Alright so I am working mostly with weights here and what I am doing is for 1 workout routine I hit all of the muscle groups with light weight high reps, calisthenics, and a cardio usually running or jumping rope.

I do this because I want the ripped body builder look, but the problem I have found with this in the past is when I do this exclusively I lose alot of power and can't lift nearly as heavy as I used to be able to when doing just this routine for some time.

So what I having being doing now is that routine for one workout and the next time I work out usually the day after that one I just do low reps heavy sets with all with weights or calisthenics with weights on my person somehow so I don't lose power.

Is this going to work because I want it all, the power and being able to lift heavy but still the ripped body builder look?

Any advice?

if you want big muscles, you gotta lift heavy weights low reps. if you want to get ripped, you need lift light weights, many reps. you want power, you need to lift heavy weights for that explosion.

Now my thing with this is: you can get a short burst of a lot of power, but then you gas out. so if you want to keep your power, you need to work with supersets (meaning workouts chained together without a break, up to 3 at a time) or you need to do like a detailed scheme where you use heavy weights and do a lot of sets (with an average amount of reps) and build up or off the weights till u really hurt the muscle.

this is hard work and a lot of work. if u can do this with maybe running, u'll get that healthy physique in no time. if you want bigger muscles, heavier weights, fewer reps.

if you want big muscles, you gotta lift heavy weights low reps. if you want to get ripped, you need lift light weights, many reps. you want power, you need to lift heavy weights for that explosion.

Now my thing with this is: you can get a short burst of a lot of power, but then you gas out. so if you want to keep your power, you need to work with supersets (meaning workouts chained together without a break, up to 3 at a time) or you need to do like a detailed scheme where you use heavy weights and do a lot of sets (with an average amount of reps) and build up or off the weights till u really hurt the muscle.

this is hard work and a lot of work. if u can do this with maybe running, u'll get that healthy physique in no time. if you want bigger muscles, heavier weights, fewer reps.

Well thanks for the advice I have heard about super sets but never tried any myself.

if you want big muscles, you gotta lift heavy weights low reps.

Wrong

if you want to get ripped, you need lift light weights, many reps.

Wrong

you want power, you need to lift heavy weights for that explosion.


Wrong


Don't listen to this guy, OP

Wrong



Wrong



Wrong


Don't listen to this guy, OP

there's a lot of ways of doing it, but this is the basic textbook way. he's asking it i'm showing it. what's wrong with that?

if u got something better, u gotta tell him.

Well thanks for the advice I have heard about super sets but never tried any myself.

the supersets are the ones that'll get the large muscle growth because of what that dude in P90x called 'muscle confusion'. when you work the muscle in different directions, it tears in different ways, 'learning' each time u train it to do the different motions stronger. and then filling up those tears is muscle growth. also very good for ur cardio. u should try it..

for instance, pushup + row, into goblet squats (where u hold a heavy dumbbell on one end) and then directly into deadlift + press up. that'll get u to break a sweat.

there's a lot of ways of doing it, but this is the basic textbook way. he's asking it i'm showing it. what's wrong with that?

if u got something better, u gotta tell him.

yeah but you're doing it wrong. That is not the text book way.

Bodybuilders with big muscles don't do heavy weight for 3-5.

Lifting light weights for **** tons of reps isn't going to get you ripped.


Go look up "West Side for Skinny Bastards Pt. 3" and follow that routine.

yeah but you're doing it wrong. That is not the text book way.

Bodybuilders with big muscles don't do heavy weight for 3-5.

Lifting light weights for **** tons of reps isn't going to get you ripped.


Go look up "West Side for Skinny Bastards Pt. 3" and follow that routine.

yeah alright from the get-go you're right, but in this case, i'm adding to his workout. he's already working out well, so if he does some heavy weights for 8-10 reps, he'll get the muscle increase. (3-5 is ridiculous by the way, do people do that?)

and u can not tell me that light weights for a lot of reps is not gonna get you definition, because it will, it's the truth. i'm happy for any video like that. but it's a truth, it works.

by the way, nice sig. Rua's gonna catch Machida for sure next time. too bad they don't let em do his footstomps.

yeah alright from the get-go you're right, but in this case, i'm adding to his workout. he's already working out well, so if he does some heavy weights for 8-10 reps, he'll get the muscle increase. (3-5 is ridiculous by the way, do people do that?)

For hypertrophy (muscle building) I find it best to do as much weight as you can for 8-12 Reps with good form.

3-5 is Max Effort and yes people do that. (Power Lifters) on their max effort days.

and u can not tell me that light weights for a lot of reps is not gonna get you definition, because it will, it's the truth. i'm happy for any video like that. but it's a truth, it works.

It's really not. Getting ripped is about a clean diet and cardio, not doing a certain exercise for 10000000 reps.


by the way, nice sig. Rua's gonna catch Machida for sure next time. too bad they don't let em do his footstomps.

May can't come soon enough. Rua WILL finish Machida.

For hypertrophy (muscle building) I find it best to do as much weight as you can for 8-12 Reps with good form.

3-5 is Max Effort and yes people do that. (Power Lifters) on their max effort days.



It's really not. Getting ripped is about a clean diet and cardio, not doing a certain exercise for 10000000 reps.




May can't come soon enough. Rua WILL finish Machida.

Yes, this guy I know who competes in power lifting contests advised me to do that and It has increased how much I can max with over time but I do a set of 8, then 7, then 6, and finally just whatever I can do with my max.

So, you don't think light weights high reps are good for anything? I would say they help endurance because I have experimented with my workouts over the years and found that if I lift heavy/low rep exclusively for a long period of time it becomes very difficult to complete sets of 12-15 reps when I have tried.

i had this buddy of mine, and i kid u not: he had a 7 kg dumbbell and just would curl that b*tch for a long LONG time. now i thought also it would have no effect, but lo and behold he got that poppin, bruce lee style bicep muscle going.

i've been working with supersets for a while with an active rest (so kinda dynamic stretching, kinda cardio, best to do at home, lol) it is brutal but ur muscles are going to feel worked though.

Yes, this guy I know who competes in power lifting contests advised me to do that and It has increased how much I can max with over time but I do a set of 8, then 7, then 6, and finally just whatever I can do with my max.



So, you don't think light weights high reps are good for anything? I would say they help endurance

High Reps do help with endurance but they won't necessarily make you "ripped" Looking ripped is a result of low Bodyfat which, as I said earlier is about diet and cardio.


I have experimented with my workouts over the years and found that if I lift heavy/low rep exclusively for a long period of time it becomes very difficult to complete sets of 12-15 reps when I have tried.

That's why I told you to do the Westside for Skinny Bastards Part 3 program.

They have Max Effort days and dynamic/repetition days.

So you can still have show (muscles and a nice physique provided you eat right) and still have "go" (be strong and athletic)

Here is the program

http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles.html


or you can do a routine that revolves around a "core exercise performed at the beginning of the workout.

For example.

Let's say you want to train Back.

First you start off with Deadlifts and go heavy for lets say 5 sets of 5 reps with heavy weight. That is your "core lift" then after that throw in 3 or 4 more back exercises to focus on hypertrophy (muscle building). Things like Lat Pulldowns, Rows, Pull-Ups, T-Bar Rows, Seated Cable Rows etc.

Same with Chest. Start off with Bench then throw in whatever.
Legs- start with Squats (Traditional, Full or Box) + whatever
Shoulder- start with OH Presses or Strict Presses + whatever

High Reps do help with endurance but they won't necessarily make you "ripped" Looking ripped is a result of low Bodyfat which, as I said earlier is about diet and cardio.




That's why I told you to do the Westside for Skinny Bastards Part 3 program.

They have Max Effort days and dynamic/repetition days.

So you can still have show (muscles and a nice physique provided you eat right) and still have "go" (be strong and athletic)

Here is the program

http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles.html


or you can do a routine that revolves around a "core exercise performed at the beginning of the workout.

For example.

Let's say you want to train Back.

First you start off with Deadlifts and go heavy for lets say 5 sets of 5 reps with heavy weight. That is your "core lift" then after that throw in 3 or 4 more back exercises to focus on hypertrophy (muscle building). Things like Lat Pulldowns, Rows, Pull-Ups, T-Bar Rows, Seated Cable Rows etc.

Same with Chest. Start off with Bench then throw in whatever.
Legs- start with Squats (Traditional, Full or Box) + whatever
Shoulder- start with OH Presses or Strict Presses + whatever

Thanks that article was filled with alot of useful information.....the workouts construct it described sounded similar to what I have started but just seemed more in depth.

I do this because I want the ripped body builder look, but the problem I have found with this in the past is when I do this exclusively I lose alot of power and can't lift nearly as heavy as I used to be able to when doing just this routine for some time.

***

Is this going to work because I want it all, the power and being able to lift heavy but still the ripped body builder look?

Umm... what abut wanting to box? Where does that factor into the equation?

Umm... what abut wanting to box? Where does that factor into the equation?

He didn't say anything about wanting to box.

Y, I have a couple of ideas, but a couple questions. You are interested in:
1) getting cut
2) increasing strength

This is not for performance/fighting/speed correct? There is a big different in the types of workouts....

Bust like gsp said, getting ripped is largely a result of your diet and metabolism. NO carbs for 6 hrs before you go to sleep. Eat smaller leaner meals more often to keep your metabolism right and do your cario and workouts at different times of the day. That will take care of getting you ripped...

For workouts, it depends, do you like a higher bench weight or do you want all around more power? If it's an asthetic thing, I would recommend that you forget about doing every body part in one day. Those are typically either chick workouts or serious performance enhancing workouts. You want to bodybuild so stick to body part workouts on different days (abs every workout).

Forget light weights many reps. Do your sets faster, slower, and do supersets for sure. Change up your workouts every 3 weeks or so. Continually shock your muscles to try and get through the inevitable plateaus.

The single best weight exercise with weights to build up your overall strength is deadlifts.

If you are going to do any sort of "supersets" I would do complexes with barbells. Supersets usually work the same body parts and complexes mix different exercises. These are done as quickly as possible, 5 reps or so each. Then rest only 60/90 seconds and do it 5 times. Start light, they are very hard. I would replace your full body workout day with these. Here are 3 different ones to try.

Snatch
squat or overhead squat (arms extended up-not easy)
high pull (snatch grip, like snatch but without putting bar on your shoulders)
deadlift
bent over rows
Romanian deadlifts

harder one
upright rows
reverse curls
snatch
clean
front squat
military front
good mornings
back squat
2 minute break

if you do these I got more, these are killers on your full body days if you want to do a day where you work everything

Umm... what abut wanting to box? Where does that factor into the equation?

I do that on and off but when I do box, I use no weights at all.

I feel they make me too stiff and tight in the shoulder area and slow my poonches down.