Weights Question

[Kahuna]

What would be more beneficial;

Doing weights for 20min 3 times a day or 1 hour session??

Hopefully someone can tell me. Thanks

 

[sabre_ac]

What would be more beneficial;

Doing weights for 20min 3 times a day or 1 hour session??

Hopefully someone can tell me. Thanks

I think its more to do with the intensity of your work out than the time taken.

 

[RoosterLad]

Do weights in a 1 hour session, don't stuff around with 3x20m muck arounds, i'm not even sure you would be able to do that anyway.

 

[nicky]

I think its more to do with the intensity of your work out than the time taken.

I agree, i've been told this at gym assessments too.

 

[Roddy]

More information please. Exactly what are you wanting to achieve?

 

[RoosterLad]

Yeah intensity can be important, if you are just trying to bulk up though you don't really have to be intense, just have to lift heavy weights. Intensity is more important in fitness training, whether that be cardio or muscle.

There is no way you will get much out of a 20 minute weight session though.

Roddy's post is extremely valid.

 

[TheBigUnit]

Yeah intensity can be important, if you are just trying to bulk up though you don't really have to be intense, just have to lift heavy weights. Intensity is more important in fitness training, whether that be cardio or muscle.

There is no way you will get much out of a 20 minute weight session though.

Roddy's post is extremely valid.

Lifting heavy weights (>80% of your 1 rep max) is more intense greater than any other form of exercise (except for maybe max effort sprinting or jumps). When you talk about intensity with exercise you refer to the effect it has on depleting the CNS (Central Nervous System) and how long it takes the CNS to recover from the activity (with heavy weight training it generally takes 48hrs minimum).

Circuit training with weights is done with submaximal weights hence at a lower intensity. The higher volume and shorter rest periods give the illusion that it is "highly intense."

 

[rick James]

I've been bulking up considerably over the last two months or so, but I've been doing weights almost daily, one day of heavy weights, one day of a crap load of lighter weights until my arms literally can't do anymore, then repeat.

But I feel like I'm plateauing, I'm not noticing any extra definition really, nor any extra bulk - advice?

 

[TheBigUnit]

I've been bulking up considerably over the last two months or so, but I've been doing weights almost daily, one day of heavy weights, one day of a crap load of lighter weights until my arms literally can't do anymore, then repeat.

But I feel like I'm plateauing, I'm not noticing any extra definition really, nor any extra bulk - advice?

Firstly, what does your diet look like? If you're not gaining muscle it is most likely you're not getting enough kcals and protein in your diet. You can gain muscle easily with a good diet (high protein and kcals) and crap weight training routine, but it's much harder the other way round.

For your weight training routine, make sure you are doing a heavy deadlift or squat variation at least once per week (these exercises produce the greatest amount of GH in the body out of all exercises) and favour free weight compound (multi-jointed) movements i.e. presses, rows, dips, pull-ups (squats and deadlifts as I've already mentioned) over isolation exercises like bicep curls, tricep extensions, leg extensions etc. and always try to increase weights or reps each session (even if it's only by 1-2kg) to encourage progressive overload (the key to building muscle through training).

 

[The Passenger]

its more about the intensity than anything, but doing 3 20 minutes sessions could be quite damaging if you think about it....

when you do any exercise your body is weakened for a period of time (varies from person to person) but the damage that is done to the muscles becomes far more exagerrated once the exercise stops and your body goes cold. So when your doing your second and third sessions of the day you'll actually by training while the muscles are still damaged... whereas if your doing just one session your muscles are still warm right through the entire session so the process of your muscles tearing won't be as significant.

i haven't explained it very well but it makes sense if you do it in your head.

 

[rdhopkins2]

Intensity rather than time is the factor. Having said that don't go trying to bench press 10x 100kg sets of 2 reps each first time round.

Basically you want to exercise til you can't go any longer. Just take it easy to start with- find out something that is a bit of a challenge to do for a few reps and build up from there.

Lots of protein is good for muscle. Keep the veg intake up to and have a pasta once a week at least for the carbs!

Go too hard too early is trouble- you need to build up reasonably gentle! But I'm not an expert! Hard to say what works- its a mixture of diet and exercise intensity IMO!

 

[sabre_ac]

Some people reckon that getting enough sleep and rest away from the gym is as important as how hard you work out.

Going to the gym twice a day rick james could be what is holding you back, I suggest reducing it to a 4 day routine, giving your body a day off between each workout.

I would also just take a week off, aparently your meant to and my last
"plateau period" was overcome because of this.

That said I think I may have peaked as far as size goes, I am 5'7ish at a reasonably lean 80kg.
To get much bigger I would have to stop drinking (aint gonna happen), hit the protien very hard (something I dont want to do).

 

[RooBuoy]

Some people reckon that getting enough sleep and rest away from the gym is as important as how hard you work out.

Yup, your muslces don't grow in the gym, they'll grow from having a good diet and getting lots of rest so they can regenerate.

 

[Hawk Dork]

I reckon if you put on 20 odd kilos and just walk around with it that should be enough of a work out

 

[numb_nutz]

I reckon if you put on 20 odd kilos and just walk around with it that should be enough of a work out

I do 3x50 min sessions a week....intensity is the key

 

[Stenglein's a Champ!]

Sabre's right.

You've got to leave a day or so between each work out.

This is the time in which the muscle will build.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

Sabre's right.

You've got to leave a day or so between each work out.

This is the time in which the muscle will build.

Not 100% true. Having adequate rest is important, but if you do your chest and triceps today, why not do your shoulders and legs tomorrow?

Have a read of all the different routines on the internet, in magazines, in books. Everyone preaches something different, and everyone says they get the better results than any other program. End of the day everyone is different and everyone will get different results. So having a days break between workouts might be essential for you, but its counter-productive for me.




NOTE: I'm not saying pump weights 7 days a week. Just saying you don't need to rest excessively, only what you feel your body needs.

 

[Stenglein's a Champ!]

Not 100% true. Having adequate rest is important, but if you do your chest and triceps today, why not do your shoulders and legs tomorrow?

That's kind of what I meant.

I was saying you must leave about a day between each workout, of those particular muscles.