lately i've been supersetting multiple body parts with minimal rests in between. using lighter weight than i'm used to, but this is one hell of a workout. i'm sweating and breathing harder than just doing cardio. its intense.

i think i'm taking this route from here on out.


Annuit Coeptis, G.


- Amsterdam718

7/20/2006 8:00:02 PM

it won't help you get your girl back

7/20/2006 8:02:52 PM

i used to do that.

it destroyed my shoulders. the muscle grew in really tight and did a lot of damage to the joint.

7/20/2006 8:08:18 PM

thats how you are supposed to lift

unless you are going for power

7/20/2006 8:26:13 PM

i misread that. i meant that i killed my shoulders by doing shoulder stuff back to back with no rest. i think thats the definition of superset and that multiple parts with minimal rest is a compound set.

or i have that completely backwards.

7/20/2006 8:30:08 PM

have you tried just straight out circuit training?

Supersetting is two or more exercises back to back (no rest).
You can superset any body parts and exercises. It could be the same muscle group, a push pull or a major-minor. For ex: Bi's then tri's would be Push pull (well, pull-push technically), Chest then Tri's would be major minor.

Training this way exuasts more muscle fibers, especially slow-twitch fibers. That's why it's not good for power. When you train for power you want the maximum force in a single, very fast movement. For this you want to train fast-twitch fibers, specifically the very first fibers that your muscles recruit. So you take longer rests, allowing those same fibers to be used over and over in each successive lift causing them to adapt.

Quote :

"the muscle grew in really tight and did a lot of damage to the joint."

Did a doctor tell you that?

[Edited on July 20, 2006 at 10:37 PM. Reason : fibers]

7/20/2006 10:30:00 PM

shit, I need to do more research on these different types of lifting

can anyone recommend a good website or book?

7/21/2006 8:55:17 AM

I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS SHIT FOR MONTHS NOW.....I FEEL MUCH BETTER AFTER EVERY WORKOUT.....SHIT WILL WEAR YOUR ASS OUT THOUGH

7/21/2006 9:00:24 AM

you do that if you want to maintain size (lose or maintan weight)

if you want bigger muscles you got to power lift (gain weight)

7/21/2006 10:35:12 AM

that's not entirely true. Gaining weight or losing weight has much more to do with nutrition. And don't confuse weight with muscle. Like I said there are basically 2 (there are subgroups) types of muscle fibers. The fast-twitch (type 1) fibers are bigger, and get more blood to them
(I don't know which is causing the other, if that's the case at all). So if you want to get bigger, you don't really want to do endurance training stuff. But that doesn't mean you want to go to the other extreme. If you want to gain what most people want when they say they want to get bigger, you want to take more of a bodybuilding approach, which is kind of in the middle of endurance training and powerlifting, and like those other approaches you typically want to cycle levels of intensity and volume.

You can find 170lb guys that can bench 400+, maybe 500, that's a result of powerlifting, yet they are not "big". Look at olympic weightlifters (different than powerlifting because of the lifts used, but it still comes down to one quick burst of energy), disregarding the fact that steriod use is often associated with this, those guys are pound for pound very strong. Not necessarily big, just strong.


There are different strategies/techniques that are more apt for achieving different goals.
Depending on whether you want (the basics):
Muscle Endurance (consitant strength through multiple lifts)
Power (as much force as possible for one lift)
or To have full, well defined muscle (bodybuilding, it has nothing to do with functionality)

each of those groups can be broken down further and there are several techniques for each (but the principles behind each of those more narrowed strategies will be the same throughout each group).

[Edited on July 21, 2006 at 11:45 AM. Reason : .]

7/21/2006 11:43:49 AM

Quote :

"if you want bigger muscles you got to power lift (gain weight)"

not completely true

a body building routine and power lifting are very different, both can give you mass... however not all power lifters have big muscles/size

[Edited on July 21, 2006 at 11:45 AM. Reason : ^beat me]

7/21/2006 11:43:58 AM

i had been supersetting multiple body parts with minimal rests in between all spring and finally hit a plateau. at this point i'm just doing one body part a day (Which is nice because i'm only in the gym for 20-30 minutes and seeing great results.

i'm using a lower weight and doing much slower reps.

7/21/2006 11:48:41 AM

I haven't lifted in a LONG time, but I have never seen anything build strength like the clean and jerk. Every guy I know who ever added it to his workout saw major improvements in bench press, squats, and so on--plateaus were shattered!

I'm not sure what you're going for, though.

7/21/2006 12:24:43 PM

The clean and jerk is a great excerise, and a fun one at that (the power clean is a good alternative). But I wouldn't just step in there and try it, you could seriously fuck your shit up. That's an immensly compound movement (that's why the guys mentioned added strength in many areas) and it should be approached with the proper respect. Use very light weight (just the bar even) until you are very comfortable with the proper form, then gradually move up. Same with the snatch, and squats as well. You should learn proper form on all exercises, but especially anything you're going heavy on and compound movements.

That being said; Does anyone know of gyms around Raleigh with bumper weights?

7/21/2006 3:21:00 PM

^maybe the new golds, but i havent seen a gym in a long time with those, last time it was my HS gym....

gyms that are bigger, like golds need to build platforms for those specific exercises... but i cant imagine too many people would use them so they wouldnt get built, such is life

7/21/2006 3:52:21 PM

^i bet a lot of people would use em actually...the gold's i used to go to had a ton of body builders and athletes who did that kinda stuff

7/21/2006 6:49:37 PM

To duro982: I agree. In the beginning, take it easy; work you're way up. That said, I've never seen anything build overall strength like said lift.

7/22/2006 6:29:57 PM