how many times to life weights a week?

[CapitalKarate]

my goals are to just get sheer strength, i don't want to be huge though, i still want to be quick for ma. specific goals are, i want to be able to bench at least 250, squat around 400 or more, and i guess i need to make more specific goals, but i also want to look pretty good, no offense to traditional karatekas, but i won't accept it if i get a karate gut, i want flat abs. right now i weigh about 145-150 and i'm between 5'10 and 5'11, i want to add on between 20 and 40 pounds of muscle (i'm very very thin right now). goals outside of real weight lifting, i want to be able to pass a navy seals fitness test. at least 100 consecutive push ups in under 2 minutes, at least 100 crunches in under 2 minutes, at least 25 pulls ups (not chin ups) with no time frame.

[CapitalKarate]

ok, i think i found something on a forums called wannabebigforums.com, theres a routine there that people there say works, here it is... http://wannabebig.com/article.php?articleid=25&pageid=1

[Ben Martin]

kutyjgh

Edited October 5, 2013 by Ben Martin

[CapitalKarate]

does it really matter what muscles you group together for each day? like having chest and bis one day and back and tris next day, and then decide to do chest and abck on day, and bis a tri next day. does it really matter how you group them? (btw, still waiting for a response on the routine i sent)

[SevenStar]

If someone is going the pushing musles in one work out, and the pulling in another, how many times should they do that work out a week? Can they get away with doing it just twice a week (just seems like too little)? Or should it be some thing like monday push, thuesday pull, wednesday rest, thursday push, friday pull, rest saturday and sunday, start all over.

 

I guess what I am looking for, well #1 strenght (I dont care to be a monster, but at the same time like to push myself, but anyway in shape to handle what life puts in front of me, and do my MA's and other activities), and #2, ok I admit, I like to look in shape, I dont need to be a body builder, but I just want to stay toned, fit in my clothes, etc.......

 

strength without mass - look into pavel tsatsouline's "power to the people" - heavy training on a periodized schedule. compound movements - deadlifts, squats, bench presses. That's it. However, if you want you can add some form of press, like the military press. These exercises will hit every workable muscle in the body to some extent. Heck, the deadlift alone will hit most of them.

 

Heavy weights, low sets. 1-5 reps, 1-3 sets. that's all. very quick and to the point. This is done daily. Set a cycle for yourself - for example, 10 workouts. Never, however, set less than 8. Next, find a weight you can comfortable do 10 times.

 

This will be your starting weight. Perform one set of 5 with this weight. Next, decrease the weight by 5-10% and do another set of 5 - that's it. Do this for each of your compound exercises. Every two sessions, add 5 pounds. after your cycle ends, begin again, but your starting weight will be 5 pounds heavier than the last cycle. Here's a sample:

 

session#--- weight--- reps

 

1--- 180 / 170--- 5 / 5

 

2--- 180 / 170--- 5 / 5

 

3--- 185 / 175--- 5 / 5

 

4--- 185 / 175--- 5 / 5

 

5--- 190 / 180--- 4 / 4

 

6--- 190 / 180--- 4 / 4

 

7--- 195 / 185--- 2 / 2

 

8--- 195 / 185--- 2 / 2

 

second cycle will look similar, but you will start 5 pounds heavier:

 

1--- 185 / 175--- 5 / 5

 

2--- 185 / 175--- 5 / 5

 

3--- 190 / 180--- 5 / 5

 

4--- 190 / 180--- 5 / 5

 

5--- 195 / 185--- 4 / 4

 

6--- 195 / 185--- 4 / 4

 

7--- 200 / 190--- 2 / 2

 

8--- 200 / 190--- 2 / 2

 

periodization is a means of continually making progress. When you stick with maximal weights constantly, it's harder to raise your poundages. by cycling, you are allowing your body a progressive means of increasing your max 5RM bench every few weeks. This routine should be done 3-5 days per week.

Edited January 26, 2005 by SevenStar

[SevenStar]

does it really matter what muscles you group together for each day? like having chest and bis one day and back and tris next day, and then decide to do chest and abck on day, and bis a tri next day. does it really matter how you group them? (btw, still waiting for a response on the routine i sent)

 

not really, it's just a matter of grouping things logically. the back, biceps and lats all perform pulling motions, so why not work them on the same day? shoulders, chest and triceps push - why not work them on the same day?

 

Some people split the body in half - upper one day, lower the next. Some people do loegs on a separate day all by themselves. It depends on you. Find something that works for you.

[SevenStar]

I dont need to be a body builder, but I just want to stay toned

 

technically, there is no such thing as "toned" - it's a misnomer. Flex your bicep. see how it bulges? it bulges and you can see it through skin and bodyfat. That's what tone is - residual tension in a relaxed muscle. The muscle is always half-tensed because of weight training. the way to achieve the "toned" look is to have low body fat. If your muscles are constantly tensed and you have too much fat on your body, you will never really see it. The abs are a perfect example. There are people who do hundreds of crunches per day, but never achieve a six pack - because they have a layer of fat over their midsection that they are not getting rid of.

[SevenStar]

my goals are to just get sheer strength, i don't want to be huge though, i still want to be quick for ma.

 

don't equate size to slowness. When you train properly, it's not the case. Look at tyson, for example. he's a big guy. Can you punch harder than him? not a chance. Are you faster than him? possibly, but if you are, are you so fast that you can hit him without him hitting you? highly doubt it. Size isn't necessarily a hinderance to speed.

[CapitalKarate]

hm... ok, then i want to be as strong as possible, don't care if i'm huge or not, long as i look proportioned and good (not body builder style, don't want muscles bulging out everywhere). one thing tho. bout that mike tyson thing, will my punches get faster or harder the more i lift?

[SevenStar]

the best way to get a stronger punch is to punch. Check your mechanics and strike the heavy bag alot. strength training will help, as you are training your muscles to output more power, but look to proper technique first and foremost.