Basic Lifting Principles

This is a great read for an overall basic explanation about lifting. I took it from the M&F Forums from a while ago.

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Basic Lifting Principles

This is a copy of one of the best posts that i have seen here as the other is getting to long with all the bumps. The original author was gol4pro and its one of best I've read...


Ok. I look down the line of threads in Club Muscle and Training Talk, and at least 25% of the threads all deal with the same question, or a similar question: How do I get started? I know Rev tried this idea a while back, and it didn't work great, but I'm going to try it again, just to make sure we cover all bases.

Here's two threads that I already know of, a little harsh, but very true all the same.

1) you cannot just do ab work and expect a six-pack. you need to shed bodyfat in order to see muscle definition, which is what a sixpack is. get your diet and training in order. do that by using the search function and looking it up yourself.

2) creatine is creatine. just buy plain creatine monohydrate and be done with it. if you fall for ad-hype, you are a fool. its your money, do what you want. but smart people know better.

3) do heavy basic compound movements. squats, deadlifts and bench presses are a must in any training split. do them or be doomed forever to being small and weak.

4) always ease into anything you do. if you want to gain muscle, you need to slowly increase your overall calories. if you want to cut fat, you need to slowly cut back calories a little at a time. the human body does not like drastic changes. just jumping into a 5 day cardio regimen is stupid as well. again, do some research and learn something.

5) food is your best friend. any problems you have with training or dieting is 99% of the time diet related. if you dont eat, you will not make any progress gaining or cutting. nobody needs supplements. they are designed as a "supplement" to an already solid diet. if your diet sucks, theres not a supp in the world that will help you. learn how to make progress with food alone, and then play with supps.

6) dont ask stupid questions. Questions like "how can I bench press 400lbs next week?", and "Can someone give me some tips on how to get rock hard biceps?" are always funny.... but you're never going to get a magic answer. I know you dont think youre question is stupid, but 9 times out of 10, you can answer your own question if youd get off your ass and use a search engine. hey, you might even learn something. dont just post a generic elementary open ended question. chances are you will get no useful info. do some research, and ask more specific questions later.

If you think there is a slight chance your question has already been covered, please use the search button. If it hasn't, there are many members of this board standing by to answer it.

7) muscle will never turn into fat. people always say this, and if you really think about it, it just sounds ####in stupid. they arent even remotely close in molecular makeup and it can never ever happen.

8) speaking of fat, you CANNOT spot reduce bodyfat. if you have big saggy man-boobies, there is no chest exercise that can make them go away. you can bench press all day long, and you will still have big droopy man-tits until you lose bodyfat. if you have a fat ass, lunges and squats will not make it lean. get that out of your head right now.

9) train more than your chest and arms. if you want muscle, you need balance. train your back, shoulders and legs along with your arms and chest for complete development.

10) nobody likes a crybaby. if you ask a question, and the advice you get is not what you wanted to hear, dont get all stupid over it. all you will do is make yourself look stupid. most of the people in here seem genuine and honest. we will set you straight if you shut up and listen.


11) HIGH REPS DO NOT GET YOU "CUT". they just get you tired. low to moderate reps (5-12) is the range you should shoot for. everyone is different, but everyone will most likely see the best size and strength gains if they stay in this range. also, dont change your routine just because you are going from a bulking phase to a cutting phase. keep doing what got you there. keep lifting heavy and going to failure. higher rep ranges do nothing but maybe build endurance. uh, who needs endurance for bicep curls? im guessing noone does.

12) UTILIZE PYRAMID TRAINING. a pyramid routine is a multi set routine that increases in weight each set and decreases in reps. this is part of the progressive overload theory, and should be utilized by anyone wanting to gain strength and size. why would anyone use the same weight for the same reps set after set? they shouldnt. why would your central nervous system recruit more muscle fibers each set if you dont up the weight? it wont. youll just be spinning your wheels.

13) ALWAYS TRAIN THE LARGE MUSCLES FIRST. if you combine muscle groups like many people do (chest/tris-back/bis), always train the larger muscle group first and completely. dont do any tricep work until your chest work is finished, unless you want a shitty chest workout. your tris help your chest pressing movements, and your bis help your back rowing movements. bis and tris are much smaller than your back and chest, so it makes no sense to have them fail before your larger muscles do.

14) CREATINE WILL NOT MAKE YOU "BLOATED". this is a stupid myth, and i dont know where it came from. if anything, it will dry you out. creatine causes the muscle cells to absorb as much water as possible. im not going to get into how it works, but it will make your muscles look fuller and you will gain some weight from the muscular water retention. notice, i said MUSCULAR water retention. you will not hold water subcutaneously (under the skin) because of creatine. if you are retaining water subcutaneously, you have other issues and most likely your diet needs help.

-- Basically, if you are retaining water, you need to drink more of it. If you drink 1 gallon and you still retain water, up it to 2. Just make sure you drink enough.
15) YOUR DIET IS THE ANSWER. almost all training problems stem from an improper diet. you can lift weights and do cardio all day, but if your diet is ####, you will make NO progress. whether you are cutting or bulking, your diet will make or break you. there are many variables in different peoples diet strategies, but one thing remains constant: always get at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily. if you weigh 200 pounds, you need to eat at least 200 grams of protein daily. the best way to do that is to split it up over 5 or 6 meals. thats right kids, you need to eat frequently when cutting or bulking.

16) EAT THE SAME EVERYDAY. many people wonder if they need to eat on non-training days like they eat on training days. the answer? hell yes. your body only grows and repairs itself when its NOT IN THE GYM. time spent in the gym is actually counterproductive to what most of us are after. training is highly catabolic, but we need to do it, and the only thing that can change that is food and rest. it all starts with the post-workout protein shake. from there, it goes to the post-workout meal. then, how you eat and rest will play a huge role in how efficiently you heal and grow. training breaks the muscle down, eating and resting rebuild and repair it hopefully bigger and stronger.

17) DONT RELY ON SUPPLEMENTS. supplements are just that, a supplement. they are to be used in conjunction with an already solid diet. if you base your nutrition on supplements instead of real food, be prepared to spend a lot of money and get minimal results. nothing matches the nutritional content of whole food.

18) CARDIO CAN DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD. going crazy with cardio is not a good idea. if you need to shed fat, get your diet in order first. cardio is highly catabolic, and if done improperly, your body will burn muscle instead of fat for fuel. thats never a good thing. but, the real problem with cardio is that its highly individual. nothing works the same for different people. cardio is a necessary evil, so you might as well do it right. experiment and find out which type and duration of cardio works for you. there is a very fine line between melting fat and burning valuable muscle. find that line, and stay on the good side of it. theres nothing worse looking than a skinny fat guy. but still, diet is the key.

19) DONT BE AFRAID OF FREE-WEIGHTS. they are your friend. they will hurt you, and make you feel inadequate, but they really just want to help. nothing, and i mean nothing, builds mass and overall strength like basic free-weight exercises. squats, deadlifts and bench presses should be staples of everyones workouts. with free-weights, you are forced to balance and control the weight under your own power. a machine does that for you and does nothing for developing core and stabilizer strength. if you can bench 200 on a machine, that rarely equates to 200 on the flat barbell bench press. if you think you can handle it, make sure you have a few spotters handy. you will not be able to do it.

20) DO SOME RESEARCH AND USE SOME COMMON SENSE. i know most of you just want a quick and simple answer to your questions, but try finding it on your own. youll learn and understand so much more if you do your own research. common sense is really lacking these days. especially in the fitness industry. myths and misinformation run rampant through our gyms and lockerrooms. dont just take everything at face value. chances are, its wrong. use your own thought process and gather the necessary info to make your own educated judgements.

And aside from these points, I would like to make a few of my own.

1) DESIGN YOUR OWN ROUTINE. Don't take some POS routine out of a magazine making ridiculous claims (no offense RHC), but it is much easier to design your own routine, and to keep yourself from being bored on it. When you design your own routine, it ensures that you will enjoy it.

2) DEFINE YOUR GOALS. What do you want? Mass? Strenght? Power? Weight Loss? Your routine is 100% dependent on your goals. Custom design your routine to fit your goals.

3) KNOW YOUR REP AND SET RANGE.
>5 reps= strength
6-8 reps= Mass, strength
8-10= Some strength, some mass, some endurance
10-15= Endurance

12-15 sets= Large muscle groups (i.e. legs, back, chest, etc)
6-10 sets= Small muscle groups (i.e. Biceps, triceps, calves, etc.)

4) DESIGN YOUR DIET AROUND YOUR GOALS. This has been discussed a large number of times. If you want to lose weight, gradually cut calories so you lose weight. If you want to gain weight, gradually add calories so you gain weight, this is not complicated!

5) LIFT WITH INTENSITY. Everyday, we see people half-assing life, just going through the motions. You will never get anywhere if you don't put your mind into it. Just the other day, I managed 20lbs more than usual on the bench, just because I held better posture AND put my mind into it. EVERY WORKOUT MIGHT BE YOUR LAST, MAKE THE MOST OF IT! Plus, if you lift hard, you will make gains.

6) REST IS IMPORTANT. Always allow 72 hours between hitting a muscle, and then the next time you hit it. Also, at least 8 hours of sleep is important because your body grows the most when you are sleeping. It's mostly what you do outside of the gym that is important, not what you do inside the gym. Most good 5-day splits hit each muscle once a week, with abs and calves 2x a week.

7) A WHEY PROTEIN POWDER IS A MUST. Some may disagree here, I actually disagree with myself, but this is of utter importance. Post workout, the body needs a fast-dissolving protein, and a few simple carbs. Whey is a fast-dissolving protein, and milk has enough simple carbs to make your body happy. It's a no brainer. My recommendation on this is ON's 100% Whey protein. Cheap, taste good, good protein blend.

8) EAT AT LEAST 6 MEALS A DAY. Your body likes it when your nutrients are fed gradually. The more consistent the timing of your meals, and the more consistent the nutrients fed to your body at each meal, the better. Just do it and don't ask questions.

9) TRAIN EVERYTHING. Don't be that guy. You know, the moron that does BB curls in the squat station, the idiot that does an hour of Bench press and then an hour of alternating DB curls and also has 20'' quads... yeah, don't be that guy. Train your legs, back, shoulders, calves, forearms, arms, abs, chest.... everything! Your body will only grow in proportion with itself, so you must train it to do so.

10) LIFTING IS HARD WORK; THIS IS NOT A HOBBY, IT'S A LIFE STYLE. Honestly, there's no easy way out in lifting. If there was, someone would have found it by now and they would be rich as hell.

11) THERE IS NO Penis EnlargementRFECT TRAINING ROUTINE; switch every 8-12 weeks. What training routines work best for you is definitely different than what works for me. You have to learn about yourself, and how your body responds to different routines. You will find one that you like, and you can go back to that if you are in a slump, but you have to switch your routine every 12 weeks at the bare minimum.

12) LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. If you're body does not feel ready, because it will physically hurt to lift, don't lift. Obviously, everyone has moments of laziness, but if you really think it will hurt to lift, don't lift. Always allow more than enough recovery time from injury as well. AND DO NOT OVERTRAIN. Overtraining is bad, just leave it at that. No more than 15 sets for big muscles, 10 for little ones.

And just for the hell of it, I'll try to design a few sample splits.

Basic Full Body routine: 2x a week, Monday and Thursday.
- Make sure you hit every muscle group

Squat 3x 6-10
Deadlift 3x 6-10
BB bench press 3x 6-10
Military Press 3x 6-10
Pull ups 3x max
SLDL's 3x 6-10
Skullcrusher's 3x 6-10
Calf raises 3 x 15-20
Crunches 3 x 30-50

Upper/Lower split
- For rep ranges, define your goals, and see above information

- Deadlift
- BB bench press
- Incline bench press
- Military Press
- Skullcrushers
- BB curls

- Squat
- SLDL
- Leg extension
- Leg curl
- Standing Calf raise

Push/Pull/Legs
- For rep ranges, define your goals and see above information, and you can determine how often you want to lift

- BB bench press
- Incline BB press
- Military Press
- Shrugs
- Skullcrushers

- Deadlifts
- Good mornings
- BB row
- BB curl

- Squat
- SLDL's
- Leg extension
- Leg curls
- Rocking Calf raises

Sample 5-day split

- Chest
- BB bench press
- Incline Bench press
- DB press

- Back
- Deadlift
- BB rows
- Pull-ups
- 1 Arm DB row

- OFF

- Arms
- Skullcrushers
- Close grip BB press
- 1 arm supi. tricep extension (always a favorite)
- BB curl
- Preacher curl
- Alternating DB curl

- Legs
- Squats
- SLDL's
- Leg extension
- Leg curl
- Seated calf raise

- Shoulders
- Military Press
- Reverse DB flyes
- DB press



Obviously, I haven't covered everything, but I think that's pretty close, and I'll always edit this post if I missed anything major.

This is the anthology of basic lifting information.

...Wow...that's a LOT of really good information!

I have a bit more on something else you would like it.

Basically it's sound advice. The only exception being eating the same on training and non-training days. Research shows that sore muscles do not absorb carbohydrates very well and this absorption problems lends itself very readily to fat storage. It is a good idea to eat carbs in the morning with protein and fats as this should be the biggest meal of the day and it will be utilized for the next 12 hours of the day. Any other time of the day I would keep it broken into P+F meals and leave it at that on non-training days. That simply means eating plenty of veggies at every meal, keeping fiber intake high and total carb count low. It works really well, as this is how I eat every day, outside of holiday time, with the exception of training days when my pre and post workout drink I get my carb intake (I'm leaning out currently otherwise I'd have two-three P+C meals post training). Personally I'm trying to manipulate all the factors in my favor as to gain lean mass while getting lean, and it takes some experimentation but in the end it's worth it. I like the post on the whole.

Where did it come from?

muscle and fitness forums.

Is that associated with the magazine?

Excellent post!!! Very good stuff!


MHS

Hey man good post... i agree the myth about creatine is out of hand...at least with the micro-crystallized monohydrate form (I can't speak for the other variations!). Also good on touching on the point that nutrition and diet are essential in training especially if you are a natural(non-steroid) lifter.
Great post!

Yes millionman it's associated with the magazine.

Here' something else also from the M&F forums a while ago.

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Muscle Building Compounds

Ok, when trying to build muscle your concerns are the following

1) protein and water (building blocks)
2) ability to store protein as muscle
3) energy during a workout
4) ability to prevent the breakdown of muscle
5) ability to trigger muscle growth signals


1 - Self explanatory. Get as much protein intake as you can. Protein source is important though because while your plate of broccoli may officially have 5 grams of protein, you are only going to absorb at most like 20% of that because it is plant protein. Get most of your protein from chicken, turkey, fish, beef, eggs, and dairy. Supplement with a good Whey post workout, and during the day go for a milk protein isolate or casein. Casein or MPI at night as well. Muscle is 80% water, so keep that in mind as well. You should be drinking an absolute minimum of 1 gallon of water per day. Carrying a 1 gallon jug with you everywhere is one way to ensure you drink that much.

2 - This is a long one....

This is where hormones come into the picture. For the most part people going the natural route will be concerned with the following hormones:

a) Testosterone
b) Insulin
c) IGF1
d) GH

a - One must understand first that Testosterone is actually based on cholesterol. In fact the definition of the word steroid is any hormone derrived from cholesterol. As such, one way to improve Testosterone levels is to make sure you have healthy cholesterol levels and good cholesterol intake. Best way to ensure that IMO is plenty of Fish Oil. Most of your body's Testosterone is synthesized while you sleep so take the bulk of the Fish Oil at night. Fish Oil has a whole host of other benefits to it as well such as fat loss (it acts as a mild uncoupler). One of the major minerals that plays a role in the process of producing Testosterone in your body is Zinc. So getting a healthy dose of ZMA before sleeping (take without calcium; i.e. take it and wait 30 minutes before taking anything else) can help naturally increase Testosterone as well.

An additional way to increase Testosterone is to suppress estrogen levels. IMO the safest two compounds to do this with are Rebound XT and 6-OXO. Rebound is far more potent so you will get much more of an increase in total Testosterone levels from it. Keep in mind however that reducing estrogen reduces water retention and can make your joints feel sore.

Total Testosterone levels however aren't your only concern. FREE Testosterone levels are really what is important. Most of the Testosterone in your body gets bound to Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHGB). So the best way to increase Free T levels is to make sure most of your SHGB is already bound to something else. One way to do that is to take a DHT-like steroid such as Proviron, MDHT, or M5AA. A natural way to do that which won't cause any HPTA suppression is to take Activate by Designer Supplements. I've recently added this to my PCT and it works wonders. Free T levels go through the roof. Currently it is only a beta though; we'll have to wait and see how effective the normal product is once it goes on sale.

b) Insulin is the most anabolic hormone in your entire body. Unfortunately it also builds fat but folks bulking shouldn't be concerned with that. With insulin you should be concerned with 2 things: timing your insulin response, and increasing your insulin sensativity. Insulin sensativity can be increased by a large variety of supplements. Taurine, Arginine + Lysine, and KR-ALA (Potassium-R-Alpha-Lipoic-Acid) are a couple major players. KR-ALA is the most effective of the group but all working together is best. Genova Research makes some good KR-ALA products, and Designer Supplements as well makes a good KR-ALA supplement called Glucophase (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH GLUCOPHAGE; Glucophage is a brand name for the prescription drug metformin). The other concern, insulin response timing, is fairly easy to manage. The greatest response should be timed when your muscle are most receptive to growth; right after a workout. Insulin sensatizers can be taken whenever with the exception of KR-ALA. KR-ALA is also an insulin mimmetic; it can trigger an insulin response all by its lonesome. Sugar is primarily what triggers insulin so post workout take KR-ALA along with plenty of simple sugar and top it off with as much protein as you can stomach. I recommend 60grams or more post workout of a fast acting protein like Whey.

c - Long R3 IGF1 can be injected post workout if you are willing to shell out the cash for it. However if you don't have the money, are scared of pinning, or just want to go absolutely 100% natural you can increase your IGF1 levels indirectly via increasing GH levels.... see below about GH. In any case, IGF1 is some fantastic stuff. It is capable of growth entirely new muscle fibers whereas steroids can only make existing ones larger. This in effect increases your total size potential and makes it easier for you to grow in the future. IGF1 can also increase the number of nuclei in a muscle cell making it more receptive to protein in the future thus making it grow faster from then onward. Basically IGF1 makes permanent improvements to your muscle building ability.

d - Growth Hormone is quite misunderstood. Most of GH's muscle building comes from its "conversion" to IGF1 in the liver. GH on its own burns fat, restores various tissue types, improves skin thickness and elasticity, and for the most part makes you younger. Incerasing GH can be done by taking it directly or by nutritional means. There are 2 amino acids which are very good at boosting your natural GH production. They must be taken together however to achieve this effect. They are Arginine and Lysine. One thing I learned recently however is that aparently L-Arginine and L-Lysine share the same receptor. So when you take the two, the Arginine should be in a different form such as Arginine Alpha Keto Gluterate or Arginine Pyrogluterate. Taking either of thsoe aminos on their own will do virtually nada. Taking both however will increase your body's ability to produce Growth Hormone if timed right. The two biggest production periods for GH are during a workout and while you sleep. So take the Arginine and Lysine pre-workout, and just before bed.


3 - Energy during a workout has many aspects. There is your ability to focus, your glycogen stores and blood sugar levels, and then there is ATP. Let's focus on ATP first. ATP is what your muscle use directly for fuel. When ATP stores are depleted, your body uses Creatine Phosphate to take ADP (you have large stores of ADP) into ATP. Thus to increase ATP, take Creatine. I like Creatine Ethyl Ester for several reasons. First it has slightly better absorbtion rate. Second and more importantly it bypasses a limiting mechanism in your body to actually allow you to store more creatine than you normally could. In any case, take 2-3g of CEE each day or 5+grams of Creatine Monohydrate. The timing should be when you are most receptive to store amino acids in general, so take it at the same time you trigger an insulin response; post-workout. SOme say CEE can be taken before a workout, but there may be limited absorbtion. Plus, your creatine stores are depleted the most post workout. So that's when you want to restore them.

Ability to focus during your workout can give you a better workout. You can lift heavier, do more sets, and do more reps in each set. Caffeine can help here if you need help focusing. Taurine also is known to help with focus. Acetyl-L-Carnitine is touted as being fantastic for mental focus and mental energy.

Lastly your glycogen stores are of course of major concern. To ensure your glycogen stores are full at all times (obvious except just after you've depleted them from working out), make sure you eat plenty of complex carbs throughout the day. Additionally, retaining water in your muscles can increase the speed at which glycogen is pushed into your muscles from your blood. Creatine increases water retention. So does estrogen, but IMO the negatives of increasing estrogen outweigh the benefits unless you are currently taking one or more anabolic steroids.


Where were we? Oh yeah, preventing breakdown of muscle...

4 - Muscle breakdown occurs because of several things. For most people its simply not enough food. When in caloric deficit your body will likely burn some muscle along with fat. This is easily remedied: EAT MORE. Muscle breakdown also however occurs when a workout lasts too long. The latter problem is due to a wonderful steroid called cortisol. Cortisol is catabolic, not anabolic. That means it breaks down muscle instead of building it up. One way to limit cortisol production is to keep your workouts short. The thing is, cortisol isn't only produced during long workouts. Cortisol is peaked around the same time Testosterone levels are; first thing in the morning. How do you limit cortisol during these times? Well, Cissus Quadrangularis has some effect on cortisol as well as helping joints. More effective though are 7-OXO-DHEA and 7-OH-DHEA. 7OH is far more effective than 7-OXO. SO if you have a choice, go with 7OH. Just make sure you don't lower cortisol too much. COrtisol plays an important role in joint repair. While too much can cause inflamation in joints, too little reduces your body's ability to repair joint damage. So don't go overboard when it comes to cortisol suppression.

5 - Ability to trigger muscle growth signals is trigger by ... well ... a hard workout. The heavier weights you lift the more growth you are going to trigger. Obviously it is more complicated than that, but there are ways to increase strength. Plenty of rest is important of course. I mentioned mental focus before, that is another. Another wya is more of a way to not decrease your strength. Almost all fat burners decrease strength in the gym. Ephedrine, synephrine, clenbuterol, etc. have all been shown to decrease strength. While they do make you feel more alert, they exhaust your muscles and thus decrease their ability to burn fuel efficiently. So for maximum strength, avoid the fat burning. Additionally if you don't mind using anabolics, for the most part, anything that is very androgenic will increase strength. The biggest strength increasers are trenbolone, M5AA, DHT, Anadrol, and the mother of all strength increasers Halotestin. However steroids are a topic for another discussion...

:cool: