3: day split:
Mon: Chest/bi's:
Flat Bb bench-4x8-12 Sometimes i'll switch to Db flat and incline bench like every 2 or 3 weeks ill do that..
Incline Bb bench-4x8-12
pec deck-4x8-12
weighted dips leaning forward-4x8-12
bb curls-3x6-10
alternating db curls-3x8-12
concentration curls-3x8-12
hammer curls-3x8-12
Tues: cardio/abs
wed: back/tri's
wide grip pullups-4x8-12
deadlifts-4x6-8
lat pulldowns-4x8-12
bent over db rows-4x8-12
cable rows-4x8-12
Close grip bench-4x8-12
skull crushers-3x8-12
rope pulldowns-3x8-12
weighted bench dips-4x8-12
thurs: cardio/abs
fri: legs/shoulders
Squats-4x6-10
Leg press-4x8-12
hamstring curls-4x4-8
leg extensions-4x8-12
Calf raises like 6-8 sets of calves 3 different ways
Military press-3x8-12
db press-3x8-12
3x supersets of lateral then frontal raises 8-12 reps
reverse flys-3x8-12
upright rows-1x8-12 to failure
db shrugs-3x5-8
bb shrugs3x5-8 sometimes behind the ass
sat: rest
sun: rest
4 day split:
Mon: Chest+light tri's
4x8-12 Incline bench
4x8-12 flat bench
4x8-12 incline flys
4x8-12 dips
4x8-12 rope pulldowns
Tues: Back+light bi's
4x8-12 pullups
4x8-12 lat pulldowns
4x8-12 one arm db rows
4x8-12 cable rows machine
4x6-8 deadlifts
4x8-12 alternating db curls
Wed: Legs+shoulders
4x6-10 squats
4x8-12 leg press
4x8-12 leg extensions
4x4-8 hamstring curls
6x20 calf raises
4x8-12 seated db press
4 supersets of lateral and frontal raises 8-12 reps
4x8-12 reverse flys
3x5-8 db shrugs
3x5-8 bb shrugs
Thurs: bi's+tri's and forearms
4x8-12 close grip bench
4x8-12 seated overhead tricep extensions
4x8-12 weighted bench dips
4x8-12 barbell curls
4x8-12 preacher or concentration curls
4x8-12 hammer curls
3x10-15 reverse curls
3x10-15 wrist curls
fri-sun: REST
5 day amateur bodbuilder split from skcraynor:
Mon - Back/Tris
Tues - Chest/Bis/Abs
Weds - Legs/Shoulders
Thurs - OFF
Fri - Chest/Back/Abs
Sat - Arms/Legs/Shoulders
Sunday - OFF
For a cutting cycle here is the optimal split -
Mon - Back/Triceps (stick to breakdown sets....that means work up in weight then go right back down in weight for about 8 sets per exercise with NO REST on the way back down)
Tues - Chest/Biceps (stick to breakdown sets....that means work up in weight then go right back down in weight for about 8 sets per exercise with NO REST on the way back down)
Weds - Legs/Shoulders (stick to breakdown sets....that means work up in weight then go right back down in weight for about 8 sets per exercise with NO REST on the way back down)
Thursday - REST
Friday - Chest/Back/Tris/Bis (do these fri/sat workouts by doing 5 sets per muscle group focusing on big lifts each time...so do 5 sets starting heavy and working your way down with no rest between sets)
Saturday - Quads/Hams/Calves/Delts (do these fri/sat workouts by doing 5 sets per muscle group focusing on big lifts each time...so do 5 sets starting heavy and working your way down with no rest between sets)
Sunday - REST
Do abs every other day for at least 10 sets with no rest.
This is the ultimate cutting routine for muscle stimulation and fat loss
heres a little info on macros n whatnots
I have been getting a lot of questions lately about how a person determines how much calories he needs, how much protein, carbs, etc. So I am going to make this post and give the most general guidelines on determining this. I have posted this on other forums but I forgot to post it on here. So here it is..
First off, remember this formula..
1 gram of Protein = 4 calories
1 gram of Carbohydrates = 4 calories
1 gram of Fat = 9 calories
Here is another basic mass building formula..
The basic formula to start is 16 calories per pound of bodyweight. For example, a 150 lb man should start with 2,400 calories a day. These calories should be divided up between 5-6 meals a day. After the first couple weeks if you are not gaining weight, you should add 500 calories a day. If after a couple more weeks and no weight is gained, add another 500 calories per day.
Also the ratio of the macronutrients as a general guideline are as follows..
Protein - 1 - 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight
Carbohydrates - 2-3 grams per pound of bodyweight
Fats - .3 -.4 grams per pound of bodyweight
For a working example, I will use the same 150 lb man. This formula works for every size person, no matter what the weight.
This man would need 2400 calories daily to start gaining weight.
His protein content in grams and total calories with 1 gram per lb of bodyweight..
Protein Requirements at 1 gram per pound of bodyweight..
150 grams would be 600 calories
Carbohydrates at 2 grams per pound of bodyweight
300 grams would be 1200 calories
Fats at .3 grams per pound of bodyweight
45 grams would be 405 calories
Total Calories... 2205 calories.
The extra calories he needed to gain should come from protein and carbs.
At the high end of the formula, his intake would be as follows:
Protein at 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight..
225 grams at 900 calories
Carbs at 3 grams per pound of bodyweight..
450 grams at 1800 calories
Fats at .4 grams per pound of bodyweight..
60 grams at 540 calories
Total Calories.. 3240 calories
A person at the high end would definitely exceed his required calorie intake. Falling in the middle is also a good range to be in. I hope this example helps some people with the proper amount.
Carbs were one of those "late 90's trends" that caught on among the general public but never really had much merit. From the carb starvation attitude came the Keto diet, which was incredibly popular for like 5-10 years until recently, its been exposed as more effective at depleting protein stores than cutting fat. AKA...Catabolism. Bad stuff.
Carbs are ridiculously important in every diet, even when cutting an average person should aim for AT LEAST 100g of carbs daily. Why?
Carbohydrates are the chief source of energy for all bodily functions and muscular exertion. They give us the energy to do our cardio, to lift weights and for our immune systems to function. People say its unhealthy to cut for long periods of time because people tend to reduce their carbs when they cut. This will only damage their immune system in the long run and mess up their metabolic rates.
Also...They are necessary for the digestion and assimilation of other foods. They help regulate protein and fat metabolism, and fats require carbohydrates to be broken down in the liver which means that all the tough work in getting in your other macronutriets would go to waste without carbs. They also provide some of the structural components necessary for the growth and repair of tissues which means that when you eat them towards bed time (A no-no in the world of bodybuilding myths) they will assist your digestive system in burning over 50 cals an hour WHILE YOU SLEEP. without them protein synthesis will be damaged because of the reduction in digestion.
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_diet_mass/the_get_shredded_dietQuote (SKCRaynor @ Mon, Jul 20 2009, 09:42pm)
ok we're going to discuss this here and now and bury it.
several things happen during the pump.
1. more blood flow, more nutrients hit the muscles, the muscles expand.
2. After expansion, the pump will remain as long as you are providing it - this means when u stop working out, the pump will gradually go away
3. next, after the pump have develops, nutrient and glycogen stores are depleted quickly. This initiates muscle catabolism (BAD BAD BAD)
4. If you do not get immediate fast acting protein after the gym time is over, you will actually LOSE muscle rather than gain it.
5. Even after taking protein after a workout, without the sugar spike for insulin, the muscles do not receive enough protein quickly enough to make a solid difference (this means take 20-40g simple sugar after a workout, grape juice + creatine is my choice)
6. In addition, during the pump, muscle starts breaking down rather quickly (unless you are working out for less than 45 minutes) - to thwart this, you need to be taking 2-4g BCAA every 45 mins before/during/after working out to minimize or even prevent catabolism and atrophe.
7. Right after a workout in addition to the protein and bcaa's - add 5g glutamine to your fast facting protein shake for further prevention of muscle atrophe.
So 7_deadly_sins is right in the sense that the pump can hinder your gains....but only if you do not PROPERLY supplement (which most people don't)
follow my above guide to prevent this.
Enjoy.
http://www.shapefit.com/abs-exercises-exercise-ball-crunches.htmlhttp://freedomfly.net/Articles/Training/training29.htmStudies have shown cannabis to be useful in treating alcoholism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD or AD/HD) amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, collagen-induced arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis autism, bipolar disorder, childhood mental disorders, colorectal cancer, depression, diabetic retinopathy, dystonia, epilepsy, digestive diseases, gliomas, hepatitis C, Huntington's disease, hypertension, urinary incontinence, leukemia, skin tumors, morning sickness, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Parkinson's disease, pruritus, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sickle-cell disease, and sleep apnea.
A Canadian study shows marijuana promotes neuron growth. The Neuropsychiatry Research Unit at the University of Saskatchewan suggests the drug could have some benefits when administered regularly in a highly potent form. Whereas most "social drugs" such as alcohol, heroin, cocaine and nicotine suppress growth of new brain cells, the researchers found that cannabinoids promoted generation of new neurons in rats' hippocampi. The study held true for either plant-derived or synthetic versions of cannabinoids. The findings were published in the 2005 November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
THC has been found to reduce tumor growth in common lung cancer by 50 percent and to significantly reduce the ability of the cancer to spread, say researchers at Harvard University, who tested the chemical in both lab and mouse studies. The researchers suggest that THC might be used in a targeted fashion to treat lung cancer.
Research done by the Scripps Research Institute in California shows that the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, prevents the formation of deposits in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease. THC was found to prevent an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase from accelerating the formation of "Alzheimer plaques" in the brain more effectively than commercially marketed drugs. THC is also more effective at blocking clumps of protein that can inhibit memory and cognition in Alzheimer’s patients, as reported in Molecular Pharmaceutics.
In 2006, Donald Tashkin, M.D., of the University of California in Los Angeles, presented the results of his study, Marijuana Use and Lung Cancer: Results of a Case-Control Study. Tashkin found that smoking marijuana does not appear to increase the risk of lung cancer or head-and-neck malignancies, even among heavy users. The more tobacco a person smoked, the greater their risk of developing lung cancer and other cancers of the head and neck. But people who smoked more marijuana were not at increased risk compared with people who smoked less and people who didn’t smoke at all. Marijuana use was associated with cancer risk ratios below 1.0, indicating that a history of pot smoking had no effect on the risk for respiratory cancers. In contrast, tobacco smoking had a 21-fold risk for cancer. Tashkin concluded, "It's possible that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in marijuana smoke may encourage apoptosis, or programmed cell death, causing cells to die off before they have a chance to undergo malignant transformation".
According to a 2007 study by scientists at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, a compound found in cannabis may stop breast cancer from spreading throughout the body. The scientists believe their discovery may provide a non-toxic alternative to chemotherapy while achieving the same results minus the painful and unpleasant side effects. The research team say that cannabidiol or CBD works by blocking the activity of a gene called Id-1, which is believed to be responsible for a process called metastasis, which is the aggressive spread of cancer cells away from the original tumor site.
Investigators at Columbia University published clinical trial data in 2007 showing that HIV/AIDS patients who inhaled cannabis four times daily experienced substantial increases in food intake with little evidence of discomfort and no impairment of cognitive performance. They concluded that smoked marijuana has a clear medical benefit in HIV-positive patients. In another study in 2008, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine found that marijuana significantly reduces HIV-related neuropathic pain when added to a patient's already-prescribed pain management regimen and may be an "effective option for pain relief" in those whose pain is not controlled with current medications. Mood disturbance, physical disability, and quality of life all improved significantly during study treatment. No serious adverse effects were reported, according to the study published by the American Academy of Neurology.
A study by Complutense University of Madrid found the active chemical in marijuana promotes the death of brain cancer cells by essentially helping them feed upon themselves in a process called autophagy. The research team discovered that cannabinoids such as THC had anticancer effects in mice with human brain cancer cells and in people with brain tumors. When mice with the human brain cancer cells received the THC, the tumor shrank. Using electron microscopes to analyze brain tissue taken both before and after a 26- to 30-day THC treatment regimen, the researchers found that THC eliminated cancer cells while leaving healthy cells intact. The patients did not have any toxic effects from the treatment; previous studies of THC for the treatment of cancer have also found the therapy to be well tolerated. However, the mechanisms which promote THC's tumor cell–killing action are unknown
The researchers believe their findings may have therapeutic implications in the treatment of cancer, as detailed in their study, Cannabinoid action induces autophagy-mediated cell death through stimulation of ER stress in human glioma cells, which appeared in the April 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Medical Marijuana has been shown to display neuroprotective properties with the 2-Arachidonoyl glycerol compound. This compound has been shown in lab experiments with mice to lower the amount of secondary damages from head injuries and speed up recovery time and effectiveness.
Injections of THC eliminate dependence on opiates in stressed rats, according to a research team at the Laboratory for Physiopathology of Diseases of the Central Nervous System (France) in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. Deprived of their mothers at birth, rats become hypersensitive to the rewarding effect of morphine and heroin (substances belonging to the opiate family), and rapidly become dependent. When these rats were administered THC, they no longer developed typical morphine-dependent behavior. In the striatum, a region of the brain involved in drug dependence, the production of endogenous enkephalins was restored under THC, whereas it diminished in rats stressed from birth which had not received THC. The findings were released July 2009. Researchers believe the findings could lead to therapeutic alternatives to existing substitution treatments.
In humans, drug treatment subjects who use cannabis intermittently are found to be more likely to adhere to treatment for opioid dependence, according to clinical trial data published in the July/August 2009 issue of American Journal on Addictions. Historically, similar findings were reported by Dr. Clendinning, who in 1843 utilized cannabis substitution for the treatment of alcoholism and opium addiction and Dr. Birch, in 1889, who reported success in treating opiate and chloral addiction with cannabis.
I could keep going, but I think this should be enough.
Okay, well as some of you have seen, I firmly stand against low-carb diets for both bulking and cutting. I want to clarify that this viewpoint is simply my attempt to steer people away from the single-minded statements that run rampant in this forum for I can’t count how many times I’ve read advice along the lines of “Bro, you’re going to cut out those carbs if you want to lose weight, just up the protein.”
I’ve posted articles, but now I would like to speak in my own words…
I would like to start with a couple statements that I truly believe..
* 1) With the exception of a few principles, I believe that there are no absolutes in bodybuilding, it is a sport with an incredibly unique range of participants and as such, is comprised of an equally unique range of methods.
* 2) That said, I believe there is one principle at the forefront of our sport regarding nutrition. That principle is the “Calories in vs. Calories out” theory or as it is referred to in scientific settings “The Energy Balance Equation” (read more here:http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-energy-balance-equation.html)
To simplify: Fat loss will occur as a result of a caloric deficit compared to the equation: basal metabolic rate x activity factor (aka. Your caloric maintenance level). Likewise, gains in lean mass will not occur without a caloric surplus.
But that is not what this thread is about. It is merely the foundation for my beliefs on the topic of carb-diets.
Starting off with a vague definition of Carbohydrates (from bb.com).
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Carbohydrates are the chief source of energy for all bodily functions and muscular exertion. They are necessary for the digestion and assimilation of other foods. They help regulate protein and fat metabolism, and fats require carbohydrates to be broken down in the liver. They also provide some of the structural components necessary for the growth and repair of tissues. All carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram.
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Now (back in my own words).. I’m trying to be as two-sided as possible here. This definition neglects to mention that the process of fat decomposition is initiated by glucose (which carbohydrates provide) which is also produced naturally in the liver by the recycling of lactase (into glucose, about 25g per day and enough to sustain fat decomposition and immune functioning).
Therefore, carbs are not necessary in any diet… WHAT!? Yes..it’s true. Check with the RDA, your daily requirement for carbohydrates is 0g/day. But still it’s important to note that tissues prefer glucose and will use it if it’s available. But how does this help my argument?
Well you see outside of a small essential fatty acid requirement (a few grams per day from the fish oils, EPA/DHA), fats aren’t truly required by the body either, with the exception being the heart which relies readily on fatty acids for fuel.
Therefore we come back to my statement #1 (there are many unique and effective methods out there). Both extremes work but not as well as the two blended together through milder methods.
But, as exemplified, most tissues in the body are flexible, using carbs when they are available and fats when carbs aren’t available. Note also that the body has its own store of fuel, primarily in the form of body fat that is mobilized when sufficient amounts of other nutrients aren’t available.
This is especially important to note, body fat is mobilized when sufficient amounts of other nutrients aren’t available. Hence, if you’re in a nutrient deprived (aka. Caloric deficit) state, then you will lose body fat (and possibly other lean mass based on the rate of catabolism [this is another article completely]).
So if both methods work why do people stand behind ketogenic (carb deprived, fat induced) diet methods?
Well for a couple reasons:
* 1) Psychological effects – while carb cycling and deprivation may take its toll on your mental states at first, it is thought that after some time you are supposed to see increased levels of endorphin release which can have beneficial effects on mood
* 2) Behavioural effects – cutting out a certain macro has been noted to improve adherence to a particular diet plan, and from that people tend to subsequently lower their daily calorie intake which equals fat loss.
I would also like to note common myths about ketogenic extremes:
* 1) Insulin – People believe that by eliminating carbs they can eliminate the insulin that comes along with them, because without insulin we can’t store fat right? Wrong. Protein consumption produces insulin but more importantly, fat storage is possible without insulin due to acylation-stimulating protein (ASP).
* 2) Fat Metabolism – Its noted that fat metabolism is increased with higher fat intake, while this is partly true it’s important to note that its primarily dietary fats that are burned off (not fat stored in adipose tissue – aka. Body fat).
In conclusion,
Carbs and fats are both suitable sources of fuel in the body. Both can be neglected though it is important to consider the negatives of each method. In the end, the best strategy is to avoid these nutritional extremes and simply pay more attention to the energy balance equation. You can eat the foods you want and still lose weight, and likewise with gaining lean mass. Anything is possible.
Energy in = Energy out + Change in Body Stores
inb4 tl;dr