Am posting for my brother. He's 6ft and weighs 245 lbs. He works out but it doesn't seem to be too effective. Can someone tell me what program would benefit him? Either 3 day Full body or 4 day split. He's not a beginner so he'd be more like an intermediate. The reps/sets and RM1 are so confusing. Also when should he do cardio and ab work and change the intensity? He works at 75% RM1 now. Sorry for all the questions. All help would be muchly appreciated. Thanks!
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Need Help With Workout Program!!!
- Thread starter CeeCee828
- Start date
Both a 3-day fullbody and a 4-day split are good options, assuming that it's a GOOD fullbody or a GOOD split.
Just to clarify, what are his goals? I know this is the weight loss section, and he's pretty big as is, so fat loss seems the most obvious goal, but since it hasn't been stated, it's hard to give more than just general advice.
Another thing to consider, when you're after results, you should consider someone a beginner or intermediate based on their ability to recover from training and progress, rather than based on how long they've been training for or what cool tricks they can do with a barbell. Beginners can make really rapid progress, and a good beginner program will make use of this. More advanced lifters progress at a slower rate (which is why going from a 600lb squat to a 610lb squat is a big deal, while going from a 60lb squat to a 70lb squat really just requires squatting on two seperate days), and their programs are designed to best achieve whatever limited gains they can make. So, whatever program he uses, make sure it's something suited to his ability to make progress.
If he's going to do cardio and ab work, best bet is to do it immediately after strength training. There's no set time period in which someone should change intensity. As a beginner, the goal in the gym should simply be to lift more weight, or to lift the same weight more times, every time you enter the gym. When you can't do it any more, you deload (take the working weight down 10-20%), then start piling the weight back on over the next few weeks and try to beat your previous sticking point. When this method no longer yields further results, it's time to move into intermediate level programming, in which you play around with volume, frequency, intensity and recovery to get to a point where you're getting stronger once again.
Sorry if this gives you more questions than it answers, but without knowing more details about his training history, what exact programs he's looking at, etc, it's hard to give more a specific answer than this.
Just to clarify, what are his goals? I know this is the weight loss section, and he's pretty big as is, so fat loss seems the most obvious goal, but since it hasn't been stated, it's hard to give more than just general advice.
Another thing to consider, when you're after results, you should consider someone a beginner or intermediate based on their ability to recover from training and progress, rather than based on how long they've been training for or what cool tricks they can do with a barbell. Beginners can make really rapid progress, and a good beginner program will make use of this. More advanced lifters progress at a slower rate (which is why going from a 600lb squat to a 610lb squat is a big deal, while going from a 60lb squat to a 70lb squat really just requires squatting on two seperate days), and their programs are designed to best achieve whatever limited gains they can make. So, whatever program he uses, make sure it's something suited to his ability to make progress.
If he's going to do cardio and ab work, best bet is to do it immediately after strength training. There's no set time period in which someone should change intensity. As a beginner, the goal in the gym should simply be to lift more weight, or to lift the same weight more times, every time you enter the gym. When you can't do it any more, you deload (take the working weight down 10-20%), then start piling the weight back on over the next few weeks and try to beat your previous sticking point. When this method no longer yields further results, it's time to move into intermediate level programming, in which you play around with volume, frequency, intensity and recovery to get to a point where you're getting stronger once again.
Sorry if this gives you more questions than it answers, but without knowing more details about his training history, what exact programs he's looking at, etc, it's hard to give more a specific answer than this.
It really does not matter whether you are beginner or immediate. What does the matter most is how he adopt new workout as quickly as possible whether it is 3 days full body or 4 day split. Once you've gotten used to exercise (and are up to 30 minutes of continuous movement) you can start working on your intensity. How hard you work is a crucial factor in your workout because:
• How hard you work is directly related to how many calories you burn
• Raising intensity is the best way to burn more calories when you're short on time.
• It's an easy part of your workout to change--all you do is work harder
It's easy to monitor with a heart rate monitor or perceived exertion scale so how hard should you work? That depends on several factors including your fitness level and your goals. There are three different levels of intensity you can focus on during your workouts, and you can even incorporate all of these levels into the same workout:
• High Intensity Cardio: This falls between about 75-85% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) if you're using heart rate zones, and a 7 to 8 on this perceived exertion scale. What this translates to is exercise at a level that feels challenging and leaves you too breathless to talk much. If you're a beginner, you may want to work up to this level or try beginner interval training so that you work harder for shorter periods of time. Advanced exercisers can try high intensity interval training for more strenuous workouts.
• Moderate Intensity Cardio: This level falls between about 60-70% of your MHR (a level 4 to 6 on this perceived exertion scale). I recommend this level of intensity in its exercise guidelines. This is the level you typically want to shoot for during your workouts.
• Low Intensity Cardio: This type of exercise is considered to be below about 50-55% of your MHR, or about a level 3 to 5 on this perceived exertion scale. This is a good level to work at during your warm ups or when you're squeezing in other activities, like walking, throughout the day.
Keep in mind that your target heart rate calculation isn't 100% accurate so you might want to use a combination of perceived exertion and your heart rate to find a range that works for you.
• How hard you work is directly related to how many calories you burn
• Raising intensity is the best way to burn more calories when you're short on time.
• It's an easy part of your workout to change--all you do is work harder
It's easy to monitor with a heart rate monitor or perceived exertion scale so how hard should you work? That depends on several factors including your fitness level and your goals. There are three different levels of intensity you can focus on during your workouts, and you can even incorporate all of these levels into the same workout:
• High Intensity Cardio: This falls between about 75-85% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) if you're using heart rate zones, and a 7 to 8 on this perceived exertion scale. What this translates to is exercise at a level that feels challenging and leaves you too breathless to talk much. If you're a beginner, you may want to work up to this level or try beginner interval training so that you work harder for shorter periods of time. Advanced exercisers can try high intensity interval training for more strenuous workouts.
• Moderate Intensity Cardio: This level falls between about 60-70% of your MHR (a level 4 to 6 on this perceived exertion scale). I recommend this level of intensity in its exercise guidelines. This is the level you typically want to shoot for during your workouts.
• Low Intensity Cardio: This type of exercise is considered to be below about 50-55% of your MHR, or about a level 3 to 5 on this perceived exertion scale. This is a good level to work at during your warm ups or when you're squeezing in other activities, like walking, throughout the day.
Keep in mind that your target heart rate calculation isn't 100% accurate so you might want to use a combination of perceived exertion and your heart rate to find a range that works for you.