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Muta · 08-06-2014, 11:40 AM

Are you stretching properly? That will be key to also gaining strength in your neck, especially when lifting weights; blood flow will make the neck muscles more flexible during workout. This will still be important for your neck even if you say its healed. Injured areas should always be watched a bit closer.

My observations:

1) Cardio is fine, but might be slightly not enough if your goal is to lose belly fat. Try 45 minutes. Your cool-down cardio should be longer than 5 minutes at the end, too (try 10 minutes). I'd do the stairs at the beginning, and then the spin bike at the end.

2) Do you need to do all those muscle groups at once, every day? Why not break them into groups, ie. chest / back, legs, shoulders / arms, abs and core? Your muscles need time to recover in between; that's where the muscle growth actually happens. I'd recommend doing each group once, or twice, a week. No more.

3) I'm with Bring_Back_Shantz, you should incorporate squats and deadlifts into your workout. The squat is arguably the best full-body exercise out there. You can make a tons of gains with squats - even moreso if you can do them properly (ask a trainer for proper technique!) Start off with a Smith machine and then move on to barbells.

4) If you're going to failure on each set, try increasing the weights in either direction. For example; do 5 sets of 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 and increase the weight. Or do it the other direction and decrease the weight. Working to failure and then adjusting the weights is a good way to build muscle. Just make sure you know your limits.

5) Switch up your workouts every 4 months or so, in order to shock the muscles and your system. This is how maximum gains can be made. Do what you need to in order to avoid 'plateauing'.

4) Your diet seems okay; just make sure you're getting the proper amounts of fats and carbs, too, in addition to protein. All three are necessary building blocks for muscle growth and cardiovascular health. Increase your intake of vegetables, especially green ones. Also, increase your intake of beans and legumes, as they are a source of protein and a whole bunch of other good stuff. Cut out carbonated drinks completely, and if you can, reduce your liquor consumption. If you want grains, make sure they're whole wheat, not white.

I'm following Arnie's original plan, and it's kicking my ass right now. I've been going to the gym for five years, and the amount of sweat that falls off my body with this workout is awesome. There's no machines, only dumbells, barbells and your own body weight. Here's the program, I highly recommend it in the future.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/arno...iner-main.html

Good luck!

08-06-2014, 11:40 AM	#4
Muta Franchise Player Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Auckland, NZ Exp:	Are you stretching properly? That will be key to also gaining strength in your neck, especially when lifting weights; blood flow will make the neck muscles more flexible during workout. This will still be important for your neck even if you say its healed. Injured areas should always be watched a bit closer. My observations: 1) Cardio is fine, but might be slightly not enough if your goal is to lose belly fat. Try 45 minutes. Your cool-down cardio should be longer than 5 minutes at the end, too (try 10 minutes). I'd do the stairs at the beginning, and then the spin bike at the end. 2) Do you need to do all those muscle groups at once, every day? Why not break them into groups, ie. chest / back, legs, shoulders / arms, abs and core? Your muscles need time to recover in between; that's where the muscle growth actually happens. I'd recommend doing each group once, or twice, a week. No more. 3) I'm with Bring_Back_Shantz, you should incorporate squats and deadlifts into your workout. The squat is arguably the best full-body exercise out there. You can make a tons of gains with squats - even moreso if you can do them properly (ask a trainer for proper technique!) Start off with a Smith machine and then move on to barbells. 4) If you're going to failure on each set, try increasing the weights in either direction. For example; do 5 sets of 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 and increase the weight. Or do it the other direction and decrease the weight. Working to failure and then adjusting the weights is a good way to build muscle. Just make sure you know your limits. 5) Switch up your workouts every 4 months or so, in order to shock the muscles and your system. This is how maximum gains can be made. Do what you need to in order to avoid 'plateauing'. 4) Your diet seems okay; just make sure you're getting the proper amounts of fats and carbs, too, in addition to protein. All three are necessary building blocks for muscle growth and cardiovascular health. Increase your intake of vegetables, especially green ones. Also, increase your intake of beans and legumes, as they are a source of protein and a whole bunch of other good stuff. Cut out carbonated drinks completely, and if you can, reduce your liquor consumption. If you want grains, make sure they're whole wheat, not white. I'm following Arnie's original plan, and it's kicking my ass right now. I've been going to the gym for five years, and the amount of sweat that falls off my body with this workout is awesome. There's no machines, only dumbells, barbells and your own body weight. Here's the program, I highly recommend it in the future. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/arno...iner-main.html Good luck! Last edited by Muta; 08-06-2014 at 11:43 AM.