Weight Training and Protien shakes

[gLu4303]

I'm gonna start lifting again with free weights after about a year of strictly Bowflex.

I was just wondering if anyone has any good lifting regimes for someone who's about to start law enforcement academy and looking to put on a little weight and muscle? I'm about 175 right now, and would like to get to about 185-190.

Also, should shakes be taken before or after workouts, I've heard different opinions?

[Crusader_Zim]

Hell, both before AND after. Your biggest meal should be post workout though. If you're going to make the best of your pre-workout meal though, I suggest eating 2 hrs before working out and taking a protein shake 1 hr before workout (digestion occurs faster with liquids). Make sure you're getting carbs with your protein and eating essential fatty acids. Flax seed oil can be bought cheaply in pill form. Good stuff. Get a good multivitamin too.. and take one twice a day. You'll be depleting vitamin stores with your workout regimen.

I like to get in the gym 5 days a week. Take the weekends off. Spend 45 min. - 1.25 hrs in the gym working two muscle groups (chest and bis, or back and tris, etc.) Give you muscles at least 5 days rest before working them again.

Good luck!

[gLu4303]

thanks for the advice.

So, work out mon-fri, different muscle every day? That's essentially what I've been doing on the bowflex.

Any other advice?

[concon02]

thanks for the advice.

So, work out mon-fri, different muscle every day? That's essentially what I've been doing on the bowflex.

Any other advice?

Rest is just as important as working the muscles. It's a symbiotic type thing. Drink lots of water. Do the multivitamin. Have a good diet going (don't substitute protein shakes for food rich in protein if you have the option). Do compound lifts if you want to bulk up. Meaning focus on lifts that require a lot of muscle groups instead of doing isolation workouts. Some good compound lifts are the barbell squat, dead lift, bench press and military press.

Make sure you eat and are getting the nutrients you need. You won't get big without eating big.

[quedog02]

workout 3 times a week, get in at least 400grms of protein and around 300grams, yeah flaxseed is good but you can more bang for your buck if you take it in liquid form. Dont worry about calories worry about protein daily requirement......you want to eat 8-10 small meals with 50grams of carbs and 40-60 grams of protein. Make sure you get 1gallon of water a day and that is a minimum. workout should be short and intense no more than a hour. Wake up in the middle of the night an down a protein shake...the main thing is that you have to stay discipline to your diet. It is 80 percent diet 20 percent training. carbs should be sweet potatoes, oats, whole wheat pasta, brown rice.

[Crusader_Zim]

Dont worry about calories.

While you have good advice in p/f/c ratio, distributing the caloric intake based on that information is important (IE - 33% of calories from protein, 33% from carbs, 33% from fats, as a powerlifter would do). So in short, he needs to worry about calories.

[navy80]

in my opinion free weights are better for you, just get a good schedule for yourself and stay motivated. A basic workout is arms one day legs the next then day off, then repeat.

[SPD_404]

I think it's safe to say that navy80 missed a few muscle groups here. Legs and arms are great but do not neglect your chest and back. I agree that freeweights are the way to go.

[travel_light]

I stopped lifting hard, now I do allot of bodyweight excerises and cardio. I lift one day out the week doing compound excerise. either deads and bench, or squats and bench. I had a good program, but really got sick of lifting all the time so i decided to change it up for a few months.

you lifted before so you should know how to use equipment, but start out light. you don't have to lift 5 days out the week if your just starting, 3 will be fine. here's a couple of samples that I use to do.

mon- (cardio in the am) legs
tues-chest, shoulders, tris
wed- cardio
thurs-cardio
fri- back,bi's
weekend- off

or
mon- legs
tues-chest, shoulders,bi's
wed-cardio
thurs-cardio
fri-back,tris
weekend-off
on this one I work the tri's on back day and bi's on chest day so each will get hit directly and indirectly.

another one is
mon-chest, tris shoulders
tues-legs
wed-back, bi's
thursday-off
then start it over again.
throw in some cardio whenever you want, but this one gets brutal after a few weeks, if you have to take two days off. change your workout every couple of months. good luck....

[JSD73]

The most important time to consume your protein/carb shake is within 30 minutes after your workout.

Join a bodybuilding website...you can get plenty of ideas on training routines from them. Rest is MORE important than the workouts so to speak...that's when you recover and you grow.

[gLu4303]

travel-light,
started the new workout this week. feels pretty good so far. did legs last night, light lifting cause i haven't done legs seriously for about 2 years, not too sore.