When working out 3 times a week what is the best number of exercises per each day? 6? 8? 10?

[bingsta]

I normally do between 6 and 8. Just want to know what the preferred number was

Thanks in advance.

 

[night_fury]

@bingsta 5 - 7 exercises are nice

I just do like 1 - 2 sets for each and just go to failure best I can. In and out in less than an hour. Just decided to cut out the big 3 for a bit as they got a bit stale for me while focusing on machines / dumbbell work, less fatiguing and can train as hard as you can without as much fear of an injury / regulating RPE

But of course when you just literally started, compounds are much more important just to get the gain train rolling fast af!

 

[bingsta]

@night_fury I appreciate this response! Ready for a dumb question? What is, "the big three"?

 

[night_fury]

@bingsta Squat, Bench and Deadlift! Those lifts use quite a lot of muscles and can be hella fatiguing when going all out of them, especially squats and deads

 

[bingsta]

@night_fury Good deal. Appreciate the feedback. Theres so much to learn on the subject!

 

[night_fury]

@bingsta Yeah dude, so much information now

Best thing I'd say is to apply a bit of critical thinking to whatever info you get especially on YouTube, they got good info you can draw from each of them and some you should be skeptical.

Something like doing this to warm up shoulder rotator cuff but it doesn't make sense as the resistance isnt being applied correctly, unless you use bands or cables like this which makes more sense. Youd probably see people doing it the wrong way more often

It helps that I got so much into it when I started out, absorb all the information!

 

[bingsta]

@night_fury Those are great recourses, appreciate you linking them. I'm doing this on my own so all of this helps tremendously.

 

[night_fury]

@bingsta Feel free to dm if you got any questions! I've only been training for 1.5 years but I've scoured most of the popular YTers and I'd like to think I've understood most of the info out there! I'm basically you in this that I've had to do it alone

 

[bingsta]

@night_fury Damn that's awesome, I really appreciate that. I'll take you up on that offer forsure! Aside from just general lifting knowledge, my efforts are focused on diet. I have UC so that means no dairy and no over-eating, so getting to my target cal and proteins per day is a puzzle I'm trying to piece together.

 

[fonfukajoe]

@bingsta You could also thrown in OH press and rows as supplemental to the big 3. Look up compound movements.

 

[hisch1ld]

@bingsta Brad schoenfeld wrote several books. Buy the latest one he wrote. Lou schuler wrote the lean muscle digest which is both a lifting and diet book., it's the best book for a guy who just wants to Brad's books are geared to the muscle heads

 

[buna]

@bingsta You mentioned in another comment that you've only been training for 6 weeks, and you've managed to add weight every week up till now. Great!

In the beginning 5 or 6 exercises for as little as 1 or 2 working sets is absolutely fine. Do that on something like a full body 2-3 times a week or an upper/lower 3-4 times a week and you're good. Overall weekly volume at this point can be as low as 6 sets per muscle per week. This has the added benefit of allowing you more mental headspace in a session to really focus on each working set.

Keep the focus on progressive poundages over time in great form. That will work wonders for you at this point.

I would caution you with some of the training related stuff which you'll be exposed to online at this point, you will see a lot of discussion around optimal volume on the internet and at this point it's just not very relevant to you. In the beginning I would keep your focus on perfecting your form, working really hard and progressing your poundages. Keeping your total volume low at this point will allow you to focus on what you're doing and progress faster.

 

[bingsta]

@buna Man I cannot thank you enough for this feedback.

These are all great points that I'm going to start utilizing asap. I didn't realize you could double up on sets. As in, bent over arm rows twice, Instead of once and moving onto next exercise.

I'm starting to get a work out routine I'm comfortable and happy with thanks to what I've learned here.

My biggest issue will be diet.

Thanks again!

 

[dawn16]

@bingsta Look up the barbel prescription by Andy baker. It goes into depth on how to program, from a novice, intermediate and all the way to an elite

Edit: this will give you years of training to get through programmed in a sensible way!

 

[bingsta]

@dawn16 I'll be looking this up tonight on the companys dime lol

 

[dawn16]

@bingsta Don’t be out of by the fact that It’s primarily aimed at the over 40s and the adaptations to training they need to make. However it is also useful for those under forty wanting to go from a novice LP to intermediate training and finally advanced level training.

I even found the link for you…

https://docero.tips/doc/barbell-prescription-strength-training-for-life-after-40-1mp5vowgj1

The formatting is a bit off but it saves you $40

 

[delilahc]

@bingsta 1)Dips 2)close grip bench press 3)bench press 4)pull up 5) deadlift 5) squat 6) abs 7) triceps extension
3 set per exercise/ 2min rest between sets/ always go to failure /up the weight when u can do 12 reps /try to use machines only to avoid injury / train 2 to 3 times a week ( for better growth train only 2 times per week but each time try to reach real failure with partial reps etc )

 

[dawn16]

@bingsta There is absolutely no way of knowing because it depends on what body part your working. For about 3 years I would do many different exercises on a muscle group such as biceps but I learned that switching exercises I’m still using the same muscle group (cable curl and barbell curl).

My thing is, you want to do the bare minimum amount of exercises that works every layer of muscle group (bicep) with optimal efficiency according to the specific type of muscle you are working. Combine this with intensity and you’ll see results. Only until I started working out right after 3 years I’m finally seeing steady process.

 

[jerrykit]

@dawn16 So hope I interpreted this correct you did isolation weightlifting exercises for three years, got no gains. Realized you have to get stronger at compound lifts (since they let you lift heaviest overall weight and train most muscle groups at once thus most micro tearing and recovery at larger size in muscle tissues. is my explanation for novices) now seeing gains…tbh unless u clarify how you were training and eating three years this entire thing could also be this guys diet was shit or training was shit and even if both perfect maybe genetics. Recent progress can be him fixing training like he says. Need elaboration on what lifts at what weights even if they are curls can you do for three years and not see any arm size gain….

 

[dawn16]

@jerrykit I was always seeing progress throughout the first year (nooby gains) and this was when I was doing straight bodybuilding. Second year I saw some progress and this was when I combined calisthenics and bodybuilding but I was doing them on two separate workout regimens so not together. Third year I plateaud for MONTHS and couldn’t figure out why until I started manipulating my grip and studying very specifically what exercises work what muscle groups. Tweaked my workout plan and continued seeing steady progress. I am now combining weightlifting with calisthenics and focused on continually increasing the weight. Some days I do pyramids and each set is to failure and other days I’ll do high reps, medium reps, and low reps (learned this from Arnold getting the best of all worlds). I’ve finally learned mind to muscle connection and I can just feel if I’m doing something right. I only started this last week and am already seeing progress like crazy.

I will add. I was also trying so many different workout plans (high volume, high intensity) and exercise techniques (low rep, medium rep, high rep, rest pause, slow negatives, fast negatives, slow positive, fast positives) all that stuff. Just trying to see see what my body responds too best. Training 7 days a week to training 4 days a week to give my body adequate time to recover.

My diet I was always tweaking, first year I just ate whatever didn’t really understand the science behind calories and all that other stuff, second year I started watching olympians and eating like them so all lean food but eating super lean doesn’t go well with my body type. I tweaked and now I eat hard gain food, PB&J’s, top ramen, chicken and rice, potatoes, eggs.

I still don’t know everything, obviously. But it’s easier to track what I was doing wrong as a natural vs if I was enhanced I would’ve grown no matter what type of exercises I did making it hard to assess if I’m working out at optimal intensity for muscle growth.