So many exercises, how do u choose which ones to do

[DougFunny]

how do u choose only 3 or 4 exercises to do for each muscle group each time u go to the gym?? i'm not really a beginner as i've been lifting for a few years(without much progress) and i'm guessing i have some kind of beginner's syndrome where i go and do like 6 exercises for each bodypart cause i cant decide which exercises to do and which not to do.. they all look so good! Can someone please give me a rundown on which are best to do each workout session for each muscle group?

thanks a lot

-rob

[Boridi]

http://www.ast-ss.com/training/exercises/eow-intro.asp

[DougFunny]

awesome website. thanks a lot.

[chad12121]

The best exercises for you are the ones you enjoy and the ones that feel natural to you. Just try out all the exercises you can, then stick with the ones that feel natural to you and you enjoy.

[daninthemix]

Well some ppl do every exercise under the sun (naming no names), while others do only the exercises they feel are most effective.

And then there are ppl on the perimeter of both camps.

[$AJ]

i always favor heavy compounds. (e.g., reverse-grip close-grip floor pressing over pushdowns)

[Uriel_da_man]

Originally Posted by $AJ

i always favor heavy compounds. (e.g., reverse-grip close-grip floor pressing over pushdowns)

All the way! If you train isolations only you end up looking like crap but if you do compounds only you end up looking like a beast.

[Defiant1]

Originally Posted by DougFunny

how do u choose only 3 or 4 exercises to do for each muscle group each time u go to the gym?? i'm not really a beginner as i've been lifting for a few years(without much progress) and i'm guessing i have some kind of beginner's syndrome where i go and do like 6 exercises for each bodypart cause i cant decide which exercises to do and which not to do.. they all look so good! Can someone please give me a rundown on which are best to do each workout session for each muscle group?

thanks a lot

-rob

The way I approach it is this.

Try different BASIC exercises for each bodypart, find the one that works the MAJORITY of that muscle.

When I say "basic", I mean a free weight BB, DB or free body "natural leverage" exercise-i.e. presses not flyes. Usually compound but not always (shrugs, calves, BB curls).

Then, pick other exercises that work the ASPECT of the muscle that you want to develop, or, that the "Basic" exercise does not.

For example, you may find that bench presses work your pecs hard, but not the upper part. So then you would add incline DB or BB presses. It can get more complicated if you are one of those people who is very "specific" as to where each exercise hits; you will need to do more exercises than other people.

If you are one of these people, you will PROBABLY find that your "basic" exercise will need to be a full range of motion exercise, like incline DB presses, or close grip chins, as opposed to Flat BB presses or Wide grip chins.

FYI, you are going to find shoulders almost invariably need isolation exercises, at least for side delts (laterals). "On paper", exercises like wide grip upright rows will work you side delts hard, but in reality, laterals do a better job for most.

[Kayslay]

(e.g., reverse-grip close-grip floor pressing over pushdowns)

Haa. One for the beginners then. If he breaks his neck, I blame YOU!

[scott_donald]

Originally Posted by $AJ

i always favor heavy compounds. (e.g., reverse-grip close-grip floor pressing over pushdowns)

dam agreeing with you...hehe...

here are some good links...


http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...threadid=99420

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hreadid=167980

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hreadid=143006

http://davedraper.com/hiit-cardio-training.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/donald1.htm

http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html

[priority_mass]

just my 2 cents..but do a few exercise's for a few weeks then switch it up with teh other ones that way ur muslces dont get use to teh same movment

[mischiev]

build up your exercise routine around compound exercises.. with at most 1 or 2 isolation exercises.. compound exercises are the ones that will give you mass.. not isolation.

just think about it this way.. if your chest routine looks something like:
1) chest flyes
2) pushups
3) pec deck
sure, you'll get a chest, but it ain't going to be big

[F W Nietszche]

BIG COMPOUND MOVEMENTs supplemented with a smaller amount of isolation exercises

[GGHT]

Originally Posted by Uriel_da_man

All the way! If you train isolations only you end up looking like crap but if you do compounds only you end up looking like a beast.

Hmm mixture of both is the way forward.

[GGHT]

Originally Posted by mischiev

build up your exercise routine around compound exercises.. with at most 1 or 2 isolation exercises.. compound exercises are the ones that will give you mass.. not isolation.

just think about it this way.. if your chest routine looks something like:
1) chest flyes
2) pushups
3) pec deck
sure, you'll get a chest, but it ain't going to be big

It depends what type of fly'es my friend, and you can get mass off iso's btw

[tiny.t]

2 compound 1 isolationish,lol.
Or 1 curl,1 extension,1 stretch.