Is there anything to this HIT?

[raider bill]

Kinda strapped for time here, so I've started doing a total body program wed and sunday, friday also if I can... 8-12 super slow reps to failure (mostly machine stuff) Not looking to become mr universe here, just trying to get in a little better shape

[BigFin]

What type of equipemt do you have?

Google 'complexes'. Very time-effective, exhausting workouts.

[raider bill]

I use my brother in laws gym.. he has a nice nautilas type machine that I can do most of my workout on, including leg press and calf raises..

I use that machine for my legs, and rows and bench because it's hard to go to fail by myself. He also has a full rack of dumbells that I use for curl/tricep ext and military press.

[raider bill]

I dont have the workout in front of me but off the top of my head

Leg press
leg ext
Leg curl
calf raise
bench (chest press)
Lat pulldown
military press
cable row
curl
tricep ext
weighted crunches (like 50)
back extension (no weight roman chair I have a bad back)

I do everything 8-12 reps super slow, until failure.. once I am able to do 12, I bump the weight up next time.

[BigFin]

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...edded_physique

This is all you need and absolutely perfect for just wanting to be in better shape.

3x per week should do it. You just need to take care of business in the kitchen.

[raider bill]

Got no barbells though..

[kenneth2k1]

Get one. A barbell is your best friend. You can do anything with them. It's hard to do barbell exercises with dumbs, but it's easy to do dumb exercises with a barbell. Plus freeweights are better overall for strength in my opinion. Barbell exercises that I do strengthen your stabilizers and give you more muscle control also. You will get a lot of that with dumbs also though, so it's good you have those. With machines you get locked into a position and the muscle groups are very isolated.

How bad is your back? Is there a way you can do squats and deadlifts with light weight? Those are the best exercises IMO. There's no need to get super heavy with them, and certainly don't go to failure. But you need to stimulate metabolism and your testosterone levels.

If you continue to weight train, don't go to failure every time. You should work your way up. Do a warm up set with very light weight (2 if you need em) then do your first set. You should feel like you worked. 2nd set should be harder, so up the weight if you can. Most people that weight train get the best results working in a range that's about 80% of their 1 rep max. So take some time to find out where your max weight is for the exercise. Write it down. Stay scientific with your training. The 3rd set is where you can go to failure if you want.

2 things:

1) Don't work the rep super slow. Work the negative slow and then explode. For example if you're doing bench, bring the weight down to your chest slow, like 3 or 4 seconds, pause for a split second and then explode the weight off your chest. This type of muscle firing is ideal for growth.

2) Cycle your weight/reps. The first week or 2 should be a warm up week. Do high reps (10-12) with light weight for 2 sets. After that start increasing the weight and decreasing the reps (8-10) for 3 more weeks. Work your way like that until you get to 4 reps with heavy weight if you can. When that is done then go back to the high rep/low weight. There are a few posts on this forum that tell you specifically how to do that.

Complexes are a great way to get in better shape! They are a tweak on the circuit method. I do a modified circuit but the idea is the same: use a lot of polymetric exercises with some weight and work in an oxygen deficit. It will test your will and make you feel worked at the same time.

[NoSlowBuffalo]

Kenneth, that's a very educated response. Listen to this man, people.

Ken, are you certified in anything? What's your background?

[kenneth2k1]

Thanks dude. Nah, I'm not certified in anything. I got some good advice from a guy once, then I did some research. After that, I found out what worked for me. I was able to go from 260lbs to 187 so I just know what worked for me. It took me a while, but I got there.

All my advice is just research and practical application.