Re: Will this work?

DSt <dsteel0@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

Thanks guys,

Good info. I had it in my head that I should be just eatin' and
liftin', but wherever I turn there seems to be someone trying to
make it incredibly dfficult - probably one of the reasons that I
have bouts of not hitting the gym - when you don't get results
straight away, it's hard to get back to it when you think it might
be so complex

Your body is a very complicated system, but exercise doesn't have to
be complicated. In fact, if your workout routine is complicated then
something is probably wrong.

I like going to the gym, I don't have much excuse for not going,
other than a busy life... ;)

Part of the trick is making exercise fit into your schedule. That's
one of the reasons that I have a gym at home, and a kettlebell at the
office. That way any time I have a few minutes I can do something
active.

I'll try some bigger weights at lower reps - I was wondering whether
I should change this. One thing I notice with bigger weights - I
don't get that "burn" in the muscle that lower weights give me, but
I hit failure all the same - is that normal? Is failure what I'm
aiming for, ultimately?

To fail or not to fail is one of the great questions. I personally
steer clear of lifting to failure, but that's only because I don't
like the feeling and I found that I didn't need to push clear to
failure to make progress.

I don't much like the burn of high rep low weight training either, but
I exercise in this format 3 or 4 times a week because I like endurance
style lifting better than I like traditional cardio.

To a certain extent the only real answer is for you to take careful
notes during your workouts and decide for yourself what works best.

As for specific exercises - bicep curls, shoulder presses (machine),
bench press, shrugs, calf raises (machine), squats (machine mostly,
trying to move to the bar), crunches (machine or incline bench), pec
tech (machine).

I do a couple of others for my back and shoulders (the one where you
sit and pull a bar straight down from above your head, and the one
where you sit with a pad in your chest and pull a bar towards you -
like rows), and one for the back of my arms, but I forget what they're
called. I do the odd dip and chin-up too...

That sounds like a decent enough list.

Usually takes me about two hours, then I swim sometimes (not for
long).

Personally I think that this is part of your problem. Shorter
workouts are easier to plan and easier to schedule. That makes them
much harder to blow off. My workouts typically last between 15 and 45
minutes (although sometimes I workout more than once in the same day).

One of the good things about using heavier weights and less reps is
that it takes less time :).

I'll get some whey protein, and try to eat more - being a small guy
I find it hard to pack lots of food in, especially during the
working day, but I'll try to work on that!

It's easier to get more calories when you drink some of them. Try
that and heavier weights and see what happens.

Thanks again, I appreciate the info.

DSt.

Jason
.

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