is there any machine that i can use for my legs that would keep the stress off my back? my entire workout is compound lifts and deadlifts AND squats is a huge portion of my workout.. will i lose muscle being off squats and deadlifts for a couple weeks??

hey bud i wanted to see if you have any advice for my arms

I do madcows 5x5 for the past 6 months and i've been breaking personal records everytime i go to the gym. i eat enough calories and get enough rest to where my body progressively gets stronger every day. the only thing that hasnt changed are my biceps. i struggle with getting stronger with them. i do 3x8 on friday's ( since i do barbell rows monday and friday, and pullups wednesday)

while my rows, deadlifts, bench, squat, and overheadpress have gotten better, im still struggling with finishing 3 sets of 8 for 25lb dumbbells. what should i do?

btw this is what my routine looks like

MONDAY
5x5benchpress
5x5squat
5x5row

2 sets of hyperextensions

4 sets of situps

WEDNESDAY
5x5 overhead press
5x5 squats
5x5 deadlifts
5x5 pullups (assisted atm)

FRIDAY

Same as monday, but instead of abs, i do 3x8 Bicep curls
3x8 weighted dips
3x8 tricep extensions

Hey Raynor, was wondering if you could help me out with a couple things -
workout routine for cutting fat
% of calories from protein,carbs,fat I should be consuming
I'm already taking a multivitamin + 2 NOW 3-6-9 in the morning, what should I change/add here?
also would it be acceptable to start jogging at first to build my cardio endurance, then switch to HIIT when I feel I could sustain it for a longer period. Or would it be more beneficial to just jump right into HIIT?
(I'm 5'10, 170 by the way)
thanks for your time

when you said do reps to failure, can you describe failure a little better? up till now i assumed it means if i cannot do a rep unassisted in good form, then i stop. when doing db concentration curls, i would be doing some reps just fine, then eventually i cannot pull the weight any farther (usually when it's parallel to the ground). i try for 5s or so, then stop. my bicep doesn't really feel hurt or anything yet. a guy at the gym who saw me do that suggested that i use my other hand to push up my arm (from 90 degrees to 80 degrees) then take my hand away. which am i supposed to do?

For your height/weight and goals, I would recommend this bulking plan:

http://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=21269614&f=60&p=335896241
Bulking Diet, workout, and supplement guide


You will NOT be gaining any fat on that plan with your current stats and activity level. The protein content is much higher and should yield better muscular gains.

It really depends.

The first year of training, 30 lbs of muscle can be achieved in the FIRST year if diet/routine are perfect.

However, as the years go on, this starts to drop off.

The years are as follows:


1. 25-30 lbs
2. 10-15 lbs
3. 7-10 lbs
4. 3-5 lbs
5. 1-2 lbs
6 ~ 1 lb

and so forth.


These are estimates but based on a general baseline assuming meticulous training and diet.


However, if you already HAD 30 lbs more lean mass and lost it, you can regain this MUCH faster, around 3-6 months approximately depending on diet and routine. Regaining lost mass is easier than building new mass mostly because a good amount of that mass isn't newly built muscle tissue, but instead reopened and volumized tissue filled with blood, water, and nutrients.

45 degrees is fine. The more the incline the more harsh it is on the shoulders.

Don't train anything for legs except for leg extensions and leg curls.

You will NOT lose muscle in your legs from a few weeks of not training. It takes months to "lose" muscle, and most of that is decreased volume from lack of blood pump among other things.

I was wondering, does masterbating help to increase muscle mass? Because when at the climax, you release your load, because of this, the body reacts by telling the body to produce more testosterone, is this true?

Quite simply you need to train biceps like you train chest, back, and legs.

You need to do more than just 3x8 of curls per week in order to make those biceps grow.

I am not a fan of the madcow routine mostly because of how much it neglects certain exercises and muscle groups. I prefer my own 5x5 for obvious reasons and a more complete workout.

So for your purposes, on MONDAY I want you to add in the bicep curls as you have on friday. I also want you to change your grip so that when you are curling, you palms continuously face up towards the ceiling, rather than in towards your body. This puts all the strain on the biceps and NOT on the forearms. At the top of each curl, your palms should STILL be facing the ceiling - do not at any point let your palms face your body.

Moreover, you need to try to do some very slow and controlled contractions with NO WEIGHT prior to the curls to get the mind-muscle connection established with the biceps. Squeeze them until you feel the pump and the pain and then begin lifting with the same intensity. That will force the stubborn biceps to listen to your iron will.