muscle growth

[athena]

Hi averyone........ I have a question.......

If I want to get some muscle growth, Can I work out every muscle grup twice a week or is it too much, and how about shoulders and calves wich are the hardest muscles to grow???????

THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLIES

[markkk]

Athena-

Both of your questions depend on your own body. If I were you I would just experiment with each muscle group and see what happens. Typically, working out a certain muscle twice a week is done if that muscle is not developing as fast as the others. If you are just starting out though, you might want to just stick with one muscle group once a week and be patient. Every muscle twice a week is just too much stress on the body, especially for someone who is just starting, well, in my opinion anyway.

Shoulders and calves might be hard to develope for one person and then it might be easy for someone else. It all depends on a lot of things really.

I did the best I could with the information in your post. I hope it helps.

[athena]

THANK YOU MARKKK

I'll try to do that, I've been working out for 8 months and I wanted to start a different routine to see If the results were defferent, I am 5'2 120lb and dying to see big results but I guess the answer is to be "PATIENT" wich is not my biggest strength but I'll try to practice on that....

[markkk]

Athena-

I dont know if this is what happens to you, but here are the most important stages I went through when I started lifting.

1. Months 1-3:
I would lift and not see any results while I was home or in the gym lifting.
Very frustrating.

2. Months 3-6:
When I was in the gym, I would see results, and when I got home I would be like, "yeah, thats what I'm talking about", but then when I would wake up the next morning I was back to my natural wimpy self.

3. Months 6-9:
Thats when the results actually starting sticking around and people began to notice. Once that happaned, my motivation grew! It was definately worth the wait. I wanted to stop so many times. My mind would play tricks on me too like, "Youre married, why do you need to lift", or "Youre never going to be any bigger, just quit and go party". Somehow I stuck it out. It's been 3 years now and lifting is just as much as a part of the day as getting up and going to work.

I didnt know that you were at it for 8 months. For me, I stepped up chest to twice a week right around the 8th month. I have a real hard time building up my chest. I do one workout real hard, balls out, and then the other one about 50-60 percent. Thats the only muscle I work twice a week. This is just my opinion but I think that if you have been pretty consistent for 8 months now, it would be safe to hit a certain muscle twice a week. Just experiment, be safe, but experiment. Lifting for me is a constant learning experience.

[athena]

THANKS AGAIN MARKKK

I think the biggest mistake I always make is to change my routine all the time, there are so many exercises that I always want to try something new, defferent reps, defferent sets and stuff, but I think is time to stuck with one routine and wait to see results............

One last thing......... I heard that you have to change your routine every 3 months, is that right??? what is the reason for that????

[markkk]

Athena-

I'm pretty sure that you dont HAVE to change your routine. I think that it's suggested, as another tool in keeping your muscles always guessing instead of adapting to a certain routine. I read an article at Bodybuilding.com about myths and one of them was that you always have to change up your routine to build muscle. The article suggested that if you find a certain exercise that you like doing and it's productive, than there's no reason why you shouldnt stick with that routine for awhile, not forever, but awhile should be OK. I dont think you need to change things up at a certain time or point, but I do believe that if you have been at it for awhile and starting to plateau that making changes might be what you need. The most important thing is just to stick with it. I have so many friends that get into working out for a few months at a time, and just when they are getting somewhere, they quit for awhile. Its like 3 months of working out, 2 weeks of not working out, a month of working out, 12 days of not working out, 14 days of working out, a month of working out. They run that kind of routine and then get so frustrated. If you have been going for 8 months now you pretty much have the hardest part done, and thats making the exercise a part of your daily routine. I would say you are well on your way to getting in fabulous shape.

That last sentance was cheesey as hell sorry.

[athena]

Ok after reading all this now I think I am ready to take it easy, clean and right, I can't wait to start over next monday, I promise to be patient and consistent untill I get want I want, now I know that is only a matter of time, specially when you live with somebody that has been working out for 12 years and has gotten amazing results.........

Thanks for all your replies, I'll be back soon with more questions and new results.....

[jiujitsugirl]

of results have you seen so far? In eight months, what have your goals been and have you met them? That can help us figure out the answers to your questions.

[athena]

Originally Posted by jiujitsugirl

of results have you seen so far? In eight months, what have your goals been and have you met them? That can help us figure out the answers to your questions.

I definitely lost fat everywhere and my legs are a little bit bigger but I think that is not the result I should have working out the way I have, sometimes I do everything exactly the way I should and I get frustrated because I don't see any change so I get very discourage, I never want to give up but I keep changing everything because I think that I am doing something wrong but now I think that that's exactly what I am doing wrong, changing all the time.....

My goals have been always the same, get a bigger lower body, tone my muscles and get bigger legs and butt, I know that you loos fat by doing cardio, eating right and lifting, which I do, I just haven't seen much growth in all this time.....

[jiujitsugirl]

it really took me years to figure it all out...and I'm still workingon it. Don't beat yourself up about changing your workout all around...that can be good too.

Are you eating 4-6 smaller meals a day?

Are you avoiding refined sugars and transfats?

Are you getting enough protein?

Are you working out consistently?

Are you hitting your high points in cardio and lifting?

Are you eating a lot of veggies?

If you can answer yes to ALL of those questions...the rest is just patience...

[athena]

The answer to those questions is..........YES, YES, YES...............But I guess patience is the answer and that is something I am working on

I'll be back soon to tell you guys if my patience gave me the results I am looking for...........

[throwerTRW]

im not sure if you do this or not but its good to keep a training diary with your work our in them so you can keep track of your progress. and so you can rememebr how much weight you did the week before and then GO UP!!! and about the changing your work outs its benifical to change your program about every 3 or 4 weeks but it should be planed. you should write out a whole cycle (3 or 4 weeks) before you go into the gym.

what lifts have you been doing whats a typical week look like for u in the gym?

[jiujitsugirl]

If you do all of those things, unless you are a total genetic freak of nature, you will get results....it's mechanical. Hang tough and never give up.

[athena]

THANK YOU GUYS

That is exactly what I am going to do, and most of all, be patient and dedecated....................