maltesecorsair

Hello
I am back with another set of noob questions,someone please take the time to answer.
1. Am currently reading "Beyond Brawn" and its accompanying book on exercise technique, could someone tell me if it's a dependable book?I've read elsewhere that behind the neck presses are bad for the shoulders but the book says chest flyes are bad too, and the author prefers barbells over dumbells I think, so I'd really like to know whether the book is a good enough one.
2.Wherever the term "erectors" come in, I am thinking 'lower back'- thats correct isnt it?(like, it says squats are for Quads,thigh adductors, glutes and erectors).
3.When you train areas like the back, you are essentially working out the area as a whole right?As in Upper back/Lower back and not muscles specifically?(some sites give exercises listed according to muscles activated and some others just give the general area worked)
4.What does doing an exercise 'for reps' really mean? Trying to eke out as many reps as you can?
5.This is a sort of diet question, but it's sorta too general to post in the diet forum I think-pardon my assumption-I gather from other posts that it is really important to eat before working out (which I dont do now) but how much time before?45 minutes or around 2 hours before?(I do my exercises early in the morning-around 4 am- and by the second exercise, I start feeling nauseated which I suppose is because I havent eaten anything)
I hope its not too annoying to have me post multiple questions at one go. Thank you for reading through this

Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo

Elson

all i can say is #2) yes

Start: 130lbs
Current:steady at 155lbs (04/27/08)

maltesecorsair

Ty for replying ma'am. Atleast I got that one correct hehe

Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo

Gazhole

1 - Behind the neck presses are bad, ive never heard anything dangerous about flys if done with good form, to pick either dumbells or barbells exclusively is stupid. They are both useful, and have their own strengths and weaknesses.

3 - Think in terms of whether the movement is a push or a pull, and whether its vertical or horizontal, rather than body parts or areas. That way its far easier to get a balance between the different categories and hit all the bases without overtraining.

4 - For reps means you do it for reps. As in plural, more than one. Basically its not your maximum.

5 - Yes. If you try to exert yourself without having any energy to fuel that activity of course thats bad.

http://sdatrainingprograms.blogspot.com - Updated 25/04/08

P-funk

1) Great book. Behind the neck presses can be rough on the shoulder and I am not a fan of teaching them. I leave them out as, like McRoberts says, I prefer DBs or BB press to the front. Flyes can be tough on the shoulders if you have shoulder issues. I usually leave them out because I would rather spend time pressing if I am going to work my chest.

2) Erectors refers to spinal errectos (or erretor spinae). It is a group of muscles (Illiocostalis, Longissimus and spinalis) which span your entire back (spinalis going all the way up into the cervical spine) and help to extend your back and maintain an erect posture.

3) When you are working the back you are usualy work on muscles that pull. You typically don't isolate muscles, as several things work in concert to produce a movement. Think of things as movements as not muscles.

4) I usually refer to anything over 5 reps as "going for reps." 5 reps and below I consider myself to be more working on limit strength and less on muscular endurance (or hypertrophy or the repetitive effort or going for reps or whatever people what to call it). But, I don't know if that is how McRoberts defines that phrase.

5) eating before a workout is essential to being adequatly fueld in order to exhaust yourself and lift heavy. If anything, you can try and get a shake in if you don't have time for a full meal.

http://pwtraining.blogspot.com/.....come and see what is on my mind!

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maltesecorsair

Tyvm for taking time to reply to my bunch of questions
Gazhole : well sir, I guess I'll use DB's too and not just BB.I am still trying to make myself think of an exercise as a push/pull move ,as all this time I'd just read of them as relating to muscles/areas.I have a very long way to go before I manage to write a routine which is balanced.Thank you for explaining stuff, sir.Btw sir, a vertical pull means a pull movement in which the body is vertical right?

P-funk: Yes sir, I will give a preference to the press moves than to flyes,its just that when I tried flyes it seemed to hit the chest a bit more , I think.Still trying to think of stuff as moves even though its a bit strange for me as of now hehe.Yes sir, I will try to get some sort of food intake before I work out.Thank you sir, for the explanations.

Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo

Gazhole

Balancing a program is easy, just pick the same number of movements for Upper Pull, Upper Push, Lower Pull, and Lower Push movements. If youre really anal about it you can balance horizontal and vertical movements aswell.

And yeah, vertical pulls are like Pullups, chinups, lat pulldowns etc.

http://sdatrainingprograms.blogspot.com - Updated 25/04/08

maltesecorsair

Ty sir, that explains it perfectly.

Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo