bang for the buck.
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  #11   ^
Old Fri, Jan-15-10, 08:25
galatia's Avatar
galatia galatia is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 13,640
 
Plan: low carb
Stats: 173/135.8/130 Female 5'4"
BF:
Progress: 87%
Location: Mississippi
Default

Thanks AB.
You make a very important point to those who ask for advice. We don't all have the same goals.
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  #12   ^
Old Mon, Jan-18-10, 14:57
jcass jcass is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 517
 
Plan: Carnivorous / WAPF
Stats: 168/152/145 Male 66 inches
BF:
Progress: 70%
Location: California
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by feelskinny
the plan is to do 2-4 sets of 8-15 reps.
Should I lift heavy and do less sets, or should I get all the sets/reps in even if I'm lifting lighter to do so??


If you are lifting lighter because it's the only way to get all the sets in then reduce the number of sets. Two sets is fine on any excercise. Don't do super heavy weights until your muscles are decently adapted to the load. But once they are then yes, two sets of eight is great.

Way too much chest I agree. You know that two sets of benchpresses per week will keep your pecs and triceps' in decent shape. All this "incline" and "decline" and "fly" and so on exists mostly because it's easy to see our chests in the mirror. I'm sure that if the eyes were in the backs of our heads it would be the back exercises that get all the attention.
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