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PM_ME_YOUR_GREYJOYS t1_j5ieunj wrote

A better way to look at it is Vertical/Horizontal Press Vertical/Horizontal Pulls, Hip Hinge, Lunges, Step Ups.

Lunges and Step ups are the most under utilized aspects of strength building in the lower body. If you were to imagine your hip bone as a bucket, both squats and deadlifts would spill water forwards/ backwards out of the bucket. Neither exercise changes the plane of movement

Lunges move your hips as if you were spinning the bucket clockwise/counter clockwise

True step ups (laterally) move your hips as if you were tipping a bucket left and right.

Don’t neglect the planes of movement just because you want sick quads. Won’t mean shit if you’re just over working the same plane.

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dfreinc t1_j5if4z7 wrote

in that regard, everybody also needs to slow the fuck down. lifting slowly and controlled is how you really build muscle.

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SingleVisit999 t1_j5ifvu1 wrote

Also, keep conscious of maintaining good form and know your limits: don't push yourself so hard you blow out your back and knees and/or tear your rotator cuffs. When you start to feel pain, back off instead of crippling yourself.

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dfreinc t1_j5ig0ue wrote

that's what i'm always saying. i preach like a sloth. lift, very, slow. it's the way to do it. 🤷‍♂️

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vinceftw t1_j5jfhj6 wrote

What is very slow? It helps building muscle for sure but lifting faster has benefits for strength, explosiveness and athleticism.

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FootsieMcDingus t1_j5jjbqr wrote

I like to incorporate slow then fast, at least for things like bench/dumbell/overhead press. So let the weight down slow then explode back up

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vinceftw t1_j5jjlsw wrote

That's the general consensus for the optimal lifting form I think.

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ATL28-NE3 t1_j5ju1lh wrote

That's the best way to do it. A slow controlled eccentric, pause for big stretch, explosive concentric. I think of trying to punch the weights through the ceiling.

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PM_ME_YOUR_GREYJOYS t1_j5ifes0 wrote

Really alternating pacing should be as common as changing rep ranges. Programs that vary eccentric isometric and concentric are more effective at developing all aspects of the muscle

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dfreinc t1_j5ifwpv wrote

man, no. just do it slow. concentrate. slow. 🙏

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PM_ME_YOUR_GREYJOYS t1_j5ig654 wrote

That’s just not how it works. Working slow is overlooked but if we’re trying to combine both improving your muscular development and your athletic performance you can’t just work slow the whole time. You have to be able to control the weight at the bottom of the movement (isometric, good for tendons and energy transfer) and through the explosive movements (concentric)

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dfreinc t1_j5igxhl wrote

nobody's trying to improve their athletic performance, they're just trying to look good. slow is the conesus, pretty sure.

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PM_ME_YOUR_GREYJOYS t1_j5ih2r6 wrote

He’s saying most bang for your Buck movements. Only working eccentric on compound lifts is only 1/3rd of the equation.

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dfreinc t1_j5ihlcv wrote

fuck all that though, just do it slow. 🤷‍♂️

what even is a buck movement. it brought up hunting stuff. clearly what i'm talking about is more applicable to humans. 😂

if you're talking about kips and shit you're in alternative truth territory. all you gotta do is lift slow. pop steroids and eat real good for a few weeks if you want to get big. doesn't really matter. slow, is better, unless you're using it.

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PM_ME_YOUR_GREYJOYS t1_j5ii1wt wrote

Oh I get it know, you’re an idiot. My apologies. Best of luck to your long and difficult life.

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Aezyre t1_j5jihb1 wrote

Says you. Not everyone is only chasing aesthetics.

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cjgozdor t1_j5jhhxf wrote

This is a major pet-peeve of mine. Lifting slowly doesn't build explosive muscles that provide athletic value. Fast, explosive lifts will allow you to run faster, jump higher, and change direction quicker.

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GreatAndPowerfulNixy t1_j5jk9cd wrote

Gotta build the strength up first before you do something to wreck your joints. This is what crossfit gets wrong.

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Afferbeck_ t1_j5jblvs wrote

People generally do need to develop better control than I regularly see demonstrated in commercial gyms, but trying to lift in slow motion has no inherent benefits. It's essentially just an awkward and inconsistent way to add intensity, when you could just do more reps or sets or weight or less rest etc.

You build muscle with progressive overload and calories. Details like lifting slower or faster aren't worth considering too much. Both are recommended in certain situations, but not so much for the purpose of muscle gain. You might like to do squats with a 5 second eccentric as someone who has poor control in the squat. But that's for technique improvement, not gaining any more muscle. Conversely you might try to squat as fast as possible for athletic purposes, even going so far as to measure barbell velocity which can inform capabilities in other exercises and sport specific movement. And they're not really missing out on much muscle gain, especially if they continue on with more muscle intensive exercises after their power focused movements.

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Next-Age-9925 t1_j5jczg9 wrote

I hear what you are saying, but time under tension absolutely matters. Going more slowly would be beneficial for someone new to that concept.

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rootaford t1_j5jhicp wrote

Was gonna echo the same thing, TUT is huge and most newbs will gain more in lighter weights doing this than heavy weights where they drop the bar.

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LogiHiminn t1_j5jdkv8 wrote

Also control the eccentric portion (the “down” movement). Like curls, or bench, don’t just drop the weight. Control it, keeping tension in the muscles throughout the entire range of motion.

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gerbileleventh t1_j5jvoq6 wrote

Very true. I had to check my ego and go lower on weights because I realised that my form was not going to do well with heavier weights.

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Reiver_Neriah t1_j5k0gd6 wrote

The research really points to explosive action phases(the part of the movement that contracts the muscle) and slow, controlled negative phases produces the most stimulation and growth.

But beginners should always just go the slow route to build up the strength of ligaments and other connective tissues.

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gnrc t1_j5k0laz wrote

The only reason to lift fast(explosive) is if you’re an athlete focused on that but it has to be lower weight and controlled. Master the form first then you can do it fast. But even this is risky.

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Gonzo458 t1_j5jsyd1 wrote

Are there certain exercises that should be paired together? Like, going from presses to flys because it stretches? Idk if that makes sense. Someone I did a session with constructed their routine like that and it made sense to me so I was curious if routines are usually planned that way.

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BelgianJits t1_j5j5nxx wrote

  1. fix your diet
  2. lift weights, focus on progressive overload
  3. make gains
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SandMan3914 t1_j5jfzo3 wrote

Get some training on how to do compound lifts properly. A beginner with poor form is asking to get hurt

Compound lifts will get you your most bang for

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FlyingCraneKick t1_j5j7gxt wrote

Keep in mind that consistency is key, and that the best workout is the one that you do consistently. My workout schedule isn't optimised, but I enjoy it, I'm at the gym every second day, and in decent shape.

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Zestfullyclean87 t1_j5k0kff wrote

To clarify, consistency means “I do this 80-85% of the time.”

If your goal is to do something every day, and you’re skipping more then 5-6 days every month, you’re not consistent

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Spring_Assembly t1_j5j64he wrote

And even those last 3 aren't supercritical. You can get by with the first 4, definitely as a beginner.

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7fw t1_j5jvd5e wrote

Back in the day for Football, those were the big 4. Some people did curls and tris for guns, and I did incline press also (what lineman pushes straight ahead like a bench press. None. We are at an incline). But those were it and what the strength coach focused on.

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CrazyStar_ t1_j5j2qrq wrote

This is not good advice btw. Completely ignores biceps, triceps, traps, abs, calves, and lateral delts. You can “sculpt” these muscles much more with targeted exercises than spamming compounds, especially if you want to build a proper aesthetic physique.

The best advice would’ve been to pick up a dedicated workout program that aligns with whatever an individual’s goals are.

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mehuiz t1_j5j3qca wrote

dips uses triceps row uses traps

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CrazyStar_ t1_j5j41bu wrote

Tricep pulldowns / extensions and shrugs will give you far more bang for buck than dips and rows for those respective muscles.

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Wd91 t1_j5j5kjb wrote

But lose out on hitting all the other muscles. Thats the whole point here. The reality is most people don't need to target specific muscles because most people aren't bodybuilding or working with really heavy weights, they don't need to impress the judges with their massive lats and they aren't going to end up with major imbalances.

Most people just need to work out their whole body a couple of times a week without spending 5 hours in the gym, which compound exercises are great for.

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moonunit99 t1_j5j8ctx wrote

If this had been advice for building strength or cramming a better workout into a short amount of time it’d be spot on, but they specifically said it was a life pro tip for “sculpting muscle,” which it is not. The reason all those isolation exercises that OP is suggesting you ignore exist in the first place is because they allow you to target specific muscle groups for hypertrophy, i.e. sculpting your muscles.

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Wd91 t1_j5jcv9c wrote

I do tend to agree about the "sculpting muscle" phrasing tbh. For most people "sculpting muscle" is just cutting down on snacks and cola.

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bakedjennett t1_j5jtws1 wrote

Everyone is like “oh insert isolation movement is better for insert specific muscle as if the whole thread isn’t about compound movements lol

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hibernatepaths t1_j5jsmpl wrote

I don’t think you understand “bang for your buck”. If you can do a tri exercise that also hits other muscle groups, that is better bang for your buck. Two birds with one stone. Three muscle groups for the time it normally takes to do one.

Bang, if you will, for buck.

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Afferbeck_ t1_j5jc304 wrote

Tell me how to bench without triceps or pullup without biceps. Sure you should add extra work for these if your concern is to grow them specifically, but it would be foolish to spend more time on isolations than compounds. Especially for beginners who have no base. People should not be walking into a gym day one and sitting on a bicep machine hoping to get huge. It's like trying to ice a cake before you've baked it.

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CrazyStar_ t1_j5jci4m wrote

This is what I call selective comprehension. I clearly said that anyone wanting to get into lifting should find a program that fits their needs which is much better advice than “do compounds” or “do isolations”.

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lebolt73 t1_j5jynne wrote

I agree that the advice of OP isn’t great or exactly right, but you’re an idiot. Rows and pull-ups use biceps. Bench press and dips use triceps. Abs are used during basically every compound workout, even if they’re not specifically targeted. Overhead press utilizes lateral deltoids and traps.

Calves, I’ll give you. But again OP isn’t giving great advice. You’re giving out literal wrong information though.

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AngelKnives t1_j5jtmo3 wrote

It doesn't ignore those muscles at all.

biceps - pull ups

triceps - bench

traps - overhead press

abs - fair enough, however they are used to stabilise the body in most of these exercises, they're not really challenged. I would swap dips for an ab exercise if I were OP.

calves - squat

lateral delts - rows

I agree it all depends on your goals. For most beginners, the compound lifts are definitely the way to go and I think that's who OP was targeting.

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Malk25 t1_j5jsvlc wrote

Now this is bad advice! We're talking about what beginners should focus on for building a base of strength, and you go right into thinking the "show" muscles i.e. abs and arms are the most important. Focusing on what you mentioned makes sense for early intermediates who prioritize aesthetics, not the general population.

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bakedjennett t1_j5js58d wrote

Ah yes, I too speak about things I don’t understand on the internet as if I’m an expert

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solitaryzoldier t1_j5igpgi wrote

Only do deadlifts if you know exactly what you are doing and at least have some one to check your form. And easy on the weight. They can be the most dangerous in this regard due to the muscle groups activating.

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flyingShaq t1_j5j6r2g wrote

Messed up my lower back in June since I wanted to give DLs another shot. Never again.

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JohnTomorrow t1_j5jmyrx wrote

You gotta focus on your core muscle group, then try again. I had back issues for years, started back into the gym a year ago and started doing core exercises, my back problems vanished almost overnight.

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[deleted] OP t1_j5ji6g1 wrote

[deleted]

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HugeHans t1_j5k09xl wrote

Thats not always true. Thats just if you are trying to rapidly lose weight. For plenty people like me regular weight training means constantly forcing yourself to eat.

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SPOOKESVILLE t1_j5k07jr wrote

I don’t think that’s necessary for most people. For bodybuilders sure, but for the average person this just forms an unhealthy relationship with food. Sure, you can start being calorie conscious, but most of the population don’t need to be that strict on calories. If they have a specific goal and need to lose weight as soon as possible sure, but that doesn’t build lasting habits.

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Scuka1 t1_j5ipkof wrote

Been doing that for almost 10 years now.

It's true, as a recreational lifter, you only need a few basic compound exercises. No need to bother with all the isolations, 5 exercises per muscle group, and all the other bro bodybuilder BS.

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GimmeAMalt t1_j5j6qrl wrote

What’s “bro bodybuilder BS”?

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roquentin92 t1_j5jfdlv wrote

Semi-factual information that is only relevant if you prioritize body building aesthetics almost exclusively and above all else. Essentially.

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Afferbeck_ t1_j5jejli wrote

To me, it's average joe gymgoers trying to train with hyper specific bodybuilding methods that are really only relevant to professional bodybuilders on lots of drugs and who are able to train multiple times as long and often as it's their job. And who've trained for a decade plus and have generally built a solid base of strength and skill in compound lifts. It's some skinny or fat kid who can't do a pushup talking about how you gotta do shoulder raises with your pinky out to really use the muscle etc.

The same but opposite in the weightlifting world was the trend for people to want train like the Bulgarians did. ie max attempts in the competition lifts and squats multiple times per day 6 days a week and doing literally no other exercises. Conveniently forgetting the drugs and the fact that it was their full time job.

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Kenna193 t1_j5k0548 wrote

A lot of isolation exercises aren't really necessary if you are doing compound lifts through a large range of motion.

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Kike328 t1_j5jyatd wrote

Advice which is only relevant if you’re on steroids

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crappygodmother t1_j5j41sg wrote

Every body is different though. The best exercise is the one you actually do and these exercises are not a good fit for everyone.

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hibernatepaths t1_j5jt3c6 wrote

Every body is different, but mechanically they work more-or-less the same.

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bakedjennett t1_j5jshks wrote

Incorrect. Form and specific style may change but the overall lifts remain the same

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gerbileleventh t1_j5jwt7d wrote

Compound exercises are heavily based on movements we (should?) do every day when doing errands, cleaning the house, moving stuff around, etc… As an office worker, I’m not even focused on being muscular, but I do these movements to ensure that my body gets some solid moving and keeps “well oiled”.

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Arananthony t1_j5iwnk7 wrote

For the goal of sculpting these are probably least efficient exercises you can do.

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TheDismal_Scientist t1_j5izq6n wrote

Fitness outside of the bodybuilding subs is awful on here, hopefully nobody listens to this

Most bang for your buck:

  1. Split is optional, I'd go with a PPL 3-6 times a week personally, but anything that gets you into the gym can work
  2. Only 5 or so exercises per workout, 15 mins cardio at the end
  3. 1-2 warm up sets and then 2-3 working sets of each exercise
  4. You want to do between (5-15) broadly or 8-12 (narrowly) reps in each set. Be careful with this, this means you need to be failing the movement or within a couple of reps of failure between 8 and 12 reps, not that you get to 12 and stop when you've still got more in the tank
  5. Progressive overload with weight, that means if you're hitting 12 reps consistently with good form then you need to increase the weight
  6. Eat a caloric surplus and each your bodyweight in lbs in grams of protein

Follow these six steps consistently and you'll be a different person in 6 months

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flyingShaq t1_j5j1pyb wrote

For ppl who don't lift weights at all, which is what the OP's intended audience is, starting with compounds is pretty decent advice. Just focusing on the stuff they listed, hell even just focusing on pullups, squats, dips, and BP can build a pretty decent physique as long as they throw a few accessories in there too.

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WaluigiIsBonhart t1_j5jinet wrote

>For ppl who don't lift weights at all, which is what the OP's intended audience is, starting with compounds is pretty decent advice.

For this particular group, true beginners, it's abysmal advice.

You need to ease body-naive folks into some of these types of workouts. Much better to start safely with more isolations and machines, then introduce these things. Walking into a gym for the first time and immediately doing deadlifts and bench is how you end up injured.

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Villam09 t1_j5jpp0o wrote

I completely agree with this, a good machine will ease you into the movements, you can go from there.

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Arananthony t1_j5j3lk7 wrote

If the intended audience is for people who never picked up a barbell in their life and just want to look good, they’re better off just doing any “bodybuilding” split which doesn’t require compounds at all. The big 3 lifts are quite technical and is a fast way to get hurt without proper form. A majority of people can’t even perform a pull up or a dip at body weight and will see faster returns using machines instead.

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TheDismal_Scientist t1_j5j279i wrote

I don't buy it. Training compounds if you want to look good is like training for a marathon by running 100m sprints

Isolating with intensity is vastly more efficient, might be a bit more to chew at the beginning but six weeks in and you're already seeing the benefit

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Afferbeck_ t1_j5jd4kb wrote

Why do you think you can't look good with compound lifts? An untrained person has a far greater chance of causing a significant change to their physique by focusing on say dips and pullups than they do trying to hyperspecialise on bodybuilding isolations. The guy that goes from zero to 15 pullups (or ideally added weight) has a much better change than the guy who adds a few notches on the cable curl.

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TheDismal_Scientist t1_j5je7wr wrote

As I say, it's like training for a marathon with sprints, it's easier to program doing the same three compounds 3x a week. But doing even a half decent isolation split with adequate intensity is always going to see more results.

E.g. doing one shoulder, one chest, and one tricep exercise is going to look a lot better than doing one bench press after a month or two

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flyingShaq t1_j5j2vj1 wrote

If you're recommending ppl, p sure it incorporates compounds and accessories. Bench press, squat, dl, pull ups, etc all component of ppl

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TheDismal_Scientist t1_j5j3fvd wrote

I mean you can program a ppl (or any split) with compounds or isolation exercises, I should have been clearer that I'd focus on smaller isolation exercises, especially ones with greater stability like machines or cables over free weights for hypertrophy.

Stimulus to fatigue ratio is much better on (for example) a machine Incline chest press compared to a Dumbell press.

0

vinceftw t1_j5jgcty wrote

You gave solid advice at first and then you said isolation and machine exercises trump compounds. What?

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TheDismal_Scientist t1_j5jh7cq wrote

For hypertrophy? Of course isolation/machines are better. Stability + isolation means less fatigue, means muscular failure comes before cardiovascular failure (which tends to be the opposite with big compounds)

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vinceftw t1_j5jhge6 wrote

If you're reaching cardiovascular failure before muscle failure on compounds you're either fat af, 80 year old or extremely unfit which all mean you'd need the extra cardio.

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TheDismal_Scientist t1_j5jhndb wrote

Personally I think people think they're hitting muscular failure when they're really hitting cardio failure when doing most compounds, but all we can do is agree to disagree there

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Yeangster t1_j5jnbtd wrote

I was rowing for an hour a day for more than a year when I started squats and deadlifts. A heavy set of 3-5 would almost knock me out.

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flyingShaq t1_j5j5rfn wrote

Yea, I'd have to agree. In terms of just pure muscular development isolation is most optimal.

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SPOOKESVILLE t1_j5k0j88 wrote

Honestly I disagree pretty heavily. Beginners aren’t going to know what a compound lift should look or feel like. They aren’t beginner friendly in the first place. Machines that target one or two muscles at a time are most definitely beginner friendly. This post is all about efficiency. If you want to get strong fast, then technically yes these are slightly more efficient, but not noobie friendly.

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umphtown t1_j5jm6j6 wrote

This is great. Can you give an example of the best 5 exercises for upper body?

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TheDismal_Scientist t1_j5jnahr wrote

For chest: incline machine chest press for upper chest, I like some variation of seated cable pressing combined with seated cable flies for the mid chest, again cables angled downwards or chest oriented dips for lower chest

For Triceps (which I'd do on the same day as chest): I like Smith machine skullcrushers, any form of cable pushdown or overhead extensions when done with proper form are good for tris

For biceps: the research seems to suggest attempting to bias the heads isn't too effective, so straight Dumbell curls imo are best (single arm, to really isolate), Hammer curls (with good form) too

For back: some rowing movement, back is a very big muscle group so the more stability the better hence why I wouldn't advise Barbell rows, pull downs and pull overs are good too

For shoulders: lateral raises are key, seated shoulder press can be good, and rear delt flies are what I find works for me

I'm no expert on this stuff, this is all second hand information from people better than me, people like JPG coaching on tik tok do great content on different exercises and their pros and cons, albeit with a very pro science bias, you can make of that last bit what you will

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ImTheHipHopapotamus t1_j5jqpx6 wrote

Man i’d be careful about using the smith machine for skill crushers. It limits your range of motion to just up and down.

Best to grab a flat bench and an ez-bar and perform your skullcrushers like that, but aiming above your head. Your starting point should be like 30 degrees back from lifting your arms straight and then you just bend your elbows and the bar should go above your head.

Athlean X shows them - think he calls they lying Tricep extensions in his best Tricep exercises.

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Grand-Spectacular t1_j5j8b85 wrote

What's the use of the cardio at the end? I thought most people split their weight and cardio days?

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TheDismal_Scientist t1_j5j97t7 wrote

Yeah you can always split the cardio, that part doesn't actually matter too much the important thing is you aren't neglecting it however you're getting it in. I find it easier to program cardio at the end of the workout but it's probably more optimal for a different day

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Kike328 t1_j5jy4s5 wrote

Cardio improves recovery and makes easier to lift without getting exhausted along the training routine.

But doing it first instead last, will affect negatively on how you perform, as you will be already tired.

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Chemroo t1_j5jxy00 wrote

I agree 100%... terrible advice. I remember lots of posts of /r/fitness doing starting strength for 6 months, then posting they look like a centaur with massive legs and no upper body. You need to add accessory work!!

Personally I think the muscles that add the most to a physique are shoulders, lats, and triceps. All of these are NOT trained well with compound lifts and there are better options.

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TheyCallMeNick_1 t1_j5jl5e3 wrote

Squat, Press, Hinge, Row. Those are the backbones of your workouts, focus on those as your primary exercises. I typically do at least two of those to start every workout (after a proper warm up). After that I switch to accessories (isolation exercises). And any cardio I do, is done after lifting.

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kingcarcas t1_j5ivwna wrote

Spine experts though warn, too much weight and be careful with squats and deadlift or you'll be in the operating room one day.

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CofferCrypto t1_j5jq1s6 wrote

Neglect direct core work at your own peril! Great way to destroy your lower back.

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hibernatepaths t1_j5jtn0y wrote

Start light and work on form as you progress. Your abs will strengthen along with everything else.

Squats are basically an ab / stability workout for me at this point. The weakest link will feel the burn and get stronger.

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Bosshog78 t1_j5jq6re wrote

Thanks for the tip.

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hibernatepaths t1_j5jqpwm wrote

OHP, Bench AND Dips? That’s a lot of tri, guy.

Get those pull-ups out of the ‘maybe’ pile

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AVLLaw t1_j5jvxyb wrote

Eat one extra egg a day when on this workout. You need the cholesterol in yolk to make more testosterone which your body will try to do when doing major muscle groups.

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keepthetips t1_j5idjma wrote

Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips!

Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment.

If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.

1

N0SF3RATU t1_j5jhnqf wrote

If I wanted to work out 3 times per week. (M,W,F) do you recommend a routine that is compound lifts M and F with cardio on W? It's all very confusing and daunting walking into a gym busy with people who seem to know exactly what they're doing...and then there is me.

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bakedjennett t1_j5juf4x wrote

For 3 days a week I’d do PPL Push movements Monday Pull Wednesday Legs Friday

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Malk25 t1_j5juict wrote

That's not a bad routine, but depending on your goals, cardio isn't super necessary, at least at night intensities like sprinting for example. Definitely wanna do at least twice a week though. OP outlines roughy 6 movement patterns- vertical push (overhead press) horizontal push (bench press) vertical pull (pull up/Lat pull down) horizontal pull (row) squat (squats or lunge) and hinge (deadlift or hip thrust). For a beginner, you don't wanna put too much on your plate, just get accustomed and comfortable with things. I like to suggest choose one push, one pull, and one lower body for one day, then the rest for another. You can work up to three days, alternating between the three movements, eventually doing all 6 each session. Eventually you'll get so strong that the weight you'll be using will be too much to make it through all 6 though, and that's when you'll consider breaking things into different splits.

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Jumpin_Joeronimo t1_j5jk0b7 wrote

It's been about two decades since I lifted in a gym. Made my own sand bag and will be doing home workouts. Thanks for this list! I can do some of these with the bag and set up a little station for dips, etc.

What's a good resource for stuff like this? Best bang for the buck home workout with little to no equipment.

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vegasghost t1_j5jscah wrote

Also try, putting the phone down and doing a set.

1

FriedEgggsCorpse t1_j5jvmfx wrote

Would adding additional moves to a core lift be helpful?

As in a clean and jerk to an overhead press?

1

Human-Call t1_j5jvsgp wrote

This is very good advice but you need learn how to do the compound exercises properly so you don’t hurt yourself. Get someone to show you. Or alternatively what I did was watch loads of YouTube videos on proper technique. I also read a few books and blogs/websites. Take it easy when you first start.

Later you can add in some isolation exercises for the calves and other muscles if you want.

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r0botdevil t1_j5jwzdt wrote

Another LPT: overhead press will cause significant damage to your rotator cuff over time.

1

downtownlarry t1_j5jxjmk wrote

I was just about to post a question closely related to this. I am not planning on getting jacked, but I am looking to make some muscle gain and improve my body frame. I am slim person and I want to make some change. But I don’t like spending a lot of time at the gym, I go in and spend half of the time there on cardio and remaining on weights is my plan. So was thinking about some of the main workouts that I can just focus on to achieve that. This is a good advise. But need suggestion on how to spread it per visit and what amount of time or reps do I put in.

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AdSnoo9734 t1_j5jyvq0 wrote

Seems like you hav exciting plans.

Generally it helps to give muscles at least 48 hours to recover from a lift. An easy way to ensure that is to split the exercises into upper-body exercises and lower-body exercises. Just as long as you avoid focusing on the same groups as best you can.

Generally 3-5 sets works. And 1-4 reps for purely strength training…5-12 reps for muscle building…13-whatever reps for endurance training.

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FoeHammerYT t1_j5jy8nu wrote

You are missing a dedicated bicep move and I dont think rows and pull ups alone will engage them enough.

1

Touch_Me_There t1_j5jz3rz wrote

I'll just add to make sure you're doing them correctly. A lot of people miss the targeted muscles with compound lifts. Knowing the path the weight travels and which muscle facilitates that movement is important.

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roogie15 t1_j5jzyxu wrote

Remove the maybe before pull ups

1

lebolt73 t1_j5k08si wrote

Typical meathead lists off 5 different upper body lifts and only 2 lower body. Like I agree that doing this makeshift routine would help anyone that doesn’t workout at all, but this alone will not give you an “amazing, strong physique.”

More importantly, diet should be your primary focus if you want to improve your physique. Obviously exercise is also critical, but you’re missing the more important part here.

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SPOOKESVILLE t1_j5k0zdo wrote

If someone is experienced, id agree with this, but since this is most likely pointed at gym newcomers id definitely disagree. Newcomers won’t know what these lifts are supposed to look or feel like, meaning they won’t recruit the proper muscles and will be more prone to injury decreasing efficiency drastically.

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RedditUserWar t1_j5ippzz wrote

Or you could just learn calisthenics, it's pretty much only compound exercises. Plus, you can do them almost anywhere if you know the movements that work the specific muscle group you are targeting. Has a bigger learning curve but the freedom and fun it brings are worth it imo.

There is a downside however, there isn't any progressive load, so once you are able to lift basically your entire weight in any position, you will just be doing more and more reps to get the same effect which is not good for strength building. At that point its mainly endurance training. So it isn't the end all be all sadly.

Btw with calisthenics youll look HELLA cool being able to defy gravity hehe. 😎

0

EmilyLovs t1_j5iud47 wrote

Throw in some sandbags, and a few kettle bells, and you can get a pretty good workout at home.

Still though, I haven't found any good solutions to replace good old weighted deadlifts and squats with bodyweight alone.

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GallifreyFNM t1_j5jx09e wrote

You absolutely can progressive overload with calisthenics using weight vests, dumbbells between your knees during dips/pullups, even filling a backpack with books or something. Not saying this to argue or be rude btw, just to mention it in case you weren't aware of this and could add it to your training.

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NegativeAccount t1_j5j5dj1 wrote

This should be "LPT: make sure to incorporate these exercises into your training routine..."

> You only really need...

Those are definitely the core exercises, but you're going to overtrain specific muscles. For example, the shoulder has 3 muscle groups (simplified): front, middle, rear. You need to switch exercises to hit all 3.

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Yeangster t1_j5jjs55 wrote

Dr Mike Israetel talks about this a lot.

This is good advice if you’re young and a beginner, but might not necessarily make sense if you’re older or if you’re past the beginner stage, depending on what your goals are.

The issue with the major compound lifts is that they build up a ton of fatigue and some injury risk. You really won’t be able to do it more than two or three times a week.

With more targeted lifts, you can get plenty of muscle stimulus, with less fatigue. Which can be be very useful if you’re going for muscle size.

0

Hedser91 t1_j5jq1xj wrote

Deadlifts do not lead to a better defined body, and MAYBE pull-ups? Pull-ups are the number one exercise. Obviously you don't know what you are talking about.

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bakedjennett t1_j5jsdjc wrote

In what way does the deadlift, the compoundiest compound movement that crosses almost every joint of your body not good for total development.

Pull-ups are more “iso” than any other lift on that list?

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Hedser91 t1_j5jssua wrote

Deadlifts have been proven not to add definition to the body. Just because something is heavy doesn't mean it'll lead to more muscle. There is a difference between strongmen and bodybuilders.

−2

bakedjennett t1_j5jt9xa wrote

No lift “adds definition” eating and dryness does that. The deadlift provides almost total body stimulus and can be very easily progressively loaded. “Just because something is heavy doesn’t mean it’ll lead to more muscle” - correct, but more stimuli is the definition of leading to more muscle.

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Hedser91 t1_j5jto9t wrote

You go ahead and do deadlifts then and ignore the study that just came out about it not leading to greater muscle hypertrophy compared to other exercises

−4

bakedjennett t1_j5jut16 wrote

In specific muscle groups yea, but total body strength and development is different from muscle hypertrophy of specific groups

2

Hedser91 t1_j5jvzs0 wrote

The post was about more muscle/sculpting, not total body strength

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bakedjennett t1_j5jy74v wrote

“Sculpting” isn’t done with lifting. “Sculpting” is just body fat/water content.

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userrnam t1_j5jzfie wrote

Technically you don't even need to do free weights at all. Sure, they're optimal, but also very intimidating for new people. Swapping a squat with leg press is totally fine for example. As long as you're doing some sort of compound movements you're making progress.

This doesn't apply as much to more experienced lifters that require more stimulus to see adaptations, but they ready know what works for them anyway.

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WatcherYdnew t1_j5j9khx wrote

Do archery. Free back training.

−1

Katana_sized_banana t1_j5j9pgz wrote

That's actually some solid advice. The best about it, you can do all this at home without the need of a gym subscription. Also since you're using weights or your body, you don't isolate your muscles but also work out the surrounding muscles for stability. This vastly reduces risk of damaging your joints and reduces risk of a body unbalance.

Personally I'd add crunches and my favorite, the Superman, to strengthen back and abs. Sometimes I add dumbbells on the side and lift them half way of a jumping jack for the deltoids. Also imple shrugs works as well.

−1

[deleted] OP t1_j5jf70s wrote

[deleted]

−1

justanotherdude68 t1_j5jfta8 wrote

There’s…there’s actually people that don’t know to stick to compound lifts to maximize gains and minimize time?🤯

I’d argue you could cut out the rows and dips, but pull ups are an absolute necessity. It’s the upper body version of the squat.

−1

meme_squeeze t1_j5j8x0e wrote

You don't need to do any dumb influencer exercise, but yoh should stil focus some muscle groups separately. Biceps, triceps, side and rear delts, hamstrings, glutes, and quads.

−2

Environmental-Sock52 t1_j5jiizy wrote

"You really only need this list of 7 things, that's it."

−2

hibernatepaths t1_j5jtw9z wrote

Sorry, there is no list of 2 that will get you in good shape. :)

It’s way better than getting lost amidst the 30-odd machines they have at any given gym.

0

Environmental-Sock52 t1_j5juqgv wrote

I wasn't saying there anything wrong with 7, I was saying, "only 7", is silly. 7 is a lot.

0

Salkin8 t1_j5iou0e wrote

To get the most for your buck don't even pay a gym and do bodyweight exercises. It's free at home.

Or even better if you can: do physical work, so you also get real things done (gardening, construction building, renovation...)

−6

ixramuffin t1_j5j14jr wrote

Physical work is a very ineffective way of building muscle.

11

NegativeAccount t1_j5j5lo7 wrote

What, you don't spend your free time digging ditches and hauling bales of hay?

/s

2

JohnTomorrow t1_j5jnzt1 wrote

It's a great way to build muscle. It's not a great way to get into "shape". You'll get strong doing physical labour, but nobody goes to a construction site thinking they'll look like a superhero at the end of their shift.

1

ixramuffin t1_j5jtfhw wrote

Depends on your definition of "great". It's very inefficient in terms of time invested. Furthermore, physical labour rarely involves progressive overload.

Your body quickly becomes accustomed to the level of strain that is required of it. You will reach some base level of fitness required for the job and quickly plateau.

I don't know what you mean by getting into "shape" but I would argue that physical labour is much better for that. I understand getting into "shape" as losing weight (highly dependent on your diet, though) and possibly gaining some cardiovascular endurance.

In short, physical labour is great for burning calories but not for building muscle.

1

Scuka1 t1_j5ipghj wrote

Something is better than nothing, but there are limitations to bodyweight exercises.

The big advantage of barbell exercises is the fact that they can be adjusted for each individual, regardless of where they are. From complete beginners to elite athletes, everybody can perform a barbell exercise in a way that's beneficial for them. You can precisely dose the weight you need at that particular moment, which is something that's much more difficult to do on many bodyweight exercises.

But, if you don't have access to a gym, do bodyweight by all means, it's still a great thing to do.

Btw., I believe the OP didn't mean "buck" in the literal sense, as in money.

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JohnTomorrow t1_j5jnt71 wrote

Tradesman here, horticulturist specifically. I've probably planted more trees, dug more trenches and walked more distance than you've ever seen or experienced. Doing physical labour for a job doesn't mean you'll look like a superman. Sure, I'm a strong guy, that comes with it. But for years I was also grossly out of shape, due to lack of exercise and bad diet. You can dig retic all day long for five days a week, but if you have a pie and a sausage roll with a 600ml coke for smoko and lunch and don't do any exercise outside of work, you'll become a fat fuck.

I've recently started watching what I eat and exercising more regularly and I'm getting into better shape, and becoming stronger too. You're body adjusts to your day to day, you need external stimuli to grow outside of that.

2

Megahert t1_j5jui2n wrote

physical work is extremely inefficient for building muscle. Its more of a cardio activity than a muscle hypertrophy activity.

1

GuardianMike t1_j5jgeqz wrote

This isn't great advice. Bench press is one of the poorest exercises you can do for building muscle as it provides almost zero range of motion in the chest. Deadlifts are great time savers, but zero top-level professional athletes use them & you'll never see them recommended by any physio because of how much they contribute to lower back issues - which are now everywhere.

−7

Katana_sized_banana t1_j5jmscy wrote

What workout is better for chest than bench press? I'd like to learn. Butterfly machine? Dumbbell flyes, I guess?

1

HorridDoesWork t1_j5jopqn wrote

Ideslly you would do 2 excercises so you could do bench or some other press into flies.

1

MonkeyFella64 t1_j5jn64i wrote

Bench press strength and pec size are very strongly correlated. ROM isn't everything. And if you worry about that, do CG. Also deadlifts are only dangerous for stupid people.

1

bakedjennett t1_j5ju9nx wrote

Deadlifts are the most fear mongered movement. For no reason.

0

MonkeyFella64 t1_j5juldj wrote

Yep. You're more likely to injure yourself playing tennis.

1

ImTheHipHopapotamus t1_j5jrghe wrote

This is so wrong. Bench press is great for growing your pectoral muscles however you do it, be it barbell or dumbbells. Its best to include other chest exercises to hit upper and lower chest too. Like incline bench for upper chest, cable crossovers or chest press machine for middle chest, and then kneeling x presses for lower chest.

I hate reading anything about fitness or workouts on here as people just spout so much disinformation its crazy.

1

bakedjennett t1_j5jspxt wrote

Bench is “bad” for chest because there are other more isolating movements for the chest. But the whole point of this list is compound not iso

1

Kike328 t1_j5jyrwb wrote

That’s only true if you’re on steroids. Bench is the most important exercise for chest size lol

1