Weight training...

[steff]

I was wondering, on dumbells, is it better to do hundreds at a light weight (or light enough to allow you to do hundreds) or is it better to do only 10-20 with a heavy weight?

Also will doing more weights on my left arm make me less retarded with it? I'm completely right handed just now. When I need to carry light but awkward things in work I can't use my left hand. If that makes sense?

[newportbadboy]

doing hundreds on a light weight will simply help you burn fat on ur arms and help u gain some muscle proably but i always have a program when i work out

I work my biceps and triceps on different days..and i do 12-10-8-6 reps going lighter weight to harder

[ZERAT]

lots of reps will burn fat and tone

if you want mass then heavy weights (whle maintaining technique) for 8-10 reps


but if you want big arms triceps are the way to go also

biceps account for only 30% of your arms muscle.


hows that for a drunken post duffman?

[Duffman]

lots of reps will burn fat and tone

if you want mass then heavy weights (whle maintaining technique) for 8-10 reps


but if you want big arms triceps are the way to go also

biceps account for only 30% of your arms muscle.


hows that for a drunken post duffman?

haha thief

[Chronic]

heavyweights with 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps. Must keep form or your wasting your time and if you can push the weight and hit 10 without much effort you need more weight....should be out of steam by the time you near 8-10...and only rest no more then a min and a half between. You dont want to put more weight on one arm vs the other because your form will go off and its normal to have one side stronger then the other unless you have been able to use both for years....the strength will come.

[James T]

heavyweights with 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps. Must keep form or your wasting your time and if you can push the weight and hit 10 without much effort you need more weight....should be out of steam by the time you near 8-10...and only rest no more then a min and a half between. You dont want to put more weight on one arm vs the other because your form will go off and its normal to have one side stronger then the other unless you have been able to use both for years....the strength will come.

Heavy weights to build up muscle, drink protein shakes, eat raw eggs for breakfast & chicken & rice for dinner. Like Zerat says work on your triceps more than your biceps as the tricep is the muscle you use to push with, working on biceps shortens your reach & most people just normally have big biceps for looks coz theres not alot else you can do with them.

3 sets of 10-12 reps is what i normally find the best, If you really want to push yourself then start with a heavy weight, do a set of 12 then straight after get a bit of a lighter weight and do a set of 10 then again straight after get a slightly lighter weight & do a set of, then get quite a light weight and rep it until you can rep no more.


:)

[steff]

Thanks for the help. What is classed as "heavy" for someone who hasn't done weights much before? Or should I just try and see what I feel is heavy enough? I also mentioned about the fact that my left arm has like no muscle, I use it for nothing. So that means I can use a lighter weight to start with on that arm right?

[Chronic]

Thanks for the help. What is classed as "heavy" for someone who hasn't done weights much before? Or should I just try and see what I feel is heavy enough? I also mentioned about the fact that my left arm has like no muscle, I use it for nothing. So that means I can use a lighter weight to start with on that arm right?


you need to use the same weight on both, just use whats comfortable and ease in slowly if you have not done much weight lifting or you will be one sore son for the next few days, plus cause too much muscle fiber tear.


better start using the left hand in the shower to build that jack muscle.....lol

[ZERAT]

Thanks for the help. What is classed as "heavy" for someone who hasn't done weights much before? Or should I just try and see what I feel is heavy enough? I also mentioned about the fact that my left arm has like no muscle, I use it for nothing. So that means I can use a lighter weight to start with on that arm right?

well if you haven't done weights before don't overdo it in the first 2-3weeks

just let yourself get used to the techniques and such - there should be a personal trainer at your gym (if you are at a gym) to show you the proper way to do the excercise you want to do.

for me if im doing say a bench press i find 40kgs (88lbs for you yanks) is where i do reps with just now (60kgs <132lbs for you yanks> being my max 1 rep) and iv been weight training for 4months now.

im only a light lad at 12stone though so if you are a bit heavier than me you may have more strength to begin with.



if you want noticeable results go to the gym 3times a week or every 2nd day and eat right.

i don't eat right lol but iv gained 11lbs since starting the gym in january.

maybe we should have a gym section in this forum with progress updates and shit :haha:

FINAL ANSWER....if you are still talking arm strength in terms of biceps and you haven't been to the gym much id say heavy for simple bicep curls using dumbells is 10-15kgs on each arm.


oh and don't use a lighter weight for a weaker arm....if anything decide your weight choice by your weakest arm. (don't want to get too lop sided :P)

but really push yourself after a few weeks and unless you have a Kaiser Wilhelm arm i think you'll manage :haha:

[6m$SexGod]

well if you haven't done weights before don't overdo it in the first 2-3weeks

just let yourself get used to the techniques and such - there should be a personal trainer at your gym (if you are at a gym) to show you the proper way to do the excercise you want to do.

for me if im doing say a bench press i find 40kgs (88lbs for you yanks) is where i do reps with just now (60kgs <132lbs for you yanks> being my max 1 rep) and iv been weight training for 4months now.

im only a light lad at 12stone though so if you are a bit heavier than me you may have more strength to begin with.



if you want noticeable results go to the gym 3times a week or every 2nd day and eat right.

i don't eat right lol but iv gained 11lbs since starting the gym in january.

maybe we should have a gym section in this forum with progress updates and shit :haha:

FINAL ANSWER....if you are still talking arm strength in terms of biceps and you haven't been to the gym much id say heavy for simple bicep curls using dumbells is 10-15kgs on each arm.


oh and don't use a lighter weight for a weaker arm....if anything decide your weight choice by your weakest arm. (don't want to get too lop sided :P)

but really push yourself after a few weeks and unless you have a Kaiser Wilhelm arm i think you'll manage :haha:

Honestly i like the idea for a gym section, maybe showing pictures of gain in muscle and loss in fat, hopefully.

I have just started my first session in about a year at home, and first lift was 20kg, 3 sets of 10.

2nd set was 3 sets of 8 at 25kg

3rd set was 2 sets of 8 at 30kg

4th set was 2 set of 8 at 33.5 kg

Ran out of weights... Me runs off to Argos to purchase more! MWHAHAHAHA

:winky:

[BIGRICK]

It all been said really but...

eg

Bicep curls

3 sets of 6 - 10 reps ( my work out may look like this)

set 1 10 reps
set 2 8 reps
set 3 6 reps

30sec to 1min rest in between sets

If you cant do 6 reps (curls) then you are going too heavy.

Don't be embarrased if using only 5kg to start just until that left arm of yours catches up :P

Ensure you are doing the FULL excercise under control (no jerking your body)
Breathe IN whilst lifting and breathe out whilst lowering.

I'm not a big lad but have been training for years (on and off) feel free to pm me :D

[ribeye]

to find a place with lot's of midgets and start throwing them around. very entertaining and a nice workout at the same time.

[shadow]

doing hundreds on a light weight will simply help you burn fat on ur arms and help u gain some muscle proably but i always have a program when i work out

I work my biceps and triceps on different days..and i do 12-10-8-6 reps going lighter weight to harder

what do you know about weight training fatty?

lots of reps will burn fat and tone

if you want mass then heavy weights (whle maintaining technique) for 8-10 reps


but if you want big arms triceps are the way to go also

biceps account for only 30% of your arms muscle.


hows that for a drunken post duffman?

And just for shits and giggles.....from fatty to a guy who hasnt even lifted a beer glass never mind weights.

The before and after (food) picture right there

[shadow]

Thanks for the help. What is classed as "heavy" for someone who hasn't done weights much before? Or should I just try and see what I feel is heavy enough? I also mentioned about the fact that my left arm has like no muscle, I use it for nothing. So that means I can use a lighter weight to start with on that arm right?

Since I highjacked your thread for my stupidity....

Heavy (in the context you use it) is based on how much you can lift not the weight itself.

i.e. 8-10 reps heavy....used for building bigger muscles at a quicker rate.

12+ light, used for strength and toneing.

Something to also bare in mind is the rest between sets also affects the usefulness of the workout.

If you're going for strength have 3 minutes rest between sets....size leave no more than 1.

Regarding your question about your left arm the answer is no, not really. You still need to lift the same weight with each hand with dumbells and your left will soon catch up with the right...if your lift different weights with each arm one will always be stronger than the other...and at some stage bigger.

[Asshole]

I personally aim for as heavy as i can between 5-7 reps twice, alternating the "second days" between rest and tone i.e

Resistance - tone - resistance - rest.

more recently i just play squash on my tone days tho lol.

the reason for as heavy as you can 5-7 is your effectively tearing/stretching the muscle, the majority of this is done on the first set of reps before your arm settles into the rhythm. thats why i personally have always found just two sets of 5-7 with the heaviest weight you can do best for me, but everyone is different, and all methods posted have worked at some time or another, or they would not still be in use.

Other than that i drink a protein shake after excercise each day, you want to aim for 1.5 grams of protein for every kilogram of weight you are on training days, and plenty of sleep is essential.

[Chronic]

i drink protein shakes daily as your muscles are constatntly growing and need the daily feed

also steff, i told you to switch hands in the shower and your left arm will catch up...you cannot just use the right....lol

[Spork!!!]

Weight training/strength have little to do with co-ordination/fine motor control of your non-dominant are steffi. I am right handed, but during high school I rowed for almost 4 years as "stroke", which meant my left arm provided most the power and my right the control. I got very strong in my left arm, but my right still had way better control. It's the nerve connections and brain that you need to excercise to improve that co-ordination. Short of damaging your dominant arm and forcing yourself to rely on the non-dominant, there isn't a whole lot you can do if you are one of those people who is strongly right handed, however some things may help. Get yourself some "tai-chi" balls (try the local junk market and get a couple of sizes) and practice with them in your left hand - you can do it while watching TV.
As for wanking left handed, thats a no-brainer... makes it feel like someone else is doing it. ;)

[steff]

As for wanking left handed, thats a no-brainer... makes it feel like someone else is doing it. ;)

Epic - fucking - truth! Why haven't I been using my left hand before?? At first it was "Jesus this feels like a daft bint who can't do it properly :(" then it became "Wait a minute... this feels like a daft bint who can't do it properly :D".

Yeah, I'm not really doing it to get buff, although it's a nice side effect. I'm just sick of not being able to use my left hand for much.

[T.c.a.]

Increase wanking to 3 - 4 times a day left handed, after a month, tell me if its still retarded :P

[peddle07]

doing hundreds on a light weight will simply help you burn fat on ur arms and help u gain some muscle proably but i always have a program when i work out

I work my biceps and triceps on different days..and i do 12-10-8-6 reps going lighter weight to harder
Working a specific muscle will not burn fat from that particular area. Take for example the stomach area. Someone with a high body fat % who does numerous strenuous core workouts will sure get big abs, but the fact of the matter is the body has a selection process of where it takes it's fat energy from. The stomach being the last usualy due to the fact of it being near most of the major organs. Extremities usually lose their fat first.
lots of reps will burn fat and tone

if you want mass then heavy weights (whle maintaining technique) for 8-10 reps


but if you want big arms triceps are the way to go also

biceps account for only 30% of your arms muscle.


hows that for a drunken post duffman?
One of the biggest myths out there. Show me an article which supports this, and I'll show you 50 that rips it apart. Curl a can of beans for a month and tell me where you get with it.


Stephanie, the fact of the matter is, how you workout does depend on your goal. Your problem of being awkward with your non-dominant hand has less to do with strength i would imagine but more to do with a coordination issue. While you might see some improvement from increasing strength, I think just using your arm more often for simple tasks will be the best approach. It's too bad there are alot of old school techniques out there. Sure alot of these approaches are OK for body building purposes, for real life strength they aren't as useful. Take for example as a bench press, which is quite often used as a 'benchmark' for how strong someone is. Give me an example where normal people are on their back, performing a pushing motion. The more real life your workout is, the better off you are. There are plenty of no dumbell/barbell exercises out there which are excellent, and can bring faster results. I'm sure im going to get shot down for saying all this, but on a 6 week full body program, I didn't touch the flat bench once, went from using 65lbs dumbells, to using 85lbs dumbells for 4x8. Those are results that cant be argued.

[ZERAT]

Working a specific muscle will not burn fat from that particular area. Take for example the stomach area. Someone with a high body fat % who does numerous strenuous core workouts will sure get big abs, but the fact of the matter is the body has a selection process of where it takes it's fat energy from. The stomach being the last usualy due to the fact of it being near most of the major organs. Extremities usually lose their fat first.

One of the biggest myths out there. Show me an article which supports this, and I'll show you 50 that rips it apart. Curl a can of beans for a month and tell me where you get with it.


Stephanie, the fact of the matter is, how you workout does depend on your goal. Your problem of being awkward with your non-dominant hand has less to do with strength i would imagine but more to do with a coordination issue. While you might see some improvement from increasing strength, I think just using your arm more often for simple tasks will be the best approach. It's too bad there are alot of old school techniques out there. Sure alot of these approaches are OK for body building purposes, for real life strength they aren't as useful. Take for example as a bench press, which is quite often used as a 'benchmark' for how strong someone is. Give me an example where normal people are on their back, performing a pushing motion. The more real life your workout is, the better off you are. There are plenty of no dumbell/barbell exercises out there which are excellent, and can bring faster results. I'm sure im going to get shot down for saying all this, but on a 6 week full body program, I didn't touch the flat bench once, went from using 65lbs dumbells, to using 85lbs dumbells for 4x8. Those are results that cant be argued.

im not strong enough yet :haha:




and i would like to hear any non weight excersizes you have for me to use.

[shadow]

im not strong enough yet :haha:




and i would like to hear any non weight excersizes you have for me to use.

Define what you mean by "non weight" as with every excercise you use weight.

If you're refering to body weight excercises there are many.

[ZERAT]

Define what you mean by "non weight" as with every excercise you use weight.

If you're refering to body weight excercises there are many.

you got it

i was meaning body weight excersizes....wow me
:P

i really am interested btw

[T.c.a.]

Define what you mean by "non weight" as with every excercise you use weight.

If you're refering to body weight excercises there are many.

Arent pushups, chin ups, squats etc all body weight exercises?

[ZERAT]

Arent pushups, chin ups, squats etc all body weight exercises?


ye they are.

squats without a bar seems a bit pointless though

[T.c.a.]

Well, we just used to do it at rugby union training more for cardio purposes then anything else

[shadow]

Arent pushups, chin ups, squats etc all body weight exercises?

Indeed

ye they are.

squats without a bar seems a bit pointless though

How wrong you are, aslong as you have the right technique whilst you won't get the same bulging thighs and quads you would doing squats with as bar they will still tone and strengthen your legs.

I'd seriously advise doing the excercises mentioned by the aussie above and slap in some against the wall shoulder presses and it's an all over body workout that will get you ripped in no time (well maybe not quite as quick as implyed but.....)

[peddle07]

Indeed



How wrong you are, aslong as you have the right technique whilst you won't get the same bulging thighs and quads you would doing squats with as bar they will still tone and strengthen your legs.

I'd seriously advise doing the excercises mentioned by the aussie above and slap in some against the wall shoulder presses and it's an all over body workout that will get you ripped in no time (well maybe not quite as quick as implyed but.....)

So very true. It's amazing how many people you see doing quarter squats with a fuckload of weight on their shoulders. Breaking a bad habit is so much harder than starting with good habits. There are many variations of squats too, try against the wall with a swiss ball between you and the wall, or holding a dumbell under your chin. Don't sacrifice good form for impressive weights.

[ZERAT]

Indeed



How wrong you are, aslong as you have the right technique whilst you won't get the same bulging thighs and quads you would doing squats with as bar they will still tone and strengthen your legs.

I'd seriously advise doing the excercises mentioned by the aussie above and slap in some against the wall shoulder presses and it's an all over body workout that will get you ripped in no time (well maybe not quite as quick as implyed but.....)

nah i agree with you there, i already knew that ....rugby warm up involve squat jumps and they toned the fuck out of my legs lol.

but i want big bulging quads :haha: