Best exercises...

[imported_dave1980]

Hi guys,
I've been training a year now and have seen a little progress.  Last 6 months were HST based.
I started on machines and then moved over to free weights, although I still use machines for some exercises, but I think I need to use freeweights more to progress further.
I checked out the exercises on bodybuilding.com and there are so many I don't know what to chose.
So my questions to you are:
-What are the best exercises for the following musclegroups?:
-shoulders?
-chest?
-triceps?
I think those are the areas not being addressed well by my current workout.
Thanks for the help!  

 

[Jake]

Hi Dave-
You can make good progress on machines, although I'm personally biased against them, mainly because I don't have machines

. It would be helpful if you posted your workout so we can give you feedback on that. In the meantime, here are some free weight exercises I've found particularly good.

shoulders: Arnold presses, upright rows
chest: dips, dips, and dips. Incline benches are good too
tris: overhead extensions and close-grip benches

BTW, check out: http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

Jake

 

[imported_dave1980]

Jake, thanks for the reply

My gym is great (as it should be for the money) so I have a choice of machines and many many dumbells .

Basically I am doing:

> Biaxial chest press machine - (one of the few machines/chest exercises that doesnt hurt my elbows. I consider myself to have "weak elbows". I dont like pressing with a barbell for example, it would have to be dumbells, my elbows click and ache easily, it is my 1 major obsticle really.)

> Seated upper back row machine

>Dumbell Shrugs

>Dumbell hammercurls

>Dumbell Squats

>Shoulder press (again my elbows are ok on this, but on another similar machine they hurt/clicked a lot - my brother is the same&#33

>Medball stoumach crunches (whilst holding a weight)

>Leg curl machine


That's my whole workout that I've been doing HST to
I do 15's then 10's then 5's and I think my rep maxes have been good so far, realistic.
I have been considering cutting to twice a week. On the 15s they have been making me ache for ages, sometimes I dont think I am recovered when I go down the gym 2 days later.
I consider myself a hard gainer, I have shakes and eat as much as I can, carbs and protein.

I will check out that link Jake, thanks.

 

[imported_dave1980]

OK, the link is good, but can anyone suggest an immediate improvement to my workout?

 

[Lance]

Well if you're allready into your routine, then how would you throw a different exercise in there anyhow? You'd need to have the RM's for that exercise to start working it in appropriately.

 

[imported_dave1980]

Quote[/b] (Lance @ Feb. 25 2005,6:58)]Well if you're allready into your routine, then how would you throw a different exercise in there anyhow?  You'd need to have the RM's for that exercise to start working it in appropriately.

Of course, but I haven't started the next cycle yet, so now is the time to change, (if I am going to change).

 

[precious_roy]

I am a big fan of keeping complimentary movements in my sessions (ie. for each horizontal adduction, I have a horizontal abduction, etc.). In that respect, I would suggest pullups, or if you cannot do that, lat pulldowns to compliment the shoulder press. Also, although many others do not recommend working this specifically, triceps might be something else you could hit to compliment the elbow flexion; maybe EZ bar lying french press or cable pushdown. Other than that, looks ok to me. Oh, possibly if you want some calf development try dumbell one legged calf raises.
Hope that helps.

 

[ian]

Throwing HST out the window for a minute, my favourite exercise for chest has always been Dumbell Presses, (obviously inclines the best for most people, as the upper chest is naturaly hard to develop).

In my opinion (and I have read this in many books) the barbell is just something for the ego (the how much do you bench question). DBs give you better movement, therefore size and shape without giving you the dodgy shoulder that everyone in my gym has!!