Hello!
Today I’m going to provide a few websites that may be helpful to you as you learn more about bodybuilding and fitness. Here they are:
www.bodybuilding.com
www.jimstoppani.com
www.rippedbody.com
www.muscleforlife.com
www.kagedmuscle.com
Bodybuilding.com is an extensive library of articles, workout routines, a supplement store, and provides the ability to build a personal profile with pictures, supplements used, etc. to track all of your information in one easy-to-use spot. You can also download the Bodyspace app from iTunes or the Google Play store for free.
Jimstoppani.com is running and owned by Dr. Jim Stoppani. He is the creator of the JYM product line and the JYM Army (Facebook page). To use this site and get access to all of his articles you need to pay a 14.00/month fee. The main benefit of this site is the scientific information you gain access to, along with more than enough workouts to keep you busy for years. I currently use Jim’s PreJYM as a pre-workout drink.
Rippedbody.com was created by Andy Morgan. This website follows the theory of using lean body mass for the basis of your macro ratios. He also has a lot of articles that debunk most of the supplements that are offered on the market and are just hype. Access to most of his content is free. For one of his books, it was 37.00, but this is a one-time fee. There are no monthly memberships.
Muscleforlife.com is a website run by Mike Matthews, who has written a large number of books on nutrition and weightlifting, using a very simple strength building program. He simplifies the process of calculating your base macros to begin either a cutting, bulk, or maintenance diet. I just read one of his books, Bigger, Leaner, Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate male Body. He also has a book specifically for the female physique. I just started using his routine today and will run with this for about 8 weeks to gauge its effectiveness for me.
Kagedmuscle.com is running and owned by Kris Gethin, another professional trainer who I followed for a while. Although I believe this program is effective for some, I found it to be too sporadic workout to workout and gave it up after a few weeks. He has some good pre-, intra-, and post workouts called PreKaged, InKaged, and ReKaged. All of these were good tasting and worked, but I recently digressed back to Jim Stoppani’s pre-workout called PreJym. I’ve found this to be tasty, easy on my stomach, and effective for my early morning workouts.
I recommend visiting all of these sites to see which person’s philosophy aligns with your personal weightlifting philosophy. Bodybuilding.com is definitely worth your while because it does not promote anyone individually. There are a lot of really smart people on this site and the information is really helpful, particularly if you are a neophyte to lifting and are looking for some information on starting a nutrition, supplementation, and workout routine. Their app is pretty decent for tracking your workouts and will provide you a good history of your work in the gym.
Well, I hope this is helpful for you. Below was my first day using Mike Matthew’s workout routine.
Shoulders and Abs
Military Press 90×6; 100×6; 110×6
Side Lateral 25×6; 30×6; 35×5
Bent-over Rear Delt Raise 20×6; 25×6; 30×6
Circuit x3
Crunch Machine 100×12; 110×12; 120×12
Lying Leg Raise x12; x12; x12
Decline Crunch x12; x12; x12
As you can see, this workout is not complicated or drawn out. I was in and out of the gym in under an hour. He recommends lifting heavy and staying within a 4-6 rep range with 3-4 minutes of rest between sets. Even though this program may seem a little light, it will get a lot more difficult as I ramp up the weights. The Circuit at the bottom is literally a compound set, working from one ab exercise to another. Mike recommends one weighted movement (Crunch Machine) followed by two non-weight workouts (hence x12). The non-weighted are to failure. I started at 12 reps but will continue to elevate weight and reps as I progress through the routine. There is no rest between these sets. Once your circuit is done, rest for 2 minutes and start again, running through the circuit three times.
This workout will run for 8 weeks. At the end of the routine, Mike Suggests a deload week where you either lift light or just take the week off to recover. Then you adjust the exercises and start another 8 weeks.
Another interesting aspect of this routine is the gauge by which you determine what program you use. In my case, I’m at 26% body fat. Way too high. Subsequently, he recommends cutting until you are in the 15% body fat range. Once you’ve hit this, he recommends either continued cutting or moving into a bulking routine. I’ll keep you posted on my body fat as I progress through the routine.
Matthew’s workout split is five days. Monday Chest & Abs, Tuesday Back & Calves, Wednesday Shoulders & Abs, Thursday Legs, and Friday Upper Body and Abs. Matthew also recommends 4 days of cardio. Since Saturday and Sunday are off days I’ve chosen to work cardio on these days. The other two days are on Back and Abs Days (Tuesday) and Leg Days (Thursday). Cardio during workout days will be in the afternoon on my home elliptical. Saturday and Sunday will be on a treadmill at the gym.
Well, that’s it for today folks. I hope you learned something and visit these websites. There is some really great information on these sites and a place you can go to begin learning what this is all about.
See you tomorrow!
Dave
