Why not train every muscle in a day?

[elfin1mf]

If I want to gain muscle, why shouldn't I train every muscle in a day and then break for a couple days and do it again?

[ironwill2008]

No reason you can't; 3-day-a-week, full-body routines work well.

[elfin1mf]

I read that I should not work out more than 45 - 60 minutes in a day because my hormone levels drop after 45 - 60 minutes of working out. A full body work- out for me done properly can take anywhere from 2 - 8 hours. When I started out I would only train for 45 minutes a day tops but now I cannot train hardest on a set until I am at least an hour into my routine. The first hour for me is trying very hard to train each muscle in my body to failure, but I cannot actually train them to failure until I have a couple sets in for each muscle group and about 30 minutes of rest after that for each group. Then I can train them to failure at least 2 or 3 times before I can train no more.

[kentrox99]

Rippetoe's and the 5x5 program are essentially doing just that. The smaller muscles may not be hit directly with isolation movements every workout. But your shoulders, biceps, tris, hams, calves are getting work with all the squats, rows and presses.

[SFT]

The whole point of doing full body workouts is to work on movements that target the most musculature. This does not mean that you will have an isolation exercise for every major muscle group in the body.

An example is like:

Squats
Bench Press
Rows

Then maybe an accessory exercise or two. However, just from working those first three exercises hard, you have recruited most of the upper body pulling and pushing musculature, as well as the lower body as a whole, maybe more emphasis on quads or posterior chain depending on the form of squat, but overall a lot more muscle is being worked than isolation exercises.

You also have frequency on your side because the muscles will be worked three times a week rather than just one time a week such as the typical bodybuilder splits.

[mdorty]

The whole point of doing full body workouts is to work on movements that target the most musculature. This does not mean that you will have an isolation exercise for every major muscle group in the body.

An example is like:

Squats
Bench Press
Rows

Then maybe an accessory exercise or two. However, just from working those first three exercises hard, you have recruited most of the upper body pulling and pushing musculature, as well as the lower body as a whole, maybe more emphasis on quads or posterior chain depending on the form of squat, but overall a lot more muscle is being worked than isolation exercises.

You also have frequency on your side because the muscles will be worked three times a week rather than just one time a week such as the typical bodybuilder splits.

^^this^^

[LightCrow]

I read that I should not work out more than 45 - 60 minutes in a day because my hormone levels drop after 45 - 60 minutes of working out. A full body work- out for me done properly can take anywhere from 2 - 8 hours. When I started out I would only train for 45 minutes a day tops but now I cannot train hardest on a set until I am at least an hour into my routine. The first hour for me is trying very hard to train each muscle in my body to failure, but I cannot actually train them to failure until I have a couple sets in for each muscle group and about 30 minutes of rest after that for each group. Then I can train them to failure at least 2 or 3 times before I can train no more.

8 hours for a full body routine? How the hell do you manage that?

[GuyJin]

If you're a beginner, full-body is IMHO, the best way to get started. Doing a programme like Rippetoe's or Starr's beginners programme shouldn't take more than an hour--ditto for MadCow's version. As long as you do all the major compund moves--benches, squats, rows or chins, presses and such--you will hit all the major and minor muscles that need to be worked.

And, best of all, since you're young, you've got a lot of natural hormones in your body to combat any cortisol that inevitably arises during a workout. So don't worry about it; lift, grow big, and enjoy your training.

[rbtrout]

If it takes you an hour to train your hardest on a set, you're doing something wrong. Either taking 10 minutes between sets or doing way too much warm ups. On squats, I warm up depending upon how I feel that day. Some times 3-4 warmups, some times 8 warm ups. Even at 8 warmups, that's still only 15 minutes or so. 3-4 working sets and I'm done squatting in 30 minutes.

[elfin1mf]

HAHA no none of you guys understand. First of all I DO attempt to do exercises which train many muscles at once, in fact I stick to those type only. I have many techniques which I do though. Honestly it takes me no longer that 1-5 to do a single exercise to failure. When I am done with that exercise I wait a little bit or sometimes I just move on to the next exercise. Within 30 - 60 minutes I have found my way back to the same exercise I was doing to begin with. I am able to continue on like this for 2 - 8 hours in a day. When I first started I was only able to do this for about 20 - 60 minutes, but I have been doing this for over a year now intensely all the time. When I feel that resistance exercises have become too difficult I switch to something else until I can do more resistance. Do any of you guys ever just grit your fists and pose in different positions and flex all your muscles as hard as you can in one position until you can flex no more? I like this, and have several positions which I like because I get progress from them. Like I said I try to work to failure in about 1 minute but sometimes it takes up to 5 minutes. I like pushups, but not like you guys are thinking. I just get into position and push my arms as hard as I can against the ground and slowly raise myself up, by the time I am up I have worked to failure. So I really do 1 pushup in one position for about 1 minute and then am able to do no more. Then I switch to a different exercise, then I go back down to a different pushup position and maybe rotate my hands while I do it. Another variation is sliding my hands and using the floor as resistance. I get plastic bags so that I dont burn my hands on the carpet from all the pressure. I also put my elbows on the ground and slide them, one - 6 reps to failure of course which in that case is 1-6 slides very slowly until I can slide my elbows no more. If I arch my back it works different muscles in my back. I also like to lay down by a wall and put my hands on the wall as if I am raising the wall above my head, I use my feet to resist against a bed or another wall and also get squats in at the same time this way. This is the best exercise I ever thought of doing it is really much better than using weights or machines. Like I said, with my routine I am able to switch up the exercises I do and sometimes I can go on for 8 hours. I definitely need to rest for a few days after a workout that long though and it is not typical. Some weeks I need to tone it down and can only go like 1- 2 hours a day for a few days a week. Most weeks I can do about 2 - 4 hours each day. I am seeing great results, but still want to hear any suggestions. I am thinking about writing a book about working out without machines because I honestly believe it is better. I use weights for curls, but that is all. other than that I use the wall and the floor and my bed and book case O and bungee cords.

[elfin1mf]

Also, the reason I started resting in between exercises is because I would get a bit of a cardio workout if I didnt

[elfin1mf]

O another type of exercise I like is slowly moving my arms and body around in circles or some sort of pattern while flexing as hard as I can. It is especially good for shoulders.

[fasttwitchIIx]

Go take a look at the HST site, or the HST articles on this website.
It incorporates a full body workout 3 times a week, each taking no more than an hour or so (takes me like 1.5 hours, but I do more exercises.)

[patleb940]

HAHA no none of you guys understand. First of all I DO attempt to do exercises which train many muscles at once, in fact I stick to those type only. I have many techniques which I do though. Honestly it takes me no longer that 1-5 to do a single exercise to failure. When I am done with that exercise I wait a little bit or sometimes I just move on to the next exercise. Within 30 - 60 minutes I have found my way back to the same exercise I was doing to begin with. I am able to continue on like this for 2 - 8 hours in a day. When I first started I was only able to do this for about 20 - 60 minutes, but I have been doing this for over a year now intensely all the time. When I feel that resistance exercises have become too difficult I switch to something else until I can do more resistance. Do any of you guys ever just grit your fists and pose in different positions and flex all your muscles as hard as you can in one position until you can flex no more? I like this, and have several positions which I like because I get progress from them. Like I said I try to work to failure in about 1 minute but sometimes it takes up to 5 minutes. I like pushups, but not like you guys are thinking. I just get into position and push my arms as hard as I can against the ground and slowly raise myself up, by the time I am up I have worked to failure. So I really do 1 pushup in one position for about 1 minute and then am able to do no more. Then I switch to a different exercise, then I go back down to a different pushup position and maybe rotate my hands while I do it. Another variation is sliding my hands and using the floor as resistance. I get plastic bags so that I dont burn my hands on the carpet from all the pressure. I also put my elbows on the ground and slide them, one - 6 reps to failure of course which in that case is 1-6 slides very slowly until I can slide my elbows no more. If I arch my back it works different muscles in my back. I also like to lay down by a wall and put my hands on the wall as if I am raising the wall above my head, I use my feet to resist against a bed or another wall and also get squats in at the same time this way. This is the best exercise I ever thought of doing it is really much better than using weights or machines. Like I said, with my routine I am able to switch up the exercises I do and sometimes I can go on for 8 hours. I definitely need to rest for a few days after a workout that long though and it is not typical. Some weeks I need to tone it down and can only go like 1- 2 hours a day for a few days a week. Most weeks I can do about 2 - 4 hours each day. I am seeing great results, but still want to hear any suggestions. I am thinking about writing a book about working out without machines because I honestly believe it is better. I use weights for curls, but that is all. other than that I use the wall and the floor and my bed and book case O and bungee cords.

I...I...I'm totally out of words...

[GuyJin]

I'd have to agree with patleb940; "speechless."

[rbtrout]

So basically, you posted something to see how people would respond, just so you could "prove them wrong" with your response. Bodyweight, full body routines aren't the same as weight training. You'll never get really big and really strong by doing that stuff.

[Spartan.Warrior]

HAHA no none of you guys understand. First of all I DO attempt to do exercises which train many muscles at once, in fact I stick to those type only. I have many techniques which I do though. Honestly it takes me no longer that 1-5 to do a single exercise to failure. When I am done with that exercise I wait a little bit or sometimes I just move on to the next exercise. Within 30 - 60 minutes I have found my way back to the same exercise I was doing to begin with. I am able to continue on like this for 2 - 8 hours in a day. When I first started I was only able to do this for about 20 - 60 minutes, but I have been doing this for over a year now intensely all the time. When I feel that resistance exercises have become too difficult I switch to something else until I can do more resistance. Do any of you guys ever just grit your fists and pose in different positions and flex all your muscles as hard as you can in one position until you can flex no more? I like this, and have several positions which I like because I get progress from them. Like I said I try to work to failure in about 1 minute but sometimes it takes up to 5 minutes. I like pushups, but not like you guys are thinking. I just get into position and push my arms as hard as I can against the ground and slowly raise myself up, by the time I am up I have worked to failure. So I really do 1 pushup in one position for about 1 minute and then am able to do no more. Then I switch to a different exercise, then I go back down to a different pushup position and maybe rotate my hands while I do it. Another variation is sliding my hands and using the floor as resistance. I get plastic bags so that I dont burn my hands on the carpet from all the pressure. I also put my elbows on the ground and slide them, one - 6 reps to failure of course which in that case is 1-6 slides very slowly until I can slide my elbows no more. If I arch my back it works different muscles in my back. I also like to lay down by a wall and put my hands on the wall as if I am raising the wall above my head, I use my feet to resist against a bed or another wall and also get squats in at the same time this way. This is the best exercise I ever thought of doing it is really much better than using weights or machines. Like I said, with my routine I am able to switch up the exercises I do and sometimes I can go on for 8 hours. I definitely need to rest for a few days after a workout that long though and it is not typical. Some weeks I need to tone it down and can only go like 1- 2 hours a day for a few days a week. Most weeks I can do about 2 - 4 hours each day. I am seeing great results, but still want to hear any suggestions. I am thinking about writing a book about working out without machines because I honestly believe it is better. I use weights for curls, but that is all. other than that I use the wall and the floor and my bed and book case O and bungee cords.

*backs away slowly*

[_Ishy]

I think a two day split, the way Riptoe's 5*3 does it is best. You can't fit Pull ups, Rows, Benching, Deadlifts, Squats and Military Presses all into one workout.

[mdorty]

HAHA no none of you guys understand. First of all I DO attempt to do exercises which train many muscles at once, in fact I stick to those type only. I have many techniques which I do though. Honestly it takes me no longer that 1-5 to do a single exercise to failure. When I am done with that exercise I wait a little bit or sometimes I just move on to the next exercise. Within 30 - 60 minutes I have found my way back to the same exercise I was doing to begin with. I am able to continue on like this for 2 - 8 hours in a day. When I first started I was only able to do this for about 20 - 60 minutes, but I have been doing this for over a year now intensely all the time. When I feel that resistance exercises have become too difficult I switch to something else until I can do more resistance. Do any of you guys ever just grit your fists and pose in different positions and flex all your muscles as hard as you can in one position until you can flex no more? I like this, and have several positions which I like because I get progress from them. Like I said I try to work to failure in about 1 minute but sometimes it takes up to 5 minutes. I like pushups, but not like you guys are thinking. I just get into position and push my arms as hard as I can against the ground and slowly raise myself up, by the time I am up I have worked to failure. So I really do 1 pushup in one position for about 1 minute and then am able to do no more. Then I switch to a different exercise, then I go back down to a different pushup position and maybe rotate my hands while I do it. Another variation is sliding my hands and using the floor as resistance. I get plastic bags so that I dont burn my hands on the carpet from all the pressure. I also put my elbows on the ground and slide them, one - 6 reps to failure of course which in that case is 1-6 slides very slowly until I can slide my elbows no more. If I arch my back it works different muscles in my back. I also like to lay down by a wall and put my hands on the wall as if I am raising the wall above my head, I use my feet to resist against a bed or another wall and also get squats in at the same time this way. This is the best exercise I ever thought of doing it is really much better than using weights or machines. Like I said, with my routine I am able to switch up the exercises I do and sometimes I can go on for 8 hours. I definitely need to rest for a few days after a workout that long though and it is not typical. Some weeks I need to tone it down and can only go like 1- 2 hours a day for a few days a week. Most weeks I can do about 2 - 4 hours each day. I am seeing great results, but still want to hear any suggestions. I am thinking about writing a book about working out without machines because I honestly believe it is better. I use weights for curls, but that is all. other than that I use the wall and the floor and my bed and book case O and bungee cords.

W...T...F...?!?

















What??












Troll?? I'm so ****ing lost...

[startinout12]

*backs away slowly*

lol...very hard

[elfin1mf]

I am not trying to prove anyone wrong. I am just out of my head studying for midterms and ****. What I do not understand is how people think that lifting huge weights could be a better workout some of the **** I do. Take for example the exercise I do where I push against the wall with my feet and the opposite wall with my hands, pretty much I can get way more resistance than I could with a bar stacked with weights... I can get infinite resistance. As long as a person pushes as hard as they can with their legs back and arms (and shoulders) they will just keep adding more resistance as they get stronger. There is absolutely no way you can gain more muscle pushing a bar into the air. Alot of it is definately in the mind. People rely on the weights and equipment but they have to see deep down that much of their routine could be done as good or better without the bells and whistles with a little creativity and mucho elbow grease.

[elfin1mf]

BTW I am obviously new to the forums and the lingo you guys use so please be patient. What is hst, hst site?

[elfin1mf]

I gained about 30 pounds of muscle in the past 4 months doing my routine. Pretty much benches, squats, rows, chins, presses are all covered to the max with my routine. I think since I feel like my weight is starting to plateau though, and I feel taxed all the time, I might start to break up the exercises by doing half of them one day and then the other half a 2 or three days later.

[startinout12]

I am not trying to prove anyone wrong. I am just out of my head studying for midterms and ****. What I do not understand is how people think that lifting huge weights could be a better workout some of the **** I do. Take for example the exercise I do where I push against the wall with my feet and the opposite wall with my hands, pretty much I can get way more resistance than I could with a bar stacked with weights... I can get infinite resistance. As long as a person pushes as hard as they can with their legs back and arms (and shoulders) they will just keep adding more resistance as they get stronger. There is absolutely no way you can gain more muscle pushing a bar into the air. Alot of it is definately in the mind. People rely on the weights and equipment but they have to see deep down that much of their routine could be done as good or better without the bells and whistles with a little creativity and mucho elbow grease.

lol again. Infinite resistance what r u superman. How can u push so hard that it is more effective that a 600 lb deadlift lol ur funny. U must b a god hmm maybe u should post some pics of u.

[Handsupfoo]

lol again. Infinite resistance whatr u superman. How can u push so hard that it is more effective that a 600 lb deadlift lol ur funny. U must b a god hmm maybe u should post some pics of u.

Hey, Be nice to him. At least he posts using proper words.

[bango skank]

HAHA no none of you guys understand. First of all I DO attempt to do exercises which train many muscles at once, in fact I stick to those type only. I have many techniques which I do though. Honestly it takes me no longer that 1-5 to do a single exercise to failure. When I am done with that exercise I wait a little bit or sometimes I just move on to the next exercise. Within 30 - 60 minutes I have found my way back to the same exercise I was doing to begin with. I am able to continue on like this for 2 - 8 hours in a day. When I first started I was only able to do this for about 20 - 60 minutes, but I have been doing this for over a year now intensely all the time. When I feel that resistance exercises have become too difficult I switch to something else until I can do more resistance. Do any of you guys ever just grit your fists and pose in different positions and flex all your muscles as hard as you can in one position until you can flex no more? I like this, and have several positions which I like because I get progress from them. Like I said I try to work to failure in about 1 minute but sometimes it takes up to 5 minutes. I like pushups, but not like you guys are thinking. I just get into position and push my arms as hard as I can against the ground and slowly raise myself up, by the time I am up I have worked to failure. So I really do 1 pushup in one position for about 1 minute and then am able to do no more. Then I switch to a different exercise, then I go back down to a different pushup position and maybe rotate my hands while I do it. Another variation is sliding my hands and using the floor as resistance. I get plastic bags so that I dont burn my hands on the carpet from all the pressure. I also put my elbows on the ground and slide them, one - 6 reps to failure of course which in that case is 1-6 slides very slowly until I can slide my elbows no more. If I arch my back it works different muscles in my back. I also like to lay down by a wall and put my hands on the wall as if I am raising the wall above my head, I use my feet to resist against a bed or another wall and also get squats in at the same time this way. This is the best exercise I ever thought of doing it is really much better than using weights or machines. Like I said, with my routine I am able to switch up the exercises I do and sometimes I can go on for 8 hours. I definitely need to rest for a few days after a workout that long though and it is not typical. Some weeks I need to tone it down and can only go like 1- 2 hours a day for a few days a week. Most weeks I can do about 2 - 4 hours each day. I am seeing great results, but still want to hear any suggestions. I am thinking about writing a book about working out without machines because I honestly believe it is better. I use weights for curls, but that is all. other than that I use the wall and the floor and my bed and book case O and bungee cords.

heroine and ******* ftw!

[Darkmind]

heroine and ******* ftw!

ROFL!!!

I read two sentences and backed off..... jesus man. You do way too much, with all that time writing such a long winded post you could've just took in some of the knowledge and do it. Instead of working out 2-8 hours a day... *cringes and goes into an overtraining, starvation catabolic state just thinking about it* you could just do a very simple routine such as Rippetoe's Starting Strength or Bill Starr's 5x5, and get even BETTER results.

[LactoseTolerant]

I read that I should not work out more than 45 - 60 minutes in a day because my hormone levels drop after 45 - 60 minutes of working out. A full body work- out for me done properly can take anywhere from 2 - 8 hours. When I started out I would only train for 45 minutes a day tops but now I cannot train hardest on a set until I am at least an hour into my routine. The first hour for me is trying very hard to train each muscle in my body to failure, but I cannot actually train them to failure until I have a couple sets in for each muscle group and about 30 minutes of rest after that for each group. Then I can train them to failure at least 2 or 3 times before I can train no more.

This post illustrates why people use isotonics as opposed to isometrics (you're doing nothing new). If you could apply "infinite resistance", then you would have done so and it would not take more time to do your work out. You've already reached the limits of this kind of training and the only thing you can do to increase the stimulus is to do more and more of it.

[startinout12]

Hey, Be nice to him. At least he posts using proper words.

i came here because i was gunna try to give my advice until i read how crazy this guy was and i did not come to give and english lesson ok. im here to discuss weights not grammar

[SFT]

I'm done replying after this one, but you do not have to push the muscle to failure every time at all. Especially the type of failure I think you're talking about.

Secondly, when you push against a wall, there is no movement. If there is no movement, how is there going to be any significant muscle damage? Without muscle damage, how is hypertrophy going to occur?

Training 2-8 hours a day is ridiculous for a non-professional/olympic athlete. In the case of these athletes, they still are not strength training for that full time at all.

The best I can offer is take a look at some other proven workout programs. You will quickly find there are very few similarities between yours and theirs.

Good luck.