What do I do now?

[oric]

ok heres my stats,I am male 41yrs old,5ft 9in.I started wait training and cardio back to back 1hr a day 6days aweek since nov 14th 2001.I went from 220lbs fat with 38 waist down to 170lb 31 waist,about 13% body fat now.I look good,show pretty much definition and my cubes are starting to show a little (being relaxed),I eat 3 egg whts w/a lil turky on wheat for breakfast,mostly chicken and salad or veg for lunch and about same for dinner.Three protein shakes aday w/flaxseed oil,total supplement protein is 150grs aday.also taking andro stack 850.
Now the question is what do i do from here to bring out my cubes(abs)more and put on a little more muscle tissue?p.s my weight training has always been 3sets three exercise per body part ,4-8 reps each set..

Thanks for any help

 

[NateDogg]

You are going to hear two things repetitively about this post.

1. You can not add muscle without adding any fat
2. To gain muscle you are going to need to eat A LOT MORE

You said you are happy with what your bf is right now, but you want to add more muscle. Well, as I said already, you have to add fat (at least a little) to add muscle. Therefore, you have to make a choice. Do you want to add the muscle and therefore add some fat, then shed it, or do you want to shed some more fat, stay lean for summer, then bulk up in the winter? Having lost 50 lbs in about 6 months, it seems as though you would not have trouble getting rid of some more fat after packing on the muscle. Congratulations on that by the way! Quite impressive

HTH,

ND

 

[b fold the truth]

Need info on your training schedule.

B True

 

[oric]

Thanks for thr reply Natedogg,

also b true I train as follows,tues 3 sets bench press 6-8rep on smith machine flat bench,then 3 sets incline press w/dumbells 6-8reps,than flat bench dumbell flys 6-8reps all w/less tyhan one min rest up to one min inbetween sets.than 30min cardio,on crosstrainer--wed-same sets and reps for lat pulldowns ,low cable rows,low row machine,biceps alillte everything free weights and machine.fri shoulderpress machine,deltoid machines two types..sat cardio,sunday cardio,monday rest,OH I left out my tri's I do those on tues when I get in my office I work them w/dumbells that I keep under my desk....extensions and kick backs..

 

[b fold the truth]

Stop all smith machine work first.

Remember, it is progressive resistance training. To get more...you have to lift more and me more intense. Constantly push yourself.

How is your diet? In detail..

B True

 

[oric]

hey B True.yes I aagree about the smith mahine but the main reason i use it is cause I work out alone 3am in gym and I have no one to spot me so I cant push hard enough on free weight bench.also my diet is the same as in my original post,please see original..

thanks for the advise

 

[kamaboko]

I have no one to train with as well. With that said, I think the important thing is to lift until the muscle of focus fails. For instance, now I may do five reps on the bench press with 225lbs then immediately drop it to 200lbs and squeez out two more reps before I just can’t move it at all. I definitely burn like a mofo after that. Following this method with all of my weights I’ve noticed an increase in total weight pressed over a period of time. It might not be the quickest way to improve, but that’s all I’ve got at the moment. If the Smith Machine is all you have, then make sure you lift to complete failure. I think over time you will see improvements. I should say though, my routine involves only free weights.

 

[oric]

thanks again guys.I agree but even on the smith and all other machines or free weights,I push my last rep till it wont move.Everone one of my last reps are always locked in so low that I have to squezze out from under the bar.Im not afraid of the burn or the pain,Im afraid of the bench press where I may not make the bar land on the hooks,but my neck instead

 

[NateDogg]

thanks again guys.I agree but even on the smith and all other machines or free weights,I push my last rep till it wont move.Everone one of my last reps are always locked in so low that I have to squezze out from under the bar.Im not afraid of the burn or the pain,Im afraid of the bench press where I may not make the bar land on the hooks,but my neck instead

Try using dumbells for benching when you don't have a spot, you get stuck, just drop them. The problem with using the smith machine all the time is that your stabilizer muscles get little to no work and therefore will not get stronger. This becomes an issue especially as you age, and as you try to do exercises like squats and deadlifts, the king and prince of training.

ND

 

[oric]

Ay Nate Dogg.great idea I never thouht about benching w/dumbells,I guess the why I am catogorized as a newbie.I will try tomorow am..thank you,although it may be a little hard to lay back with a pair of 75lb or higher dumbells..I do it w/60's for flys but I will see.

 

[the People's Champ]

DAYAMN!!! 60's for flys? you trying to rip your arms off or what? flys are a shaping exercise, not necessarily a mass builder. definitely drop the smith bench and do db bench, for flat and incline. if you cant or dont know how to get those dbs in position, here is the wya.

1. have the dbs resting on your thighs. the closer it is to yourhips, the easier it is to kick them up
2. kick the both dbs, one at a time, in the air and simulatneously, try to pull them back into place so you are in a position to bench.
3. if you cant properly lift the dbs in to place, you may need a spotter, or you are lifting too heavy of a db. start light first if you haven't tried doing this before.

as for flys, do cable flys nice and slow. always squeeze at the top(or in front of you) of the movement, and return slowly.

 

[oric]

thanks bro!