Not sure which to take

[Drago]

Seriously, read Arnie's book as training advice? He was souped up on the gear, and serious amounts of it.

It takes time, lots and lots of time if you are doing loads of cardio and restricting your diet as well.

Yes, very seriously. Arnie is scornful of the posh equipment and goes into great detail about the importance of diet, cardio work (usually cycling or running for body builders), rest, and a whole host of stuff. It's a very serious piece of work indeed.

You also need to read his biography where he goes into great detail about his steroid usage. During the first half of his career it was legal and he'd basically walk into his GPs surgery and ask nicely for the jabs. By the time he came out of retirement to compete for his 6th Olympia title it was outlawed.

I wouldn't take advice on muscle building from someone who hadn't got any, and I wouldn't expect our OP to, hence referring him to perhaps the seminal tome on the subject.

Steroid use is seriously misunderstood by most laymen. It goes on a lot and in 8 years of hanging about proper gyms (not modern fitness clubs) I've seen it a plenty among amateurs of non competitive types such as meatheads, doormen, etc. it's rarely used in proper fompetitivr circles because its physiological effects are so easy for a judge to spot. I could tell a regular juice user with 90% accuracy just by looking at them, so imagine what a judge will spot.

Fortunately, its not illegal to possess for personal use so I don't gave to get arsey when I see it about, which is a fair amount among the lower echelon and non-competitive builders. I just thank god Synthol hadn't caught on here the way it has in the US.

 

[Diggs]

This may be worth a view as well. I've not purchased it yet myself, don't have to be Graeme to know I really need to cut down on the food and alcohol first but in interviews I've heard some interesting ideas from him on various aspects from breathing to diet http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Obree-W...82WC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353789198&sr=8-1

 

[Andrew_P]

Yes, very seriously. Arnie is scornful of the posh equipment and goes into great detail about the importance of diet, cardio work (usually cycling or running for body builders), rest, and a whole host of stuff. It's a very serious piece of work indeed.

You also need to read his biography where he goes into great detail about his steroid usage. During the first half of his career it was legal and he'd basically walk into his GPs surgery and ask nicely for the jabs. By the time he came out of retirement to compete for his 6th Olympia title it was outlawed.

I wouldn't take advice on muscle building from someone who hadn't got any, and I wouldn't expect our OP to, hence referring him to perhaps the seminal tome on the subject.

He was till on them in the Terminator days along with other film stars.


Agree that OP should concentrate on core weight training, also he doesn't really need to read any huge books on this.

The sad fact is unless he is chemically enhanced he will not be able to shed the 10kg of fat in exchange for muscle. Every Bodybuilder, or strength athelte will be carrying fat and probably increasing fat during a bulking up cycle. As you know the images of Arnie at his very best are post some very hard and somewhat dangerous cutting cycles.

It soon goes when you get old and stop though!!

 

[Rob3rt]

Arnie used to pop dianabol(methandrostenolone) like daily vitamins! However, IMO, this does not discredit the man! I think you need to consider steriod usage within bodybuilding in the right context, in competition, you can safely assume the athlete's are juiced unless it is a natural body building competition. Look at the Olympia winner's the last few years, they are jacked to the eyeballs! But it is understood that this is the case.

 

[Drago]

Core weight training? What are you in about?

Before he does anything he needs to understand his body type. This will affect how he approaches both his diet and training.

If he's an endo-mesomorph like me his body will respond more effectively to heavier weights, medium reps and sets. If his somatotype is ectomorphic he'll do better lighter weights, higher reps to exhaustion and more sets. Just one example of a fundamental factor to account for before picking up a weight.

And then there are various techniques to make a workout more effective, such as counting down to exhaustion, ballistic lifts on major muscle groups etc. there are dozens of tricks and techniques that make a workout far more effective and if our OP understands his musculature and utilises these properly he'll achieve in 2 workouts a week what just chucking a few weights about on 'core exercises' will achieve in 6 sessions a week.

Just wandering into a gym and flinging a few weights around in some 'core' exercises won't get him very far. What weight or resistance? How many sets and reps are optimum for your body type and your ultimate goal?

It's always funny when people with no muscle think they know best about how to go about acquiring it.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

This may be worth a view as well. I've not purchased it yet myself, don't have to be Graeme to know I really need to cut down on the food and alcohol first but in interviews I've heard some interesting ideas from him on various aspects from breathing to diet http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Obree-W...82WC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353789198&sr=8-1

Worth a read for it's hilarity. As for sound training/diet advice it's just the ramblings of a troubled man, zero science involved.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Agree that OP should concentrate on core weight training, also he doesn't really need to read any huge books on

Just core? Nothing else? Why?

Any gym instructor/pt recommending "just core" would be sacked on the spot.

 

[Andrew_P]

It's always funny when people with no muscle think they know best about how to go about acquiring it.

I think you will find the three main body types are, Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph. But I would say again he does want to be a bodybuilder, so just concentrate on weight training using the basic excercises and mixing high rep with a couple of heavy weight low rep.

 

[Drago]

There's basically no such thing as core weight training. That's a description so vague as to be meaningless.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

There's basically no such thing.

I'm pretty sure, LOCO shouldn't be giving advice.

 

[Andy_G]

According to this im more Endomorph i think.
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/expert-guides/fat-loss#5
All i take are CLA softgels(not sure if they work), im not looking at getting like the hulk just a decent size ad to get my strength back, the main thing im interested in is cycling i want the stamina an strength to do long rides, and to not look like sausage meat in a skin(lycra).

 

[Andrew_P]

Just core? Nothing else? Why?

Any gym instructor/pt recommending "just core" would be sacked on the spot.

Core as in do flat bench presses and not inclines & declines. Do the same with flyes just flat, concentrate on the larger muscle groups, as the smaller ones in that area will be used in the flat version don't do leg curls do squats etc..

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Core as in do flat bench presses and not inclines & declines. Do the same with flyes just flat, concentrate on the larger muscle groups, as the smaller ones in that area will be used in the flat version don't do leg curls do squats etc..

Go away.

 

[Drago]

Core as in taking pap. How do you know how may sets and reps are effective for you, or do you just count to 10 like most of the gym monkeys?

Please forgive me, but if I'm to maintain my current 54" chest and 35" waist I don't think I'll be be taking advice from you.

Andy, this is too complex a topic to give comprehensive advice in just one post so please do read properly round the subject, and go to a gym for a chat. If you're sincere and want advice no one will take the pith.

If you are ectomorphic you may benefit from higher reps, perhaps 12 to 15 a set. The goal is to be reaching muscular exhaustion on your final rep when lifting about 75% of your maximum lifting weight.

Perhaps 15 sets per body part, 2 or 3 different exercises for each body part. Depending on how your body responds and how big you want to get then 2 or 3 general all round sessions a week may suffice, but if you want big gains you may have to go more often and split the routine.

I'm guessing you don't want to be like Dorian Yates and just want a bit of tone and bulk to harden up a little. Am I right?

 

[Rob3rt]

Play nice............... DO SQUATS (maybe listen to some thrash metal for inspiration)................. climb hills!

Oh........ and don't forget to don your lycra and FLEXXXXXXX!