• Keep up to date with Ausbb via Twitter and Facebook. Please add us!
  • Join the Ausbb - Australian BodyBuilding forum

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.

    The Ausbb - Australian BodyBuilding forum is dedicated to no nonsense muscle and strength building. If you need advice that works, you have come to the right place. This forum focuses on building strength and muscle using the basics. You will also find that the Ausbb- Australian Bodybuilding Forum stresses encouragement and respect. Trolls and name calling are not allowed here. No matter what your personal goals are, you will be given effective advice that produces results.

    Please consider registering. It takes 30 seconds, and will allow you to get the most out of the forum.

I'm not a weight lifter, I'm a bodybuilder - Kai Greene

Little Hammer,

I agree.

I never got that strong, probably because i never focused on strength alone long enough, but my gains were mostly made from moderate weights.

Very early on i realised that to heavy and i burnt out quickly.

I have tended to train on 60% of my max and 4 sets of 6-8 with a minute rest.

I did this even when i was at my peak, power cleaning 155kg at 98kg bodyweight (1991), even after just bodybuildign for three years, and a touch and go bench on 172.5kg (and 6 reps on 145kg) (1994).

Once or twice a month is all I ever did in terms of heavy weights. The rest was moderate, short rests, and form.

In fact, I believe my constant injuries in the last 12 months has been from my departure from such training for powerlifting, and perhaps older age.

When i recover, i am going back to my old ways. Lots of moderate weights with short rest.

I hate training with long rests any way. Bores me shitless.
 
Spartacus

I believe ones systems cannot over train using maximum intensity and working to fatigue, it is impossible.

I do however understand how someone can easily burnout doing the opposite.

Now, recovering between workouts and the time it takes is another thing and varys between individuals.
 
Little Hammer

But that is it. My hardest sessions were with moderate weights, and most who ever trained with me, never went away feelign they did not train.

for me it is a happy medium; less heavy, more intense (more muscle pain), quicker workouts, less time in gym (except when i start talking), and more recovery.
 
The weight or resistance IMO is still critical please don't misunderstand my thoughts, for me a goal is and has always been 1.5 bw x 20 for squatting.
Squat that and you would be strong and muscular.
 
Brick said:
His advice has it's place but let's be real show me anyone who has developed decent arms by concentrating on contracting while repping out 7.5kg dumbells, doesn't happen. It's this kind of shit that leads to young guys doing ridiculous programmes and never progressing.
Click to expand...
You're probably right, that probably doesn't happen. Because then they start concentrating on contracting while repping out 8kg DBs, then 8.5, then 9.......
 
I think you will struggle to find anyone on this forum who actually works out in any form whatsoever that would agree the weight is arbitrary.

Explain to me how weight can be arbitrary when weight =resistance?

Come on Bella I want to hear your response on this......
 
Honestly, I'm surprised this is even being debated, these principles have been around since the dawn of bodybuilding.
 
Darkoz said:
Honestly, I'm surprised this is even being debated, these principles have been around since the dawn of bodybuilding.
Click to expand...

Oz I'm not disagreeing that these training principles have their place or that bb vs pl are two different sports but mate you have to agree dropping the weights and doing exhaustion sets, pyramiding etc etc is better left to guys that have already built a base. It's a training style for big units not blokes that aren't already stacked or well on their way. Even then the weight matters cause it's relative to what you are already lifting.
 
That was a quote from bodybuilding australia's facebook page, I found it interesting, so I put it in italics and bolded and left it here for those who read, to think about.....

I think the point being, that there's always such a fucking shit storm about the weight you lift, or whether you're doing 3-5 reps or 8-15 reps. In the end, to me, all that quote is saying is, it's not just about the weight and reps - it's about working every muscle, from every angle and firing those fibres, so the muscle grows. The aim is complete contraction, perfect form - this is the base and the foundation from where you begin.

The amount of reps mean shit, if your form is crap.
Weight is irrelevant if you're only doing two reps and maxing out.

Am I only the only person who gets this? lol

Come what may...the pro's can lift heavy weight...yep, they can.
But the boys who begin, don't and won't and shouldn't be expected to.

In the beginning, it's form and function, contraction and firing the fibres, eating right, it's all about targeting and being completely focused on building and growing each and every muscle....

And of course, over time, weight will increase. Of course it will. But throwing up set numbers, is for Power Lifters - not bodybuilders. There are no set numbers, except the numbers you set for yourself. That's a bb'ers only competition.

I'm not here to argue, everyone's entitled to their own opinion.

This, is just mine.
 
Last edited:
Darkoz said:
Honestly, I'm surprised this is even being debated, these principles have been around since the dawn of bodybuilding.
Click to expand...

It's older than dirt Dark.

Bodybiulding over the years along with all other displays of strength are becoming more smoke and mirrors than ever.
 
Brick said:
Oz I'm not disagreeing that these training principles have their place or that bb vs pl are two different sports but mate you have to agree dropping the weights and doing exhaustion sets, pyramiding etc etc is better left to guys that have already built a base. It's a training style for big units not blokes that aren't already stacked or well on their way. Even then the weight matters cause it's relative to what you are already lifting.
Click to expand...

I haven't even watched the vid that was posted brick but I assume we're talking about bodybuilding in general here, not about beginners.
If we're talking just about beginners then I whole heartedly agree that those advanced techniques you mention are not for them, yet.
However, as we all should know as far as building muscle goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat and the amount of weight lifted is just one side of many facets.
 
OK, I've just watched the vid and what he's saying as a bodybuilder makes perfect sense, I see nothing that was said which would cause a debate.
The statement he made about people trying to lift too heavy also rings true because we're trying to work the targeted muscle here not chase numbers or win a weight lifting competition.
He's absolutely right, you see it all the time, I guy trying to work his biceps for instance, too much weight on the bar, elbows bent throughout the whole set just rocking back and forth giving his lower back and front delts a workout but nothing for the intended muscle, the biceps.
 
Last edited:
How is it that I can fail at 10 reps with a 20kg dumbell, or at 10 reps with a 12kg dumbell? The 2nd instance is using my bicep to curl, the first instance I am using my delts, momentum and my biceps and not using full ROM and squeezing at the top and fighting the negative.

That is the point of the video, The video isn't telling you not to train as heavy as you can, but to reasses how heavy you can actually train.
 
bradsky said:
How is it that I can fail at 10 reps with a 20kg dumbell, or at 10 reps with a 12kg dumbell? The 2nd instance is using my bicep to curl, the first instance I am using my delts, momentum and my biceps and not using full ROM and squeezing at the top and fighting the negative.

That is the point of the video, The video isn't telling you not to train as heavy as you can, but to reasses how heavy you can actually train.
Click to expand...

Exactly right bradsky, it's as simple as that.
 
I think it's all pretty simple, use as much weight as you can whilst keeping proper form when training. Progressively add weight and or reps and you will get stronger and grow, thus being able to add more weight etc and on and on it goes eventually peaking than you got to get crafty. This is basically what I been doing, I might not have a 200 dead yet, but I will soon, I'm nearly there.

I use mainly compound movements because i think it allows you to heave more weight at any given time, thus increasing strength faster. Which than allows you to use more weight at any given time for when you use isolation exercises.

A person who deadlifts 350kg, will generally use more weight when doing bicep curls than someone who doesn't deadlift 350kg. Or at least could if they chose to.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top