Gym Routine

[Stevo985]

I always write my routine down. You'd have to be Rainman to remember everything, imo!

People do sometimes look at me funny as I scribble stuff down in my notepad. But it's very satisfying as it gets fuller and fuller though

Your instructor sounds like he knows his stuff. Which isn't always the case, believe me! But what he says is true. The amount of people who think they know what they're doing far outweigh the people who actually know what they're doing.

Sounds like your enjoying it anyway, good to hear

[BOF]

Now where did I put those anabolic steroids...

[Meath_Villan]

Must resist !!!

[Dante_Lockhart]

I'd recommend signing up to Fitocracy if you need to track your workouts. There is also a handy app for iPhones and such that you can use to log your stuff. Plus every exercise earns points and you can level up and earn achievements. Kind of like an exercise RPG. It's well good, pushes me harder when I'm working out if I can churn out some extra points.

I mainly use it for its logging purposes though, saves taking a paper and pen to the gym or trying to remember what I've already done. You can also make and save routines which you can load up to save logging everything each time you go separately.

[Stevo985]

^^^ That sounds useful.

I log all mine electronically but just on a spreadsheet so I can see where I'm going. But that sounds fun.

[BOF]

Thanks. That all sounds a bit too serious for me though. I'll stick to pen and paper for now.

[Dante_Lockhart]

PM me your e-mail Stevo and I'll send you an invite.

[Stevo985]

Done

[Dante_Lockhart]

Cool. Should be sent shortly.

[Shillzz]

Quick question.

How many reps, typically, does everyone aim for when weight lifting?

I'm of the opinion that 8/9 reps is the best way forward for those aiming to pack on muscle, but am no expert by any means.

[Stevo985]

I do (excluding warm up sets) sets of 8, 6, 4, 6 reps

With the weight ramping up to the set of 4. Then a slight deload for the last 6

Edit: Removed the shameful use of the abbreviation "obvs"

[BOF]

Well my instructor (quick, while it's fresh in the mind!!) has told me I should do a weight where I struggle, but just manage, to get to 10 reps. Then after a minute struggle with a higher weight to 8 then finally struggle with more again to get to 6.

[Shillzz]

Interesting.

Think I need to revise my routine a little.

I basically do 3 sets of 8/9/10 reps on everything.

[Stevo985]

As long as you're working hard on that final rep then I'd say it doesn't really matter a huge amount as long as you're below 10, or maybe 12 as an absolute max.

There are some exercises (lat raises, for example) where the same weight will be enough to serve me for the 8 then 6 then 4 reps, I guess because recovery time is greater and I only rest for a minute.

It's good to cover a range of reps though. BOF's instructor (again) has told him correct info, imo. Start reasonably high and work to a set of fewer reps. That way you've covered a range of reps.

If someone was just doing 3 sets of 10 reps I'd advise them to lift heavier, and less reps on some sets.

[Shillzz]

Cheers both.

And what about the 1 minute rest rule? Is this important?

As you mention in your post, I pretty much always aim to come close to failing on my last rep. Thinking about it, I perhaps do need to ramp up my weights and cut down some of the reps. I find it's very easy to become 'comfortable' with the weight your lifting, dont think ive seriously upped any of my weights for a couple of months now.

[Stevo985]

It's really easy to fall into a comfortable routine. You'll still be working, but not as hard as you should be. I did it myself fo rages before I knew what i was doing. Just lifting the same thing all the time and hardly ever progressing

Especially if you're looking to add muscle (as opposed to keep muscle when cutting) you should be making progress on every session, imo. Whether adding weight or adding reps to a current weight

(eg if I failed after rep 3 on my set of 4, then the next week I wouldn't add weight until I'd made that 4th rep)

As for rest, I like to stick to the 1 minute mark. Just because again it's easy to sit there for longer without realising and then you're not working as hard.

But it's preference to a certain extent. Again as long as you work hard on that last rep you're ok. If you rest for 90 seconds then that last rep might require a higher weight to have the same effect, if you get me?

But on my big compound lifts like deads and squats, I have t rest for at least 90 seconds. They really take it out of you

[BOF]

I'm told the thing with the 1 minute is just so that you're working the muscle properly. I was told by both (first and yesterday's) instructors to take each rep slowly in order to get the most out of it, but never to stop in the middle of a set. Keep it working, keep it benefitting and try to keep to a minute, at most 2 minutes for the harder ones, between sets of reps.

If you've become comfortable with a weight, then your muscles aren't getting any bigger. You're only growing muscle if you're pushing the muscle. Otherwise you're; at most; toning it through repetition rather than actual struggle.

I know the theory. I just need to implement it now Easier said than done.

[Shillzz]

That's good to know, I very rarely keep my rest time below about 90 seconds (at best).

Unfortunately I'm at the stage where I've 'maxed out' on a couple of the weights at the gym. i.e. I'm doing 3 sets of 10 weights with the heaviest weights they have.

I've definitely fallen into the trap of settling into a comfortable routine, the idea of improving with every session is pretty alien to me at the moment.

Definitely need to re-focus, although I am pretty happy with my body shape & size so it's not a desperate situation by any means.

[Stevo985]

This all leans towards tracking your progress, something like Dante suggested.

Much easier to get "comfortable" when you're not writing down everything you're doing

[BOF]

Sounds like you just need an appt. with an instructor and a new programme. You're not on free weights either if you've maxed out. Free weights you can just keep loading them. You'll also find (as I did last night) that you won't be able to lift as heavy a free weight as you could on a machine. Because the technique of keeping the movement right will work you too.