workout question

[Fatmax]

I would say half the time i work out I don't get sore the following days but I'm definitely pushing hard.

For example chest:

3 sets of barbell bench
4sets of incline dumbbell bench
4sets of dumbell flys
3 sets each of over and under cables
3 sets of peck deck
reps for all range between 7-12

Can you still gain if your not sore?

Should I be concentrating more on negatives, I've heard that they are more effective and you can get better gains and strength?

[joe2009]

do more flat bench, i do about 5 -6 sets

[legobricks]

Post this in the workout forum. But to add to your post, no decline? it may help a bit. I know some poeple dont even do decline but i tend to like it. How is your weight on the scale? Is it increasing? For me im soar just a little bit the day after but not much at all and my workouts are def. intense.

[Fatmax]

2 1/2 months ago I was 150lbs at 5'8" and about 12% I started to workout again and took creatine glut and I got to 171 at 10% which I heard is alot of gain for that time naturally. I started my test cycle 500mgs of enanth 11 days ago and I'm now 176. I guess I have good genetics, i wonder how much I will weigh when I'm done the 12 weeks, I guessing around 190?

[Longball]

Guys weiging under 200 should never use the word fat in their screen names.

[Fatmax]

lol. It just popped in my head at the time. I think its better than wannabehugeoneday!ha.

[Panzerfaust80]

I would try doing some new exercises with heavy weight, of course. Sometimes we all get into the same routine week after week.. sometimes Ill do dumbbell presses on the big medicine ball, kinda tricky at first but something new... or do all cables, (heavy) etc... mix it up!! but keep the weights heavy and I wouldnt do 12 reps for anything, keep it no more than 8. Remember muscle dosent know how many "reps" youve done. It just knows if its fatigued or not... go heavy and you shall be sore

my .02

[powerliftmike]

Great progress buddy! did you just start working out? you should be making some awesome gains if you did!

So you want to add strength and asking if negative are the answer? They are a good asset. You should not be training to failure for strength. For strength in the bench, negatives, holds, partial reps (1/2 and 1/4), band tension, narrow and wide grips are all great. dont spend much, if any, time on inclines, dips, overhead presses. they are going to kill your recovery, b/c you will be doing so much flat bench work.

let me know if you want to know more..

[Fatmax]

I was working out about 5yrs ago, got to 185 then stopped for 3yrs and now back on for good. I guess I want to stay cut but increase size and strength, I find I enjoy using Dumbells more than barbell for bench. I'm guessing I need to concentrate on barbell but its harder to lift and when you don't have a spot it sucks if you can't get it off your chest. Can you still get the same gains and strength using dumbells? I workout with 100-110 lbs in each arm. I can only lift those about 5-6 reps for 2 sets then I drop down to 90's for 2sets and 1 set at 50 for burn.

[Panzerfaust80]

I was working out about 5yrs ago, got to 185 then stopped for 3yrs and now back on for good. I guess I want to stay cut but increase size and strength, I find I enjoy using Dumbells more than barbell for bench. I'm guessing I need to concentrate on barbell but its harder to lift and when you don't have a spot it sucks if you can't get it off your chest. Can you still get the same gains and strength using dumbells? I workout with 100-110 lbs in each arm. I can only lift those about 5-6 reps for 2 sets then I drop down to 90's for 2sets and 1 set at 50 for burn.

I read somewhere that Ron Coleman does an great majority of training with dumbbells and he's pretty big id say

I reccommend throwing out the last "burn" set, overtraining if anything, you already did 4 sets prior to that. save energy to do another chest exercise bro. just my opinion.

[taiboxa]

being sore is not indicative of growth... you ever over stretch and get sore.. doesnt mean im getting muscle growth.. just means i induced some sort of truama to the muscle.

dont worry bout being sore.. just make sure you get ample rest.
i think your doing too much but thats just me... not being sore can also be a sign of over training.

and remember always focus on the eccentric motion of the lift, and less is more.

[Panzerfaust80]

being sore is not indicative of growth... you ever over stretch and get sore.. doesnt mean im getting muscle growth.. just means i induced some sort of truama to the muscle.

dont worry bout being sore.. just make sure you get ample rest.
i think your doing too much but thats just me... not being sore can also be a sign of over training.

and remember always focus on the eccentric motion of the lift, and less is more.

I dunno, I feel as though if I am not sore the next few days following a workout then it wasnt very effective. Soreness is indicative (one of possibly many factors) of tears in the muscle that will later be repaired, and thereby making it "bigger and/or stronger" once fully recovered.

IMHO, if you're not sore day after or two days after workout, you just performed a workout your body is used to so if anything you just burned some calories and "maintained" the existing muscle you have.

..but then again my Bi's hardly ever get sore even when curling heavy weight so who knows..

[taiboxa]

I dunno, I feel as though if I am not sore the next few days following a workout then it wasnt very effective. Soreness is indicitive (one of possibly many factors) of tears in the muscle that will later be repaired, and thereby making it "bigger and/or stronger" once fully recovered.

IMHO, if you're not sore day after or two days after workout, you just performed a workout your body is used to so if anything you just burned some calories and "maintained" the existing muscle you have.

..but then again my Bi's hardly ever get sore even when curling heavy weight so who knows..

actually you can exhaust the nerves ther percieve micro truama to the tissue thus you will have the same amount of "DAMAGE" but your recepters will not be responsive to it.

[Panzerfaust80]

actually you can exhaust the nerves ther percieve micro truama to the tissue thus you will have the same amount of "DAMAGE" but your recepters will not be responsive to it.

Totally understood, however in that scenario I doubt you would experience the same muscular growth with micro trauma as opposed to "full blown " trauma or however you like to phrase it.

I think the "damage" may be the same but the method by which tissue is "repaired" is different depending upon the exertion the muscle has experienced.

[Ronnie Rowland]

being sore is not indicative of growth... you ever over stretch and get sore.. doesnt mean im getting muscle growth.. just means i induced some sort of truama to the muscle.

dont worry bout being sore.. just make sure you get ample rest.
i think your doing too much but thats just me... not being sore can also be a sign of over training.

and remember always focus on the eccentric motion of the lift, and less is more.

Good post taiboxa!

[Fatmax]

Both present good advice and both have recommended that i may be overdoing it with the last set. I will cut those out because I actually add an extra set for every exercise to burn it so thats like an extra 6 sets, I just don't count them. Thanks for the advice, it helps.