Introducing...

[pete_seeger2]

My name is Pete, just turned 18 and have a few dumb questions:

I work out every other day (3 days a week) mostly on my core, trying to get my arms, abs, shoulders, everything - big

1) what can i do during my "off" days or resting days to help increase muscle mass or muscle gains

2) Do you recommend cardio on my off days (running)? I would also like to LOOK like im ripped, so to get lean so on my off days i run about 2-3 miles at a decent pace: is that beneficial to me? or does it hinder my muscle gains? How bad is it for me if so?

3) Does it hinder or help me to work my abs every day? I heard that your abdominals you can work every day, as long as they are not sore...

Thanks a bunch guys,

Petey

[pete_seeger2]

and does flexing or tightening your abs help? holding for 10-15 seconds 3 sets of 10 reps? i heard it helps but im not sure...?

[cathal]

welcome pete

1. on your off days eat a lot of good wholesome foods and get plenty of sleep.

2. if you feel like you need to lose fat then cardio on your off days would be a good idea. depending on the distance you run this could effect your muscle gain. sprint intervals are quite good for fat loss and build muscle at the same time so you might consider these rather than long slow distance running.

3. by everyday do you mean 7 days a week? no muscle should be worked 7 days a week. you might get away with 5 days a week for ab training but make sure to balance any ab training with lower back exercises. i would also advise you to not to go down the typical high rep crunches road which for some reason bodybuilders all do. instead focus on high resistance, low rep exercises. hanging knee raises are a good place to start

i also notice you didnt mention leg work in your post. dont make the mistake of not training legs regularly! more leg work makes the body secrete more growth hormone which will help your whole body grow

any more questions just ask

[pete_seeger2]

thanks cathal,

im kind of a greenhorn when it comes to this stuff so i do have afew more questions:

what is the importance of lower back excercises? what are some good lower back excersices?

besides squats what are some leg excercises that you would recommend?

with all exercises is it best to do lower reps of higher resistance?

for instance: lets say i did like 13 diamond pushups till i collapsed, and did two more sets till i collapsed... that would be more beneficial than to 3 sets of 30 pushups (and still being able to do more)? or what?

thanks again

[cathal]

lower back exercises are just as important as abdominal exercises. too many people focus on the abs alone and this often leads to lower back injurys. the same goes for every muscle in your body-when you exercise a muscle you must also exercise the opposing muscle. some good lower back exercises are deadlifts, hyperextensions and glute ham raises.

alternative leg exercises would be pistols(one leg squats), bulgarian split squats, lunges.

yes doing the 3x13 diamond pushups would be best but only for triceps because chest is minimally involved in diamonds.
the recomended rep ranges for certain goals are as follows:
pure strength:1-6
size/hypertrophy-7-15
endurance-15+

since your goal is size you should focus on exercises that limit you to between 7 and 15 reps per set. to increase difficulty of regular pushups you can raise your feet or put your hands on a raised surface and lower deep between them and push back up. you can even combine the two for extra difficulty. other options include working towards a one arm pushup, doing dips and planche work.
these are the types of exercises you should be working

horizontal push-pushup variations,dips
vertical push-handstand pushups
horizontal pull-horizontal rows, front levers
vertical pull-pullups, chinups
abs+lower back-v-ups, L-sits, hanging knee/leg raises, hyperextensions etc
quad dominant legs-squats, pistols etc
hip dominant legs-deadlifts, glute ham raises

[pete_seeger2]

Alrighty then... Looks like i've got some work to do :-D

Thanks a lot, this has been a great deal of help...

[timfortehwin]

just keep up the work mate=] welcome to bwc!

[Dave.cyco]

Yes, welcome indeed! Other things you can do on your off days to help recovery and growth are:

1. Contrast baths/showers
2. Muscular massage
3. Deep breathing
4. Sleeping 8 uninterrupted hours a night (Cathal sort of mentioned this one, but I am reiterating it since it is soooo important)

[pete_seeger2]

Thank you - today is supposed to be a work day for me, but my biceps and shoulders are still sore? Since I had a day off with plenty of rest should i go ahead and work out?

[cathal]

Thank you - today is supposed to be a work day for me, but my biceps and shoulders are still sore? Since I had a day off with plenty of rest should i go ahead and work out?

as long as the soreness doesnt affect your workout then i would say go ahead.