ShadowBoxing
Avenger
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I have recieved a lot of e-mails lately....However I cannot fit what I need to say in PMs anymore...so here is a thread about it
Simply ask me a question...I will answer
This is in response to a poster who will remain nameless (I know its your PM buddy...but I'll keep your name from appearing so no worries
)
First off it is good that you are exercising...however being in shape is a multifacited thing. My goal until late was to get into the shape of most hollywood actors. This is typically the male model type body of the pinups you see in magazines. However it was a trail and error process for me just as I feel bodybuilding will be.
You are either one of three types a mesomorph who gains muscle easy and has a low to moderate amount of fat (Mesomorphs: Bruce Willis, Franco Columbo, Ronnie Coleman, the Rock, Michael Vick), an ectomorph (myself, Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Arnold Schwarzenegger [according to him, people are suspect of this], Frank Zane, Flex Wheeler, virtually every actor and male model) who puts on muscle slowly (hardgainer) tends towards endurance athletics and doesn't retain fat, or a endomorph who retains fat easily and has a low threshold for physical activity (Jack Black, Ken Waller, Lee Priest, Jerry O Connell, the Big Show, Warren Sapp).
Ectomorphs which I would assume you are since you mentioned distance running 5 miles in the morning will have a hard time bulking up. Ah-Nuld may have been an ectomorph, but through the use of steroids improved his recovery time to the point where his body readily adapted and grew rapidly. Either way both he and Frank Zane became ecto-mesomorphs. I too am an ectomesomorph as my body responds a lot more like a mesomorph now than it did prior to 3 years training.
Ectomorphs, in order to gain mass while losing fat...which is how you attain that "cut look" everyone covets...have to take in over 3500 calories a day spaced out over 5-7 meals. Each meal (except the post workout and last meal) is a 40% carb 40% protien 20% good fat meal. Diet is the key to training.
Next key is training itself. Weightlifting is a necessity since unlike ads claims, six packs and chisseled muscles do not wait underneath fat. If you are an ectomorph as it sounds training more than 4 or 5 days a week will draw you into what is known as "overtraining"...this is when one trains to the point that the body has insufficent time to recover and therefore muscles do not grow and sometimes shrink. The use of steroids by people is an attempt to speed up their recovery to a point where they can train consistently..also increases strength to a degree (I do not suggest taking them [I do not], however most fitness models and bodybuilders do and therefore you should not not use their gains as a template for yours).
If you are running five miles (probably takes you 45minutes to a hour) and doing 10-30minutes of calisthenics you (if you are an ectomorph) are overtraining. Ectomorphs ought to weight train 3 to 4 days a week and get no more than either 2 high intensity cardio sessions of three longer light ones. The point of getting buff and toned is two fold. You must first gain muscle mass and second cut fat mass. This is two conflicting things, and is very hard for the body to do. the Body would much rather gain fat and muscle simultaneously.
The reason you need to keep carbs in your system is because your body requires an active fuel source at all times...even when you sleep. If it has no active fuel source it will store what it has not used as fat. Carbs are the fuel that burns fat. Just like a car needs electricity to burn gasoline, so too must you have an energy source to burn fat.
The reason for weight training is many fold. First the basic health reasons are clear, it promotes bone density, heightens the immune system, even improves cardiovascular strength to a point. That is why over the last 20 or 30 years sports have began requiring athletes to weight train (a once huge taboo in sports). However you are referring to the aesthetics benefits of weighttraining. This requires a different approach. Early and modern powerlifters and average joes tend to do the traditional three day a week full body workout. However for aesthetics the split routine works best.
Your body is broken up like this
Chest (Inner, Upper, Middle, Lower)
Shoulders (front, middle, rear)
Back (Upper, Inner, Lower)
Abdominals (Lower, Upper)
Bicept (Outer, Inner)
Tricept (Outer, Middle, Inner)
Quads (Outer, Inner, Glute)
Hamstring (Outer Inner)
Calves (Front, Back)
Traps
Forearms (Front, Back)
In a single week all areas listed must be hit with at least one exercise and a powermovement for each major body part (Legs, Shoulders, Chest, Back)
An example
Back Day
Power (Deadlifts) 3x8
Upper (Pull ups) 3x8
Inner (Seated Rows) 3x8
Lower (Roman Chair) 3x8
That would be a basic back routine
Unlike some very accredited (I am ashamed to say) fitness proffessionals would have you believe weight training is NOT a causal activity. It involves a massive amount of concentration from start to finish. You see when most people weight train they use THEIR weight to move another. They disregard form and gradually teach their bodies to use the momentum force of the weight to drive it back up. This works for a powerlifter since he/she has such a low center of gravity and dense mass and therefore can do this to momumental amounts of weight. Frank Zane could never do this, neither could Flex. People who are not genetically prone to powerlifting typically plataeu from doing this.
The lift properly you must achieve a "pump" or as I call it a "peak contraction". To do this you must keep the muscle tensed during the movement, never releasing the tension. During rest periods you should either be flexing said trained muscle or be doing another exercise (supersetting). The goal is to cause the muscle to break down so that the protien you eat over the course of the week can repair it. You should only train major muscle groups once a week. Otherwise overtraining will occur. Eventually you may be able to work muscles twice a week.
I will try to provide you with more information later...but I gtg
Simply ask me a question...I will answer
This is in response to a poster who will remain nameless (I know its your PM buddy...but I'll keep your name from appearing so no worries
)whoo boy....okay there is a lot to be said here.
First off it is good that you are exercising...however being in shape is a multifacited thing. My goal until late was to get into the shape of most hollywood actors. This is typically the male model type body of the pinups you see in magazines. However it was a trail and error process for me just as I feel bodybuilding will be.
You are either one of three types a mesomorph who gains muscle easy and has a low to moderate amount of fat (Mesomorphs: Bruce Willis, Franco Columbo, Ronnie Coleman, the Rock, Michael Vick), an ectomorph (myself, Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Arnold Schwarzenegger [according to him, people are suspect of this], Frank Zane, Flex Wheeler, virtually every actor and male model) who puts on muscle slowly (hardgainer) tends towards endurance athletics and doesn't retain fat, or a endomorph who retains fat easily and has a low threshold for physical activity (Jack Black, Ken Waller, Lee Priest, Jerry O Connell, the Big Show, Warren Sapp).
Ectomorphs which I would assume you are since you mentioned distance running 5 miles in the morning will have a hard time bulking up. Ah-Nuld may have been an ectomorph, but through the use of steroids improved his recovery time to the point where his body readily adapted and grew rapidly. Either way both he and Frank Zane became ecto-mesomorphs. I too am an ectomesomorph as my body responds a lot more like a mesomorph now than it did prior to 3 years training.
Ectomorphs, in order to gain mass while losing fat...which is how you attain that "cut look" everyone covets...have to take in over 3500 calories a day spaced out over 5-7 meals. Each meal (except the post workout and last meal) is a 40% carb 40% protien 20% good fat meal. Diet is the key to training.
Next key is training itself. Weightlifting is a necessity since unlike ads claims, six packs and chisseled muscles do not wait underneath fat. If you are an ectomorph as it sounds training more than 4 or 5 days a week will draw you into what is known as "overtraining"...this is when one trains to the point that the body has insufficent time to recover and therefore muscles do not grow and sometimes shrink. The use of steroids by people is an attempt to speed up their recovery to a point where they can train consistently..also increases strength to a degree (I do not suggest taking them [I do not], however most fitness models and bodybuilders do and therefore you should not not use their gains as a template for yours).
If you are running five miles (probably takes you 45minutes to a hour) and doing 10-30minutes of calisthenics you (if you are an ectomorph) are overtraining. Ectomorphs ought to weight train 3 to 4 days a week and get no more than either 2 high intensity cardio sessions of three longer light ones. The point of getting buff and toned is two fold. You must first gain muscle mass and second cut fat mass. This is two conflicting things, and is very hard for the body to do. the Body would much rather gain fat and muscle simultaneously.
The reason you need to keep carbs in your system is because your body requires an active fuel source at all times...even when you sleep. If it has no active fuel source it will store what it has not used as fat. Carbs are the fuel that burns fat. Just like a car needs electricity to burn gasoline, so too must you have an energy source to burn fat.
The reason for weight training is many fold. First the basic health reasons are clear, it promotes bone density, heightens the immune system, even improves cardiovascular strength to a point. That is why over the last 20 or 30 years sports have began requiring athletes to weight train (a once huge taboo in sports). However you are referring to the aesthetics benefits of weighttraining. This requires a different approach. Early and modern powerlifters and average joes tend to do the traditional three day a week full body workout. However for aesthetics the split routine works best.
Your body is broken up like this
Chest (Inner, Upper, Middle, Lower)
Shoulders (front, middle, rear)
Back (Upper, Inner, Lower)
Abdominals (Lower, Upper)
Bicept (Outer, Inner)
Tricept (Outer, Middle, Inner)
Quads (Outer, Inner, Glute)
Hamstring (Outer Inner)
Calves (Front, Back)
Traps
Forearms (Front, Back)
In a single week all areas listed must be hit with at least one exercise and a powermovement for each major body part (Legs, Shoulders, Chest, Back)
An example
Back Day
Power (Deadlifts) 3x8
Upper (Pull ups) 3x8
Inner (Seated Rows) 3x8
Lower (Roman Chair) 3x8
That would be a basic back routine
Unlike some very accredited (I am ashamed to say) fitness proffessionals would have you believe weight training is NOT a causal activity. It involves a massive amount of concentration from start to finish. You see when most people weight train they use THEIR weight to move another. They disregard form and gradually teach their bodies to use the momentum force of the weight to drive it back up. This works for a powerlifter since he/she has such a low center of gravity and dense mass and therefore can do this to momumental amounts of weight. Frank Zane could never do this, neither could Flex. People who are not genetically prone to powerlifting typically plataeu from doing this.
The lift properly you must achieve a "pump" or as I call it a "peak contraction". To do this you must keep the muscle tensed during the movement, never releasing the tension. During rest periods you should either be flexing said trained muscle or be doing another exercise (supersetting). The goal is to cause the muscle to break down so that the protien you eat over the course of the week can repair it. You should only train major muscle groups once a week. Otherwise overtraining will occur. Eventually you may be able to work muscles twice a week.
I will try to provide you with more information later...but I gtg
