Need muscle....

[shaolin kungfu]

I just realised that i'm going to have to be alot bigger. Does anyone have a strength training plan that they could share? Any recomendations on exercises? Anything at all will be helpful. My last plan didn't seem to be working for me.

[Former castleva]

You do not mind if I ask you about your last plan?

Here´s a good site,random bits of good information here and there (and so much of it) ;
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/index.html

[shaolin kungfu]

Thanks.

My last plan was something like this

Warmup- run 1 mile and/or bag work

Leg press- 3 sets of 5 reps each
leg extension-3 set of 5
leg curl- 3 sets of 5
calf raises-3 sets of five

bicep curl- 3 sets of 5
tricep extension-3 sets of 5
chest press-3 sets of 5
sholder press-3 sets of 5
lat pull down- 3 sets of 5

Usually did a monday-thursday split, monday for upper body, thursday for lower, situps both days unless I was sore(which for some reason I never was).

For some reason I just wasn't seeing much improvement, even though I stuck with it for over 6 months. Is it to soon to tell if it was working?

Edit: perhaps I should specify that I don't really want to look like a bodybuilder, I just want to put on enough muscle to grapple at the BJJ school effectively. Which will probably require me to gain a couple pounds.

[Former castleva]

"Edit: perhaps I should specify that I don't really want to look like a bodybuilder, I just want to put on enough muscle to grapple at the BJJ school effectively. Which will probably require me to gain a couple pounds."

I get it,and this does not probably fascinate you very much but are not you supposed to use the opponent´s muscle in BJJ and so on? Of course,it never hurts to be in better shape,oh well...


I might write about the plan of yours in PM,later.For now,I´m honestly too lazy to analyze it any further,others probably will.Ball thrown

[shaolin kungfu]

I get it,and this does not probably fascinate you very much but are not you supposed to use the opponent´s muscle in BJJ and so on?

Yeah, but if you saw the guys there, you would be thinking exactly like me. One of them(a marine) looked like a f*ckin giant! And what could havin five or ten pounds more muscle hurt?

[IronFist]

Don't forget El Pietro.

IronFist

[shaolin kungfu]

Dynamic quartet then?

Ironfist, no suggestions?

[abobo]

The finer points will depend on your body type. I'm guessing that you are lean since you need to be "a lot" bigger. So eat as much as you want. Then eat some more.

And don't burn too many calories by running and staying up late.

[Merryprankster]

Dude, you'll be fine. Don't worry about the muscle. Worry about the mat time!

I'm not especially strong for my size and I seem to do well enough.

[IronFist]

3 sets of 5 isn't really enough to build size.

You could do 10 sets of 5 and you could use heavier weight and gain some size, but you would likely lose endurance (see my "No more PTP for me" post).

Try like 5 sets of 8 maybe.

And don't forget to eat

IronFist

[shaolin kungfu]

Thanks MP.

Since no one seems to think it's a problem, I'll stop worrying about it.

Edit: thanks ironfist. I'll try that. How would it be if I cycled the Strength training with endurance?

[fa_jing]

First off all, stop using a machine - I think. Depends what kind of machine you have.

Secondly, focus on your acheivements, not your size. Are the weight #'s going up?

Thirdly, I wouldn't do those isolation exercises for martial arts. I'd do things like cleans, jerks, pullups, deep squats, pistols, clap pushups, 6 rounds on the heavy bag, sprints, bodyweight exercises, jump rope, shadow boxing, bridging exercises, etc.

Fourthly, I'm no expert, but I know what I like