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Bodybuilding (Tips, Tricks & Info)

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SereneProdigy
Cryptic Vigilante
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Bodybuilding
[bod-ee-bil-ding]
1. the act or practice of exercising, lifting weights, so as to develop the muscles of the body.


Quite a few threads concerning dieting/trimming have been created in the past, but I've never witnessed one about bodybuilding specifically.

What works best for you when it comes to adding muscles to your frame? Any training experience that you would like to share?


- What's most effective for you: full-body or split workouts?

- Have you experimented with different regimens: German Training Volume (10x10), Strong Lifts (5x5), Hypertrophy-Specific Training, Westside Training?

- What are your favorite exercises? Are there any risky ones that you avoid?

- Do you go through bulking/cutting phases, or do you use a different approach?

- Which supplements do you use?


This thread is open to both men and women, expert and neophyte. Thanks for sharing!
Guest
Lurker
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If you want size: split workouts, 8-10 reps a set, and end your workout with some burnout exercise, going from high weights down to barely none. Creatine and protein are safe and good supplements. Watch your shoulders.
MarinaC
Active Ink Slinger
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A recent article I read was interesting regarding when you should drink your protein. When is the best time to drink protein

There are other articles out there that will tell you to drink after a workout, others say you should drink 30 g within 30 min of waking up, so .... You be the judge.
HotWife4U
Madam Carol
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I do mostly aerobics and Pilates combined with yoga. My workouts are to reduce fat index without losing muscle mass. Chest compression to help strengthen those muscles supporting my breasts. Lots of ellipticals for legs and butt.
Buz
The Linebacker
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I use very heavy weight with low reps for bulking. Lighter weight and lots of reps for toning/cutting. It is good to change up your routine, drop and add some lifts every 4 months or so. I've always done a lot of cardio - running, biking & swimming. I did the supplement thing for awhile but since I'm not bulking anymore I don't do that.

I always split work outs.
SereneProdigy
Cryptic Vigilante
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Here's what I currently perform myself...

I use weights that allow for a maximum of 8-12 reps (which is pretty much the optimal rep-range for hypertrophy, as proposed by mikej007), but instead of performing strict sets with a long pause between them (ie. 1-2 minutes), I apply the principle of rest-pauses.

A rest-pause is when you only take a very short pause (while still holding the same weights), simply to perform a few more reps. For example:


10 reps -> 20 sec pause -> 3 more reps


So what I do myself, is that instead of following a regular structure such as '4 sets x 10 reps', I only perform one main set followed by plenty of smaller rest-pause sets.


Instead of performing:

10 reps + 10 reps + 10 reps + 10 reps (with 1:30 min pauses)


I perform:

10 reps + 3-5 reps + 3-5 reps + 3-5 reps + 3-5 reps + 3-5 reps (with 15-30 sec pauses)


I still use the exact same weight and perform the exact same number of total reps (ie. 40 reps for most exercises), but the advantage of doing it that way is that a greater number of my reps are 'productive reps'. For the record, the most productive reps (for strength/hypertrophy gains) are those near the end of a set where your muscles approach failure and where they're the most fatigued: that's when you put the most demand on them and really force them to grow/improve.

In other words, aside from the first few reps of my very first set, all of my other reps are performed while my muscles are greatly exhausted, much similar to the reps that you usually perform at the end of a regular set. I also perform all of those sets to failure (ie. until the weight won't fucking move anymore). And my pauses are also approximate (ie. I don't use a watch), I just perform another 3-5 reps when I feel ready for them, though that usually means a pause of around 15-30 sec.

And aside from being more optimal for gains, it's actually a lot more fun to perform. You don't have to take those boring 1:30 min pauses, you simply jump into your exercise at full intensity and don't drop the weights until you're fucking done with your total number of reps. I personally much prefer it that way, my exercises are a lot more intense/rewarding and my workouts seem to pass very rapidly.

I also perform a 3-day split (pull, push, legs), usually 5 times a week (or 6 times when I can, or 4 times when I must). I train my abs/shoulders everyday however, and I also dedicate an extra exercise for both my biceps/triceps on legs-day. I also take a week off every 3 weeks to allow my joints/tendons to fully recuperate and to decondition my muscles a little (which is actually advantageous to keep progressing).


Here are the exercises I perform (my workouts usually take 1,5 to 2 hours to perform, depending on my mood):


Day 1: Pull (back, biceps, calves, abs, shoulders)

- Warm-up
- Pull-ups (40 reps)
- Stomach vacuums (6 x 30 sec)
- Chest-supported dumbbell rows (40 reps)
- Reverse flyes (40 reps)
- Dumbbell hammer curls (40 reps)
- Standing calf raises (3 x 12 reps)
- Lateral raises (40 reps)

Day 2: Push (pecs, triceps, abs, shoulders)

- Warm-up
- Bench press (40 reps)
- Incline bench press (40 reps)
- Reverse crunches (40 reps)
- Flyes (40 reps)
- Kickbacks (40 reps)
- Lateral raises (40 reps)

Day 3: Legs (biceps, triceps, legs, abs, shoulders)

- Warm-up
- Dumbbell hammer curls (40 reps)
- Kickbacks (40 reps)
- Barbell hip thrusts (40 reps)
- Straight leg deadlifts (40 reps)
- Isometric thigh contractions (4 x 50 sec)
- Weighted abs planks (40 reps)
- Lateral raises (40 reps)

Note 1: I perform isometric contractions to train my thighs as I currently have a knee condition. An isometric contraction is when you keep a resistance against your muscle without actually moving the joint. I might explain these in a later post.

Note 2: I train my calves on pull-day, simply because my legs-day workout was getting too long.


I also performed many other regimens in the past (which I might review in further posts), but so far this is the method that I appreciate the most.
Magical_felix
Wild at Heart
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Quote by SereneProdigy
Here's a great article I found a few years ago concerning dangerous/safe exercises: https://www.t-nation.com/training/exercises-for-injury-free-mass


Dangerous exercises:







I do quite a few of these dangerous exercises. But like, what's so dangerous about leg presses? Or using a smith machine for the squats, deadlifts and bench presses.

And to be honest kettlebell swings can be fucking dangerous. People let go of that shit, you can smack someone in the brain if you're not paying attention, you can tweak your lower back if you get one that's too heavy and you can smash your fucking nards too.
SereneProdigy
Cryptic Vigilante
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Since about 2 years ago, I suffered from a few injuries and I've been very careful about the exercises I perform.

Here are a few exercises which I used to love but don't perform anymore:


Upright Rows:

Very interesting to develop the deltoids, but it's also considered one of the most dangerous exercises for shoulders.






Dips:

Just as efficient as bench presses to train the pecs (and also very interesting for triceps), but since most of your weight is supported by the joints of your shoulders, it's also very likely to cause shoulder injuries in the long term.






Chin-ups and Barbell Curls:

These two exercises put your elbows in a very unnatural position, which is very likely to cause Golfer's Elbow (ie. tendonitis at the interior of the elbows).




Magical_felix
Wild at Heart
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Quote by SereneProdigy
Since about 2 years ago, I suffered from a few injuries and I've been very careful about the exercises I perform.

Here are a few exercises which I used to love but don't perform anymore:


Upright Rows:

Very interesting to develop your deltoids, but it's also considered one of the most dangerous exercise for the elbows.








I combine deadlifts with rows with an 80 lb barbell. Like bend, row, lift.

Maybe I should consider not doing that anymore. I do like that one though.
SereneProdigy
Cryptic Vigilante
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Quote by Magical_felix
I do quite a few of these dangerous exercises. But like, what's so dangerous about leg presses? Or using a smith machine for the squats, deadlifts and bench presses.

And to be honest kettlebell swings can be fucking dangerous. People let go of that shit, you can smack someone in the brain if you're not paying attention, you can tweak your lower back if you get one that's too heavy and you can smash your fucking nards too.



You should read the complete article:


Quote by T-Nation
In this article, I'm relying upon the following criteria to determine what I consider to be the safest way to train effectively:

• Practical evidence. What I've learned through twenty years of lifting in commercial gyms and athletic training facilities, things I've learned through the dozens of training partners I've had over the years, and things I've learned as a strength coach and personal trainer.

• Biomechanical rationale. What I've learned during my study of biomechanics, physics, and functional anatomy.

• Evidence in the literature. What I've learned through reading research pertaining to strength training related injuries.

Some lifts involve more risk than others. For example, nearly every seasoned lifter I know has incurred an acute injury from heavy squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. Yet I've never seen anyone injure themselves with inverted rows or sled pushes.

The study of Biomechanics can provide mathematical support for safest training practices. It's possible to use inverse dynamics and modeling to calculate joint moments and forces as well as loading on the individual muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

Though the research is scarce concerning heavy strength training, the calculations in the studies I've seen tend to jive with what experienced lifters already know. For example, the greater the trunk lean in a squat and the greater the lower back rounding in a deadlift, the greater the sheer loading on the spine.

Finally, studies have been undertaken to determine injury risk in various joints with experienced lifters. For example, behind the neck presses and upright rows have been shown to be more injurious to the shoulder joint than other shoulder exercises.

With this knowledge in mind, here are the exercises I believe should be avoided as well as the exercises that should be employed by lifters who are prone to injury.



The dangerous/safe exercises weren't selected according to the 'momentary' dangers; the author assumes that they're all performed with perfect form and by someone who controls the weight perfectly.

The list was mostly established according to biomechanics (ie. the forces that are applied on the joints/tendons in many different movements). A specific exercise might seem very safe and it might not hurt at all when you're performing it, but it can still be extremely likely to deteriorate your joints/tendons in the long run.

For example, I performed dips myself for many years (sometimes 2-3 times per week with 40 lbs attached to a belt). It never hurt and I never properly injured myself during a workout, but as I got a bit older (in my 30s) I definitely could feel pain arising in my shoulders, clavicles and sternum. I ditched dips from my workouts and luckily the pain disappeared almost entirely, but it's still very likely that I damaged my joints to a significant extent by performing that exercise so intensely for so many years.

That's the unfortunate thing about bodybuilding (and why you really should choose your exercises carefully): you don't feel any pain until a great deal of damage was done through many years of bad training. And sadly, once the damage is done it's rarely completely reversible either.
Magical_felix
Wild at Heart
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Quote by SereneProdigy



The dangerous/safe exercises weren't selected according to the 'momentarily' dangers; the author assumes that they're all performed with perfect form and by someone who controls the weight perfectly.

The list was mostly established according to biomechanics (ie. the forces that are applied on the joints/tendons in many different movements). A specific exercise might seem very safe and it might not hurt at all when you're performing it, but it can still be extremely likely to deteriorate your joints/tendons in the long run.

For example, I performed dips myself for many years (sometimes 2-3 times per week with 40 lbs attached to a belt). It never hurt and I never properly injured myself during a workout, but as I got a bit older (in my 30s) I definitely could feel pain arising in my shoulders, clavicles and sternum. I ditched dips from my workouts and luckily the pain disappeared almost entirely, but it's still very likely that I damaged my joints to a significant extent by performing that exercise so intensely for so many years.

That's the unfortunate thing about bodybuilding (and why you really should choose your exercises carefully): you don't feel any pain until a great deal of damage was done through many years of bad training. And sadly, once the damage is done it's rarely completely reversible either.




Thanks for the info. Worth giving some of my routines some more thought.
SereneProdigy
Cryptic Vigilante
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Quote by MarinaC
A recent article I read was interesting regarding when you should drink your protein. When is the best time to drink protein

There are other articles out there that will tell you to drink after a workout, others say you should drink 30 g within 30 min of waking up, so .... You be the judge.



A lot of those myths regarding 'nutrient timing' have been debunked in the last couple of years. Many myths such as:

- The human body can only process 30g of proteins every 3 hours
- You should ingest a considerable amount of proteins in the morning to switch from a catabolic state to an anabolic one
- You imperatively should ingest proteins post-workout to feed your muscles
- Eating before bedtime will inevitably provoke fat gains

I used to follow some of those myths myself in the past, but recent studies have repeatedly proven that 'nutrient timing' mostly is a superstitious notion.

You can read a few articles written by Alan Aragon if you're interested in the topic. That guy has degrees in nutrition, trained many pro-athletes and is a very respected figure in the world of bodybuidling.

He actually participates in the Bodybuilding.com forums on occasion (I even interacted with him myself a few times). Here's a thread that he created in the Nutrition section, which was stickied:


Quote by ]Hierarchy of Importance

When speaking of nutrition for improving body composition or training performance, it's crucial to realize there's an underlying hierarchy of importance. At the top of the hierarchy is total amount of the macronutrients by the end of the day. Distantly below that is the precise timing of those nutrients. With very few exceptions, athletes and active individuals eat multiple times per day. Thus, the majority of their day is spent in the postprandial (fed) rather than a post-absorptive (fasted) state. The vast majority of nutrient timing studies have been done on overnight-fasted subjects put through glycogen depletion protocols, which obviously limits the applicability of the outcomes. Pre-exercise (and/or during-exercise) nutrient intake often has a lingering carry-over effect into the post-exercise period. Throughout the day, there's a constant overlap of meal digestion & nutrient absorption. For this reason, the effectiveness of nutrient timing does not require a high degree of precision.


The Primary Laws of Nutrient Timing

The First Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.
The Second Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.


NOTE: Please do not misinterpret the above to mean that timing is irrelevant. On the contrary, it's very relevant. Timing just happens to have MUCH LESS impact on results than hitting your macro totals for the day. This doesn't diminish the fact that people need to individualize their meal timing so that it maximizes their training performance (& does not hinder it). The latter manipulations vary widely, because people have different training protocols, goals, and tolerances. For example, some people experience their best training performance in an immediately fed state, while others do best in a semi-fasted or fasted state. Endurance athletes who neglect carbohydrate timing will not optimize their training capacity. Strength/power athletes with minimal endurance demands have much less of a concern for this. There's no way to 'universalize' a nutrient timing prescription that applies to everyone & all types of athletes. But to reiterate, macro totals for the day overshadow timing in terms of importance, especially for bodybuilding. If macro totals for the day are not hit, the most precisely neurotic timing of meals is all for sh!t.



You could also read this comprehensive scientific review that he wrote: [url=http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/5]http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/5

I read it all myself a few years ago. I honestly don't remember much of it (and I didn't reread it recently), but I do remember that his arguments were pretty convincing. It might be worth checking out if you're still doubtful about his propositions presented above.

Personally, I monitor my daily macronutrients very closely (proteins, carbs, fat), but I really don't bother about nutrient timing (ie. the moment of the day when I eat my meals). I do repartition my proteins throughout the day to some extent, but that's mostly for the sake of convenience: I simply prefer eating small quantities of proteins here and there than having to eat an enormous piece of steak at 8pm in the evening.
SereneProdigy
Cryptic Vigilante
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Quote by SereneProdigy
Note 1: I perform isometric contractions to train my thighs as I currently have a knee condition. An isometric contraction is when you keep a resistance against your muscle without actually moving the joint. I might explain these in a later post.



As promised, I feel like explaining what isometric contractions are...

A lot of people assume that to stimulate muscles efficiently and to make them bigger/stronger, one must absolutely be moving weights. If you're holding a weight without any movement, you're still actually contracting your muscles to a significant extent. I'm sure that everyone will concur: just try to hold an appreciable weight or to keep a strenuous position, and you'll soon feel your muscles burning/aching, just like it is with any bodybuilding movement.

If you use a significant weight, it's still very possible to contract your muscles and to stimulate them without any movement:





That's what an isometric contraction is. The downside of it however, is that you'll mostly be gaining strength at the specific angle that you'll be practicing, as opposed to a complete motion which will develop your strength on the entire movement. This is not ideal for athletes who need functional strength, though isometrics contractions are still frequently used for rehabilitation after an injury.

However, in terms of bodybuilding (ie. gaining volume without much importance given to functional strength), isometric contractions can be just as effective as proper movements. The optimal 'time per set' for hypertrophy is usually around 45-60 seconds: to gain volume, you should choose a load that allows you to move the weight for 45-60 seconds before feeling exhausted (usually this means 8-12 repetitions per set). If you hold an isometric contraction for 45-60 seconds and feel greatly exhausted after that time, it will actually have a much similar impact for hypertrophy than performing a regular set in the same time has.

Because I suffer from a knee condition since around 2 years ago (ie. chondromalacia patella), I've been incorporating isometric contractions to train my legs. This is a lot friendlier for my joints, as 'no movement' also means that my cartilage won't be subject to the 'wear and tear' that's usually encountered with regular movements.

Mostly, I keep this position to train my quadriceps. I try to find an angle that's challenging enough, and perform 4 sets of 45-60 seconds (for each leg). I feel greatly exhausted after that, sometimes even more so than when I was squatting with heavy weights. And my progress is also very appreciable so far:


Dirty_D
Head Nurse
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planks.... isometric training that I loathe... yet still incorporate it into my stadiums regularly.
SereneProdigy
Cryptic Vigilante
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Quote by Dirty_D
planks.... isometric training that I loathe... yet still incorporate it into my stadiums regularly.


Yep, planks are great to work the core. I actually add a slight movement myself when I'm performing planks, and also perform them with 40 lbs attached to a belt.

I stand between two benches and move my hips up and down (pretty much like a fucking motion actually), and I perform 40 reps in total (though with the added weight I can only perform 12-14 reps consecutively). It looks like this:




Another great exercise for the abs are stomach vacuums. These work the transverse abdominal muscle (ie. deep abs), which helps you maintain a flat belly:





If you should only perform one exercise for your abs, it's this one. I personally perform them while lying on my bench, 6 x 30 sec in total:


SereneProdigy
Cryptic Vigilante
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Quote by SereneProdigy


Yep, planks are great to work the core. I actually add a slight movement myself when I'm performing planks, and also perform them with 40 lbs attached to a belt.

I stand between two benches and move my hips up and down (pretty much like a fucking motion actually), and I perform 40 reps in total (though with the added weight I can only perform 12-14 reps consecutively). It looks like this:

SereneProdigy
Cryptic Vigilante
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Here's my diet, for the curious:





This is my basic 'maintenance' diet (ie. no weight gain/loss), but right now I'm eating an additional 400 kCal daily to provoke a slow-bulk.

I don't always follow this diet precisely 100% of the time, but I'd say that I'm 90% consistent with it. The thing that I'm most likely to change are my dinner carbs (ie. sweet potatoes): from time to time, I like to switch them for couscous, rice, noodles, beans, etc. I also currently add coconut milk to my post-workout meal (125 kCal), to add a bit more saturated fat to my diet. I also eat salad at noon with my salmon, but don't even calculate it as the caloric content is very negligible (less than 25 kCal).


A few explanations:

- All the quantities are expressed in grams, except for my Whey Protein which is just 1 scoop, and my banana which is 1 average banana. The weight of chicken is 'cooked', but the weight of my sweet potatoes is 'uncooked' (sweet potatoes lose almost half their weight after being cooked).

- The grayed lines labeled 'Aft. Snack' is my post-workout meal. I only eat it on the days that I actually workout, hence why there are two different totals at the bottom of the table: 'on days' and 'off days'.

- You'll notice that my fats are repartitioned almost equally between mono-unsaturated, poly-unsaturated and saturated fats: this is ideal for health.

- The columns 'Sodium' and 'Pot' are important to observe together, as your sodium/potassium ratio is a lot more important than your salt intake considered alone. Most Americans eat a ratio of 2:1, while a ratio of 1:2 is recommended for your health. My own ratio is around 1:3.


Quote by ]Recent data from the observational studies reviewed provide additional support for the sodium-to-potassium ratio as a superior metric to either sodium or potassium alone in the evaluation of blood pressure outcomes and incident hypertension.


- The column 'pH' refers to the acidity of foods: foods with a positive value acidify your blood, while those with a negative value have an opposite effect. Ideally your total 'pH' should have a negative value. An acid buildup can have many health consequences and can also hinder your athletic performances: here's an [url=http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/acid-base-dietary-balance-health-and-wellbeing-effects.htm]article about it.

- The columns 'O6' and 'O3' refer to the content of Omega-6 and Omega-3. Again, this is a matter of ratio: ideally you should have a ratio of no more than 4:1. I personally ingest a few additional capsules of Omega-3 (2g) to obtain a hefty 5g daily; my ratio is therefore 3:1 (15g:5g).


Quote by [url=http://www.gbhealthwatch.com/Science-Omega3-Omega6.php
GB HealthWatch[/url]]Due to the opposing effects of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, a healthy diet should contain a balanced omega-6surprisedmega-3 ratio. Human beings evolved eating a diet with a omega-6:omega-3 ratio of about 1:1. Modern Western diets exhibit omega-6:omega-3 ratios ranging between 15:1 to 17:1. Epidemiology and dietary intervention studies have concluded that while an exceptionally high omega-6:omega-3 ratio promotes the development of many chronic diseases, a reduced omega-6:omega-3 ratio can prevent or reverse these diseases. For example, a ratio of 4:1 was associated with a 70% reduction in mortality in secondary coronary heart disease prevention and a ratio of 2.5:1 reduced rectal cell proliferation in patients with colorectal cancer. A lower omega-6:omega-3 ratio in women was associated with decreased risk for breast cancer. A ratio of 2:1–3:1 suppressed inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and a ratio of 5:1 had a beneficial effect on patients with asthma, whereas a ratio of 10:1 had adverse consequences.



I know, I'm quite anal about it all, but I love that stuff and I love my diet; everything is absolutely delicious and I'm never hungry. And no worries, I also allow myself a few moderate cheat meals during the weekend.