Good exercises

[403Gemini]

Does anybody know good exercises to tone muscle? primarily upper body

also anybody goto mt royal and goto the gym? i need somebody to go with and keep me motivated.

thx

[Zephyr]

Sex. I'm serious, I read that it help tone the body.

[pinoyhero]

Cardio and diet man, cardio and diet

[ecstasy_civic]

not completley true
Ive got a good upperbody going and I hardly eat well and only do about 20-25min of cardio per workout.

I have some great exercises if your interested, PM me.:thumbsup:

[RAGINGHULK]

Depends what area(s) you want to tone up? If overall you just to be leaner, then adjust your diet, do some cardio and high rep weight training. Problem solved.

RAGINGHULK

[R-Audi]

If you can swim at all, that is a huge help for toning. One of the better Cardio activities, as you work more muscle goups then other activities

[davidI]

Originally posted by RAGINGHULK
Depends what area(s) you want to tone up? If overall you just to be leaner, then adjust your diet, do some cardio and high rep weight training. Problem solved.

RAGINGHULK

High rep weight training for tone is a myth. But definately watch the diet and cardio.

[rc2002]

You gotta build up some bulk before you can tone...

[DUBBED]

If you do roughly 12-15 reps on your exercises it will build a leaner more toned muscle, 6-8 will build you bulk.

[RAGINGHULK]

Dubbed is right, David is wrong unless what I did for years never really worked. But it actually did. Granted you DO need some muscle in oder to tone it up but in order to acquire a leaner physique then 12-15 reps if not higher is the way to go as opposed to 6-8 or as low as 3-5.

RAGINGHULK

[davidI]

Originally posted by RAGINGHULK
Dubbed is right, David is wrong unless what I did for years never really worked. But it actually did. Granted you DO need some muscle in oder to tone it up but in order to acquire a leaner physique then 12-15 reps if not higher is the way to go as opposed to 6-8 or as low as 3-5.

RAGINGHULK

I just got my information from body building forums I frequent. I'm sure what you did worked but it doesn't necessarily mean it was the best. Obviously things are different for different people but at the same time there is a lot more science in lifting now. I mean, in high school I gained muscle while eating donuts and pizza but that doesn't necessarily mean it was the best way. Anyways, an article that is commonly referred to for the 'repetition dispute' is this: http://www.t-mag.com/nation_articles/299prog.jsp

You guys can think whatever you want...like I said different things work for different people. Unfortunately the things personal trainers teach you are different from the goals for a lot of people. If you want endurance in your muscles for athletcis or some other purpose then for sure do over 12 reps...but if you're trying to look better (which is what I assumed when answering your question) then read the article and figure it out for yourself.

[Wildcat]

name a muscle and ill give you my opinion on the best exercise for it. i agree with david, swimming is killer, i get a wicked sleep after a few laps in the pool. :)

[davidI]

Originally posted by Wildcat
name a muscle and ill give you my opinion on the best exercise for it. i agree with david, swimming is killer, i get a wicked sleep after a few laps in the pool. :)

:werd: The only reason high reps would 'define' you is the same reason as swimming does. Doing higher reps means expending more energy - expending more energy means burning more calories which means after depleting other energy stores, burning more fat calories which in turn lowers your bf % and makes your muscles look purdy. Unfortunately a smart lifter would lift to achieve functional or structural hypertrophy and then hop on the treadmill to burn the fat. :burnout:

[legereandrew4]

just lift as much weight as you can, as many times as you can... try to get up to 10, but probally wount get there, builds your muscle amazinly fast! ive gained a good 10-12 pounds in the past 2-3 months doing that...

[403Gemini]

Back, bicepts, forearms, chest, and abs

wanna make em a tiny bit bigger and definatly more toned heh

i work out regulararly but i think im doing something wrong cause im gettin stronger but not bigger/toned

[davidI]

Originally posted by 403Gemini
Back, bicepts, forearms, chest, and abs

wanna make em a tiny bit bigger and definatly more toned heh

i work out regulararly but i think im doing something wrong cause im gettin stronger but not bigger/toned

I'm going to work on writing up a FAQ for this forum I think based on knowledge I have gained from other forums and personal experience. I'm definatley not the biggest guy in the gym (I sorta slid once I got a good gf...) but I have read quite a few books and forums on lifting.

A good question that I need to know before telling you what to try is what your current physique is like. When you say a bit bigger and definately more toned it sounds like you've got a high body fat percentage and you're just looking to cut that down. That may be good if you have a solid base but what I think you probably should do is try to bulk up first for a few months and then wait and see what happens. If you follow a 'clean' bulk with a proper diet and good lifting habits you may find your weight increasing but slowly your body fat will go down.

I'm not sure if you're a beginner or not either...maybe post up what your current stats are and what you're diet/routine/supps are and I'll try to give you the best advice I can.

[Wildcat]

Originally posted by 403Gemini
Back, bicepts, forearms, chest, and abs

wanna make em a tiny bit bigger and definatly more toned heh

i work out regulararly but i think im doing something wrong cause im gettin stronger but not bigger/toned

Best exercises imo:

tricepts- close hand bench press
biceps- preacher curls
forearms- finger rolls w/ barbell
chest- bench press
abs- inclined sit-ups

[jayvtec]

not all body are the same...if ur a li'l bit on the tall side...it takes a while to build up muscles. besides if u wanna get leaner, it takes a lot of commitment to the gym not just a li'l bit of an exercise.

[davidI]

^ When it comes to body building there are different body types yes....but tall isn't really one of them. You have to focus your goals on what sort of body type you have:

Ectomorph: Short upper body, long arms and legs, long and narrow feet and hands, very little fat storage, narrow chest and shoulders and generally long thing muscles.

Mesomorph: Large chest, long torso, solid muscle structure and great strength.

Endomorph: Soft musculature, round face, short neck, wide hips, and heavy fat storage.


Obviously no one is only one of these 3 types but a combination of each. Once you know what your type is that is how you can then decide on where to focus your training. ie. Endomorph needs to pay strict attention to their diet where a Ectomorph should eat everythign in sight.

[403Gemini]

im 5'11 and 155 lbs, so im not fat lol

im actually pretty small and thats my problem. im just not getting bigger. i wanna just make my muscles more apparent and put a lil bit more muscle on.

i cant honestly say im either of those three,

not ecto cause i have a larger upper body than my legs

not meso because im not large chested or ripped

and not endo cause i aint overweight heh (and i have very narrow hips)

if anything id hafta say its a mix between the ecto and meso. mostly ecto just cause i have very little fat storage, but a regular sized torso :D

[davidI]

Originally posted by 403Gemini
im 5'11 and 155 lbs, so im not fat lol
if anything id hafta say its a mix between the ecto and meso. mostly ecto just cause i have very little fat storage, but a regular sized torso :D

Judging from your weight I'd say that you definately are ecto with maybe some meso properties. If you want to have a great figure on the beach this summer I suggest you try to bulk up. By bulk up I don't mean get fat...I mean increase your muscle mass. I'll give you a quick run down of what you want to try and do and hopefully get a 'noobie' thread or something with better explanation up in a bit.

Your first goal is going to be to eat huge amounts of clean food! This means aiming for 5-6 meals a day consisting of a lot of protein. Aim for 230 grams of protein every day (difficult but possible). Eat lots of eggs, chicken, tuna etc. for your protein as well as a lot of veggies and what not. You'll want to get a lot of carbs into your system after workouts as well so a lot of body builders eat pasta and rice with chicken after their workouts.

As far as your workouts are concerned it will depend on how many days a week you can hit the gym. I'm a supporter of hitting each muscle group only once each week to avoid overtraining and allow for the greatest muscle recovery.

Try splitting your workouts like this if you can make it 4 times a week:

Chest/Tri's
Back/Bi's
Shoulders/Abs
Legs/Forearms.
You'll have 3 days of rest time so you can take your rest days whenever you feel appropriate. I wouldn't even bother with any cardio right now with your current height/weight.

If you need example routines for a day just ask and I'll see what I can suggest.

[403Gemini]

yea if you could offer some routines that'd be deadly!

also do you goto a certain gym? if so which one and whats monthly cost?

[RAGINGHULK]

If you'd like to add some bulk to your frame without putting on any fat, drop me an email and I'll set you up with a killer program Gemini.
I'll also give you resume of strength training and coaching at the same time.

[email protected]

Adios muchacos


RAGINGHULK

[403Gemini]

Originally posted by RAGINGHULK
If you'd like to add some bulk to your frame without putting on any fat, drop me an email and I'll set you up with a killer program Gemini.
I'll also give you resume of strength training and coaching at the same time.

[email protected]

Adios muchacos


RAGINGHULK

E MAILED :D

[RAGINGHULK]

Hmm never got the email gemini.
Try emailing me at [email protected]

I'll get it there for sure. All the best with your training.

RAGINGHULK

[davidI]

Originally posted by 403Gemini
yea if you could offer some routines that'd be deadly!

also do you goto a certain gym? if so which one and whats monthly cost?

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you with some routines. I've been busy so I'm basically just going to copy and paste a couple routines that you could do. This is a decent 3 day split routine for a beginner but you can obviously vary the excercises/sets/reps according to what you feel is working for you.

Day 1
Bench Press 5x5
Incline flys 3x8
flat flys 3x8
Tricep extensions 4x6
tricep pushdowns 3x8
Incline russian twists 3x6 (to each side)
Straight leg raises 4x6

Day 2
Deadlift 5x5
Bent over rows (db is fine) 3x8
Pull ups 3 sets to failure (if > 10 then weight them)
Olympic barbell curls. Be very strict on form don't move elbows at all. 3x8
Preacher curls 3x8
Hammer curls 3x8
Saxon bends 3x6 to each side
Decline bench sit ups weighted, 3x8

Day 3
Squats, all the way to the ground 5x5
Front squats 3x8
GHRs 5x5 (if you can't find a good spot to do them, leg curls will work, but try to do GHRs)
Shoulder press (dbs or barbell) 5x5
Lateral raises 4x6
Rear delt flys 3x8


If you don't know what any of the excercises are try looking them up on this site. http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html


Personally, I try to workout at Westside or the U of C gym. If I were you I'd try to go to a Gold's or a place near your house where you'll be able to go often. I've been so busy this last year that I haven't been eating/lifting like I should but hopefully I get back into it soon enough for summer! Good luck.

P.S. This isn't a routine I've ever tried but other body building forums I frequent suggest it for n00bies.

[davidI]

Here's another pretty good looking 3 day routine.
If I were you I'd use this one instead of the one I previously posted but you can play around with them both.

Day 1 : Chest and Back

Chest

Flat Barbell Bench Press : 2 x 6-8 reps
Low Incline Dumbbell Press : 2 x 6-8 reps
Dips : 2 x 6-8 reps

Back

Chin ups : 2 x 6-8 reps
Deadlifts : 2 x 6-8 reps
Barbell Rows : 2 x 6-8 reps
Shrugs : 1 x 10 reps

Day 2 : OFF

Day 3 : Legs

Squats : 2 x 6-8 reps
Hack Squats : 2 x 6-8 reps
Leg Curls : 2 x 6-8 reps
Straight Legged Deadlifts : 2 x 6-8 reps
Standing Calve Raises : 4 x 10 reps

Day 4 : OFF

Day 5 : Shoulders, Triceps and Biceps

Shoulders

Military Press in Rack : 2 x 6-8 reps
Seated Dumbbell Press : 2 x 6-8 reps
Standing Lateral Raises : 2 x 10 reps

Triceps :

Narrow Grip bench Press : 2 x 6-8 reps
French Press : 2 x 6-8 reps

Biceps :

Barbell Curls : 2 x 6-8 reps
Hammer Curls : 1 x 6-8 reps

Day 6 : OFF

Day 7 : OFF