Best Exercises for Particular Muscles? / Gym Every Day?

[Dangermouse]

Can anybody recommend me the most beneficial exercises for the major muslce groups? Cheers. (sorry to be vague)

Also, i've been the gym now 7 days on the trot, for a minimum of 40minutes each time, yet I am not feeling particulary tired later on i the evening or the next day, and can still manage the same reps each session. Is this testiment to my superior physique , is it normal, or does it mean i'm not doing enough?

[Rhyno13]

Well fo major muscle groups stick to core exercises..

Press ups for chest, triceps and shoulders (although not so much),
Pull ups for back and biceps,
Squats for legs.

If you have access to the gym then you can do things like bench press, incline, decline for chest....shoulder press for shoulders and maybe throw in dips for triceps.

Back you could do aswell as chin ups, 1 arm rows, bent over rows, and curls for biceps.

Legs..leg press, lunges or leg extensions/curls.

I'd say 7 days in a row is too much, I usually do 2 days on 1 day off....if you are not feeling tired and can do same reps each session maybe you're lacking in intensity at the gym and just going through the motions, who knows!

[marcus2007]

if your looking to do free weight exercises (i,e barbell) stick to the major movements such as:

chest and triceps: bench press, dips
back and biceps: pullups and chinups
back: deadlift
legs: squat

dont worry about isolation movements yet, just stick to the big moves, and your whole body will grow!

for strength aim for 1-5 reps
for muscle hypertrophy (growth) aim for 8-12 reps
for endurance aim for 15-25+

hope this helps mate

[Spence]

As has been said, the best resistance exercises are the compound (multi joint) lifts performed using freeweights.

On top of the usual suspects like Bech press, Pull up, Deadlift and Squat I would also add the snatch and the clean and jerk.

The whole concept of rep ranges ideal for different goals in my opinion is a bit hit and miss. Let me elaborate. My legs respond best for hyertrophy within the 10-12 rep range and can handle high volume; however my chest grows best during a lower rep set. I am also lucky in the fact that my delt complex aswell as my traps grow very easily, I think even brushing my teeth would cause them to grow.

Basically you need to figure out what works best for your body. Even in exercise selection. Whats the point of doing the bench press for chest when you are a delt dominant presser? You would be better doing a different exercise that works better for you.

[Brows]

Going to the gym 7 days a week is too much. Rest days are just as important as the days when you do phys. Your body needs time to build muscle and sort itself out. If you still want to do some exercise on a rest day then just do a light jog or light cardio of some description.
You should be physically exhausted by the time you leave the gym otherwise you haven't worked hard enough. You've been on a PRMC and you know the drill, they'll drill you and drill you and drill you until you have nothing more to give then they throw another spanner in the works. So why not do it in practice.

I would concentrate on the basics (press-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, bleep test, running etc). Bench-press and etc are fine but you still need to be solid on the basics. I am personally a big fan of the latt pull-down machine for the pull-ups.
With this machinery I would say you need to be doing 10 repetitions and the last rep should be the last one you can do. Then you do it again after a small rest. Repeat if you’re brave enough!

Anyway what I’m really saying is WORK HARDER!!! If your leaving the gym with something left in you go back in.

Brows

[Spence]

You should be physically exhausted by the time you leave the gym otherwise you haven't worked hard enough....

...Anyway what I’m really saying is WORK HARDER!!! If your leaving the gym with something left in you go back in.

Brows

OK so I'm not completely disagreeing with you on this one, because as you rightly said, during selection/RT/life in the corps, phys will be tough simply because the job you are training for is tough. No question there.

However it never ceases to amaze me how many people believe that training hard every single time is the way forward. Those who are familiar with Selye's GAS will appreciate why this might infact be detrimental to your training.

As was said, training every single day would be too much at this point, but then again the amount of times this issue has been covered on here I would of thought it would have sunk in already,

[Brows]

Spence,

I believe that if you want to join the Marines you need to train hard, yes you can afford to have a couple of easy phys sessions if your not feeling too great but you need to train hard.
If you can train 7 days a week then you are not working hard enough. I personally would feel that you have a better chance of passing POC/PRMC if you train hard and thrash yourself twice a week over idling 5 times a week.
If this chap can train 7 times clearly he isn't training hard enough unless he is absolutely ninja.

Anyway this is purely down to your own personal mindset and opinion, you run with what works for you.

Brows

[Dangermouse]

I should add, that this is the first full training week ive had for the last three after straining my wrist (playing football) so I had a lot of energy stored away. I was also using a potent mixture of whey and carb mix, creatine and glutamine for the entire week. I was working myself to exhaustion, but was only working with assisted weight machines, with light weights many reps and many sets with virtualyl no recovery in betweem exercises. I had yesturday and today off, so from no on going to have two days on, one day off. I eat a lot of good food, and since I'm a lazy student on holiday with no employment I think 1 rest day in three will be enough from now. I'm going to stick with assisted weights and dumbells for the next two weeks, then start again with heavier weights (70-80%).

I'm grateful for the advice and will give importance to rest days. I'll also try and incorporate the exercises above. Cheers.

[riflebutt]

Lads have passed their PRMC's with no training at all.

Most the work, as I've been told my quite a few serving Marines, comes from the mind.

[Ty]

So true riflebutt. I know a few people that passed as well who went on to tell me some of the strongest on the course were out due to injury or just being cocky. Some of the least fit individuals who had the mental compacity to carry on did, and managed to be un-injured.

" Mind over matter, I don't mind....and it'd don't matter ! ".

[ADDiction]

Selye's GAS? Not familiar with it Spence. Although, you make a good point. It may not be necessary to reach complete exhaustion every training session, this is RM training so you should probably take note of the advice given to you by serving booties. This isn't weight training or Bodybuilding.

[ADDiction]

Dangermouse, seven days a week! What were you drinking when you thought up that one .

[riflebutt]

Haha, one of me buddies passed out about 6 months ago and earned his green beret. He said to me : Best way to train for the Marines is lot of swimming and sex, the rest is all in the mind

[Dangermouse]

Dangermouse, seven days a week! What were you drinking when you thought up that one .

Heres what I was doing: Getting up at 7 and eating 1500kcals for breakie (porridge, bacon, peanut butter and jam sandwiches, yum). Doing f@#k all until 1o'oclock except take dog for walk and eat a few more snacks. Dinner - caneloni, baked potatoes, fruit, lots of water, whey protein drink,
Again doing f@#k all except tidy house and eat snacks. 5'clock, whey protein, tea (chicken mostly), creatine, lots of water, 7'oclock, porridge (500kcals there) 7:30 gym, light swim, go to chippie on way home (chicken fired rice is unbeatable after gym), bed. and repeat. Was getting tired in the gym and my arms and legs felt like lead weights at night, but I was feeling fine in the afternoon. I think tough it may have been a build up of energy after 2 weeks of nothingness.

Its not too bad. I know a lad who runs about 5miles every morning and goes the gym every single day after work in the afternoon. Built like a brick shithouse, superb cardio fitness and never gets injured.

About people who pass PRMC after no training, i'll believe it when you see it. Its not even worth the risk, and would seriously doubt someones determination if they put anything less than 3months hard training in. I'm just not willing to listen to anyone say a lack of training is a virtue.

[Polynikes]

for strength aim for 1-5 reps
for muscle hypertrophy (growth) aim for 8-12 reps
for endurance aim for 15-25+

Ok, I'm not up on all this weight training malarky... so forgive me if this sounds stupid. Surely strength training (1-5 reps) will increase your muscle size just as much as, if not more than 8 - 12 reps... At least that's what makes sense to me.

Can anyone explain it??