# Whats your gym workout?



## MMABulk (Oct 17, 2007)

For those who train in a gym seperate to their MMA training, what do you do?

i only get 2 days a week now to hit the weights so i split things up so:

Mon: Light, endurance work

Bench

Overhead Press

Squat

Bent Row

Sit ups

done in a complete circuit with no rest between, 5 times through.

then assorted isolation work depending on how i feel.

Thurs: Heavy, strength/power

Bench

Overhead press

Squat

Deadlift

Bent row

Skulls

EZ curls

assorted isolation work


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## NLG (Sep 6, 2007)

Right now im only able to go to the gym twice a week,but here's what i do:

Hill run for 2 - 3 miles (depending n how energetic i feel)

2x 10 - 15 or until failure:

Bench - flat, then fly's on the cable, or flys with incline.

Bent over rows

Deadlift

Squats (Smiths machine)

Leg press

The clean (or upright rows, then shoulder press. I preffer this as i can have the best weights for each portion of what makes up the clean).

Tricep kickback

Bicep curls

Rotary abs / back machine

Sit ups (on machine)

Oblique crunch

Back raises (i do this one x3)


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## MMABulk (Oct 17, 2007)

the tricep kickback is a shoddy tricep exercise mate, you spend more time pivoting at the shoulder and elbow and probably swinging than working the triceps.

close grip bench

skulls

they'll add meat to dem der tri's :biggerGrin:


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## marc (Jul 16, 2007)

i find seated behind neck dumbell press (with one dumbell) a good tricep builder, done arms last night my routine was

Biceps: close grip chins (3x12)

Standing ez curls 3 x 12

seated dumbell curls 3 x 12 (incline bench)

Hammer Curls 3 x 12

Standing ex curls (light weight to failure)

tricpes

Dips 2 x 12 followed by 2 x 10 weighted

overhead Dbell press 3 x 10

rope pull (overhead) 3 x 10

French press (skull crushers) 3 x10

Dips 1 x failure - got about 16 out


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## NLG (Sep 6, 2007)

Incredible Bulk said:


> the tricep kickback is a shoddy tricep exercise mate, you spend more time pivoting at the shoulder and elbow and probably swinging than working the triceps.
> 
> close grip bench
> 
> ...


Those were my tricep excersizes up untill not long ago, when the guy at the gym actualy recommended the kickbacks!

He also was talking about high rep low weight for abs, which Paul has called a 'myth'.

Great success!

Tell you what, i can never remember the names of excersizes haha! Every time im reading through the posts im having to google it to see what the **** it is!


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## marc (Jul 16, 2007)

your always going to get conflicting advice, especially from Gym instructors, i find most that work at health club type gyms havent got a clue what there talking about..i used to be one and i was embarased by some of the routines the lads used to put people on, personally id agree with IB i dont like kick backs, if there perfomed properly they are ok, but there are better exercises, Marso is the man to listen to regarding routines and exercises though he knows his stuff


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## West Fight Company (Oct 10, 2007)

Good thread..

Heres what i do. i have a 4 day split.

was doing 3 sets of 12 (or until failure) but recently changed to all 5x5 sets

Back

Deadlifts

standing bent BB Rows

BB Shrugs

kneeling DB rows

weighted hyper extionsions

Wide grip chins

Chest

BB bench press

Incline DB press

Decline DB press

Dips

Legs

Squat

Leg press

Leg extension

Leg Curl

calf Raise

Shoulders & arms

O/H DB press

Lateral DB Raise

Front DB raise

Seating rear DB raise

Preacher Bicep Curl

Preacher Hammer curl

O/H DB tricep

Tricep Pull down

Close grip chins

Been doing this routine for about 6 months now so its getting time to change it as its getting a bit stale for me.


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## NLG (Sep 6, 2007)

Im liking your routine, though what do you mean 5x5?

One thing im wanting to do is get a very good overall strength. Right now my main weakness is probably my shoulders and forearms (wide grip chins i am absolutely AWEFUL at). But i want to work the entire body evenly, and also get a bit of cardio via doing thexcersizes with minimal breaks.

Kinda like what Marso said about metabolic workout, just not anything as intense!


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## NLG (Sep 6, 2007)

marc said:


> your always going to get conflicting advice, especially from Gym instructors, i find most that work at health club type gyms havent got a clue what there talking about..i used to be one and i was embarased by some of the routines the lads used to put people on, personally id agree with IB i dont like kick backs, if there perfomed properly they are ok, but there are better exercises, Marso is the man to listen to regarding routines and exercises though he knows his stuff


haha!

Well, frankly, ill probably end up making up a routine based on things i learn here from now on anyway...


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## West Fight Company (Oct 10, 2007)

NLG said:


> Im liking your routine, though what do you mean 5x5?
> 
> One thing im wanting to do is get a very good overall strength. Right now my main weakness is probably my shoulders and forearms (wide grip chins i am absolutely AWEFUL at). But i want to work the entire body evenly, and also get a bit of cardio via doing thexcersizes with minimal breaks.
> 
> Kinda like what Marso said about metabolic workout, just not anything as intense!


5 sets of 5 reps. At the top end of the scale. So before for squats i would do

warm up

60kg for 12 reps, 70kg for 12 then 77.5kg for 12 (or until failure normally 8-10)

now i do

warm up

5 sets of 5 reps at 90kg

I dont know the ins and outs of it but i think less reps for more weight gets better mass on your bones where as less weight more reps gets leaner muscle.

That could be b0ll0cks that i just made up so dont take my word for it. Although i have put on 10 lbs of muscle in just under 2 months working the 5x5.

My brother Matt is better to talk to about it, he knows more than me. I just do what he recommends i try and see if i like it.


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## MMABulk (Oct 17, 2007)

if you can do 5x5 of the same weight wouldnt it be wiser to do:

1x5 all out @ say 60kg

2x5 @ 55kg

2x5 @ 50kg

rather than use the same weight for all 5 sets? if your able to do 5 sets then you've adapted to lift that weight easily, so the first set should be a ball-busting torture set?


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## West Fight Company (Oct 10, 2007)

Incredible Bulk said:


> if you can do 5x5 of the same weight wouldnt it be wiser to do:
> 
> 1x5 all out @ say 60kg
> 
> ...


yeah thats right, as soon as i can do 5x5 proper form then the weights go up.


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## MMABulk (Oct 17, 2007)

but if you knew you could lift heavier on the first set for 5, why wouldnt you?

it becomes more of an endurance test to see if you can do one weight for 5x5 rather than adjust as your body adapts (progressive training).

so in short, why wait 4 weeks to be able to do a weight for 5x5 when you can do a heavier weight now for first 1-2 sets and spur new growth?


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## West Fight Company (Oct 10, 2007)

Incredible Bulk said:


> but if you knew you could lift heavier on the first set for 5, why wouldnt you?
> 
> it becomes more of an endurance test to see if you can do one weight for 5x5 rather than adjust as your body adapts (progressive training).
> 
> so in short, why wait 4 weeks to be able to do a weight for 5x5 when you can do a heavier weight now for first 1-2 sets and spur new growth?


But if your doing drop sets for the last 3 then your lifting less?

Like i said i dont know the ins and outs i just do it and if it works greatm if it doesnt then it gets changed til it does. At the minute it works for me.


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## MMABulk (Oct 17, 2007)

i'm not asking for answers lol, its just something that has always puzzled me.

lifting less maybe overall in scheme of totals over 5 sets but the body doesnt do math, it only knows what your lifting there and then "do i need to grow to meet this demand placed upon me"

what would spur more growth, lifting 50kg for 5 sets or lifting a heavier initial set of 60kg for instance and then possibly/probably lifting lower weight after that as your knackered.

i used to train for the saem weight over 3 sets but the question entered my head... "i know i can lift heavier on the first set so why dont i?"


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## NLG (Sep 6, 2007)

Incredible Bulk said:


> i'm not asking for answers lol, its just something that has always puzzled me.
> 
> lifting less maybe overall in scheme of totals over 5 sets but the body doesnt do math, it only knows what your lifting there and then "do i need to grow to meet this demand placed upon me"
> 
> ...


Would this be true for all the weight excersizes for 5x5 or whatever?

As in, the first one's the butcher, then you drop down a bit so you fail at around 12, then again...

I hate it when i can feel i have the potential strength to do something, but all those smaller muscles, or untrained muscles around the main one being used just dont allow me to do it. So i enjoy it when after the first few training sets of a new regime i can feel a very quick improvement in those problem area's.

I have a question for you, IB. As i mentioned im aweful (realy, truely awefull) at wide grip chins, and chins in general. The posture when i do it is all crap, and thats happening due to how weak i am at doing it. With my own weight i can probably do 6 properly, and thats it!

What area's are used in this excersize, and how can i get them up to par with the rest of my shoulders (i believe the back shoulder area is strong, the front weak).


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## MMABulk (Oct 17, 2007)

NLG said:


> Would this be true for all the weight excersizes for 5x5 or whatever?
> 
> As in, the first one's the butcher, then you drop down a bit so you fail at around 12, then again...


i train the heaviest weight i can handle for the reps i am aiming for that day (its different day to day). If i'm training for 6 reps i will select a weight i know that will make me struggle for 6 reps (from experiance and my trusty workout note book). If its easy to reach 6, whats the point? Nothing really gained from the set, just going throught he motions?



NLG said:


> I hate it when i can feel i have the potential strength to do something, but all those smaller muscles, or untrained muscles around the main one being used just dont allow me to do it. So i enjoy it when after the first few training sets of a new regime i can feel a very quick improvement in those problem area's.


yes, your only as strong as your weakest link, in time they even out and soon enough you can work heavier. Its the fun of trying for a PR on bench, squat etc... my hamstrings used to let me down on deads so i hit hams hard as a first exercise for a few weeks... problem solved, weights on deads increased.

then my grip started to fail.... then i worked on plate pinches and farmers walks..etc etc etc...round and round.



NLG said:


> I have a question for you, IB. As i mentioned im aweful (realy, truely awefull) at wide grip chins, and chins in general. The posture when i do it is all crap, and thats happening due to how weak i am at doing it. With my own weight i can probably do 6 properly, and thats it!


i could only do 2-3 when i started, i can now do 10-12 at 100kg body weight.

It started off slowly, as soon as i could do 6, the next week i added a 2.5kg plate to my waist... then as soon as i could do 6 i added 5kg

see the pattern?

progressive adjustment to keep the body adapting. Now when i do chins with no weight attatched its like a ferret up a drain pipe lol.... boom, up, down ,up ,down....



NLG said:


> What area's are used in this excersize, and how can i get them up to par with the rest of my shoulders (i believe the back shoulder area is strong, the front weak).


biceps, lats, traps, rhomboids, forearms...

i dont understand what your asking, are you asking how to get your front of your body up to par with your back? i.e. want more mass on the chest etc?


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## NLG (Sep 6, 2007)

Good reply!

So would a 5x5 chins like this work:

self + 10kg once, +5kg twice, self weight twice?

The last point that i didnt explain well you have basicaly answered by our discussion of the above (how to get those weaker muscles up to par swiftly).


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## MMABulk (Oct 17, 2007)

NLG said:


> Good reply!
> 
> So would a 5x5 chins like this work:
> 
> ...


cheers, i'm sure someone with more exeperiance can fill in the blanks or twat me over the head for a school boy error.

for chins i'd work for 6 reps on your own bodyweight

if in 3 weeks you can do this, add 2.5kg to yourself (by a dip belt of holding in your teeth...whatever) do this until you can reach 6 reps...might take 3-4 weeks who knows.

then add 5kg

and so on and on and on....

you wont want to go back to bodyweight only chins as its providing less resistance than weighted chins but its great after 6 months and you can rep quite high.


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## West Fight Company (Oct 10, 2007)

I think theres no one right answer in terms of weight lifting. theres so many different theories and routines that everyone will tell you something different. I see what your saying about if you can do 5 at 50 why not do 5 at 60. But if you can do 5 at 60 then why drop the weight, why not do another 5 at 60.

its all relative, aslong as its working at your not injurying yourself (or anybody else!!)



ps - chins will come. when i first started training i couldnt do chins or dips,after about a month i could do a decent set of 10. Keep at it. If you can get on an assisted chin/dip machine then use it and keep lowering the weight until you can do your own body what then like bulk said add weights slowly once you can perform full sets.


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## NLG (Sep 6, 2007)

West Fight Company said:


> ps - chins will come. when i first started training i couldnt do chins or dips,after about a month i could do a decent set of 10. Keep at it. If you can get on an assisted chin/dip machine then use it and keep lowering the weight until you can do your own body what then like bulk said add weights slowly once you can perform full sets.


I did use for months the weight assited chins machine, kept dropping the weight, but VERY slowly.

I think i want to try the other method of doing less reps with a higher weight, cos thats gonna boost the strength, and then after i have been able to up the added weight to my own body weight and do 6 or so reps like that, go to no added weight and do higher reps for the chins.

Just to try a different approach.


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## marso70 (Oct 10, 2007)

I was going to reply to this with a very detailed and specific post about the SAID principle, progressive overload why there is no magic to the 5x5 formula then I saw this...nuff said.

"Its all relative, as long as its working and you're not injuring yourself (or anybody else!!)"

After all this is an MMA board and I don't want to bog it down with lengthy posts.

Keep in mind though that your weight training should be geared towards *your *specific (that word again) needs, hence I would advise against the use of split routines if one is doing MMA, as this is placing severe demands on your recovery ability. If one is doing bodybuilding then a split routine with more sets and frequency is a must.

ANY exercise is a negative on the bodies sub systems and as such the body first has to replace what it has used up in the workout before it can even think about overcompensating. Bear this in mind when designing a routine and this is why I advocate the use of whole body routines for the MMA athlete.

Paul.


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## Si-K (Jul 23, 2007)

Marso...beat me to this one....

I'm amazed any of you get to do MMA - as I would'nt be able to move after weight training all out - hence why it is at the bottom of my list of priorities..hence why I'm a small dude...used to well into the lifting till I knackered my back in a couple of car crashes (not my fault for the record).

Anyway - back to kickbacks - good way to knacker your elbows, dips or bench press well better, nuff said.


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## [email protected] Company (Oct 10, 2007)

Just thought I'd add my two pence worth while we're still (nearly on the subject).

I've attached a program that I have rouhly followed when trying to put on weight and strength before. It worked well and I put on almost a stone in a bout a month with pretty good improvements in strength.

I previously used it while only training with weights (no mma).

i have just started using this style of training again recently as 1) i found it beneficial the first tim and 2) i can get through it in about an hour. You definetely need to have your diet dialled in though (as with any training).

Take a look it might help some of the guys who are new to weights and would like a routine to follow as they are not sure how to increase their weights weekly etc.

Just tried to uploa and it won't accept excel files, here's the link http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow1/5x5_Program/Linear_5x5.htm

My brother is doing a different style of program although with the same rep scheme which was introduced to myself and a friend of mine by a former olympic record holder (although he used 4x4 not 5x5) both work well.

It basically works with if you can hit your 5x5 weight the next week you just add 2.5kg (or 5kg if you smashed it the week before, but slow and steady is best I find)..

I'll stop writing now but if you want any more info on it let me know.


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