Weightlifting

[ddibrano77 0]

Look into "Hypertrophy" training.

[lee92 2]

While static contractions are good to throw in every once in awhile, they aren't going to maximize the size and strength of your muscles. I read years ago that it is good for strengthening the tendons and ligaments that are sometimes weaker than the muscle bellies themselves and prone to tears. Just be sure to not lock out your joints "keep the 2-3" from full lockout in mind".

A better option would be "negatives", which also should only be done sporadically in workout (not your only means of strength training). You use slightly more weight than you can normally lift and have somebody help you w/ the eccentric part of the lift (part where you exert the most force - i.e. - up in a bench press or military press) to the point where he is doing most of the work. Then on the concentric part of the lift, you then take over and going as slow as possible resist gravity but allowing the weight to keep moving. You'll need a good spotter to watch you because it becomes very hard to stop the weight when you get tired.

There is no substitute or shortcut for full range of motion, progressive overload, intense strength training for size and strength gains. Cycling high weights/low reps, moderate weight/moderate reps, and low weight/reps is the best way to stimulate the most muscle fibers and therefore continue to see continual strength/size gains.

you're not locking out your joint though. that would lead to some damage. you hold the weight 2-3 inches before locking out, at your strongest point of motion.

[Gongshow11 1]

i'm gonna be having a new workout soon for hockey that a guy i know recommended. he has workout plans for london knights, kingston frontiacs, montreal canadians, and others, and says that this new one he has, static contraction training, is by far the best. the guys pushing around 50 years old, and started this up and within weeks he was throwing 80lb dumbells around like feathers, and 300lbs on the bench press like nothing.

all it is is 2 workouts, 5 exercises each. extremely quick and effeicient.

here's a website link that explains a bit of it...pretty interesting.

http://www.choosefitness.com/staticcontractiontraining.php

i'd say this stuff is good maybe right after the season to get you back into lifting, then go into a high intensity workout. whats the name of your guy, i might know him

[Jason Harris 31]

A better option would be "negatives", which also should only be done sporadically in workout (not your only means of strength training). You use slightly more weight than you can normally lift and have somebody help you w/ the eccentric part of the lift (part where you exert the most force - i.e. - up in a bench press or military press) to the point where he is doing most of the work. Then on the concentric part of the lift, you then take over and going as slow as possible resist gravity but allowing the weight to keep moving. You'll need a good spotter to watch you because it becomes very hard to stop the weight when you get tired.

Years ago, for about 6-9 months, a buddy and I did negative onlys for our Friday workouts. Wow, those were intense workouts -- especially when I had to lift the positive weights for his leg workouts.... :o

If my memory is correct, I believe we were able to handle at least 50% more than our positive weights for a good 8-10 reps.

[HotBacon 0]

you're not locking out your joint though. that would lead to some damage. you hold the weight 2-3 inches before locking out, at your strongest point of motion.

Which is why I said to be careful to not lock out your joints and adhere to the 2-3" from lockout.

Years ago, for about 6-9 months, a buddy and I did negative onlys for our Friday workouts. Wow, those were intense workouts -- especially when I had to lift the positive weights for his leg workouts.... 

If my memory is correct, I believe we were able to handle at least 50% more than our positive weights for a good 8-10 reps.

Yeah these can definitely be a killer when thrown in to a regular workout routine. They're best on the heavy compound movements like the bench and leg press, where you can really handle some heavy weights. Most people mistakenly think the micro-damage in your muscles (thus causing DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness - and subsequent repair and strength/size increase) comes in the eccentric part of the lift. That's why all lifting magazines will stress to "get the negative" when explaining an exercise. I laugh at all the johnny-come-lately's at my gym that are pulling the weights up and letting them fall back down...then wondering why their joints hurt and they're not getting any results.

I would definitely suggest getting a subscription to FLEX or Muscle & Fitness magazine. Even though you may be training for hockey performance, the same principles apply to bodybuilding. There is a wealth of knowledge in each issue, especially for beginners.

[juiced 0]

hey guys, this info's great, now if only i could pick out the best stuff to do lol. anyway i'm not sure if you guys already discused this but i've heard alot of different things about stretching. I was just wondering if it's good or bad to stretch after or before a workout. Cause you have some really profitnes guys saying not to and then you also have other profitness guys saying you have to.

[Adam91 0]

For anyone interesed check this web site out and try it out.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/berardi52.htm

I usually order supplements from them and have looked over some of the information posted on here about lifting. Its a more general based web site delivering more info for the serious body builder (or meat head) then the average guy or sport specific athlete. But they do cover a lot of ground and are pretty well versed in all training aspects. The good thing about this web site is that it has printable logs which will aid in ones development.

I looked over the program and I'm thinking about trying it. Has anyone else tried it before or anything to do with bodybuilding.com???

[Grave77Digger 1]

Definitly alot of good info there, just dont expect alot of sympathy from some of the meat heads on the forum... I complained about the taste of a whey protein powder and they told me to "Man Up" and drink it lol.

[HotBacon 0]

hey guys, this info's great, now if only i could pick out the best stuff to do lol. anyway i'm not sure if you guys already discused this but i've heard alot of different things about stretching. I was just wondering if it's good or bad to stretch after or before a workout. Cause you have some really profitnes guys saying not to and then you also have other profitness guys saying you have to.

NEVER stretch a cold muscle...unless you want a pull or tear.

Always do a warm up for whatever area you're going to work, then do some light stretching before starting as well as throughout the workout (between sets). When the workout is over is when you would want to do a good stretching session...peferably after a light cooldown.

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

You should do a warm up and then a dynamic stretch. This before your workout. And for after the work out, a light cool down and a good 15-20 minutes of static streching.

[A_Steeves12 0]

ok i dont know if this has been discussed but like when you guys/gals work work whats your schedual like? last summer i would do upperbody then lowerbody and rotate like that each day. now im in to doing specific muscles each day. I do legs every 2-3 day. other then that i focus on back. I dont know if i am getting a good work out this way i sometime go 4 days with out doing any chest work outs. what do you think i should do? like just make a 3 day circit and go something like:

day one legs

day two chest/arms

day three back/shoulders

what do you guys do?

(please exuce any spelling errors)

[HotBacon 0]

It all depends on your experience, # days your in the gym, and what you're looking for. I personally use a 5 day split that looks like this:

1 - Chest

2 - Legs

3 - Back

4 - Shoulders

5 - Arms

6 - Rest

7 - Rest

but recently have been doing chest 2x a week (not for hockey purposes) and playing hockey one night, so it has turned to this:

1 - Chest 1, Tris

2 - Legs

3 - Back, Bis

4 - Chest 2, Delts

5 - hockey

6 - rest, possibility of hockey

7 - rest

When splitting it up, combine a big muscle w/ a small muscle...preferably one that is already being worked (i.e. - tris w/ chest or shoulders, back w/ bis, etc.). When hitting a bodypart twice in a week, be sure to allow sufficient time for a full recovery.

You could also do a push/pull split where you do pushing type exercies (bench press, squats, etc.) on one day and pulling type exercises the next (bent over rows, hamstring curls, etc.) and repeat this for several days which will hit your entire body. A full body workout like this is best for beginners that aren't ready for an "assault" on one bodypart per day.

I said it in a previous post, but I'd recommend picking up a copy of muscle & fitness or Flex magazine. The information in one issue would help anyone out that is asking the types of questions in this thread.

Edit - As somone so nicely pointed out, I incorrectly had bis on day 4 rather than delts. It's now fixed.

[gavin 0]

For anyone interesed check this web site out and try it out.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/berardi52.htm

I usually order supplements from them and have looked over some of the information posted on here about lifting. Its a more general based web site delivering more info for the serious body builder (or meat head) then the average guy or sport specific athlete. But they do cover a lot of ground and are pretty well versed in all training aspects. The good thing about this web site is that it has printable logs which will aid in ones development.

I'm in my third week of following this. I'm trying to put on weight before I start my off-season training. And I think it's working, the hypertrophy phase is really getting me ripped, and I'm taking a lotta protein to put the mass on. I find that in the afternoons I have to pass out for like 2 hours just to recover, my body is always building. I still want to put on 20-30 lbs of muscle though.

[HotBacon 0]

For anyone interesed check this web site out and try it out.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/berardi52.htm

I usually order supplements from them and have looked over some of the information posted on here about lifting.  Its a more general based web site delivering more info for the serious body builder (or meat head) then the average guy or sport specific athlete.  But they do cover a lot of ground and are pretty well versed in all training aspects.  The good thing about this web site is that it has printable logs which will aid in ones development.

I'm in my third week of following this. I'm trying to put on weight before I start my off-season training. And I think it's working, the hypertrophy phase is really getting me ripped, and I'm taking a lotta protein to put the mass on. I find that in the afternoons I have to pass out for like 2 hours just to recover, my body is always building. I still want to put on 20-30 lbs of muscle though.

Sounds like your on the right path Gavin, keep it up. It's amazing how your body knows what it needs, when you're in serious training mode you always seem to crave a little extra shut eye.

I'd temper the desire for a quick 20-30 pounds of lean muscle though. Bodybuilders who train for a living are lucky if they can put that much on in a couple years. Although depending on your age you could hit a growth spurt...who knows? It doesn't hurt to try.

[Grave77Digger 1]

BodyBuilding.com is great. I use the forums there frequently. Have also ordered ON 100% Whey, Micronized Creatine, and Cre-ethyl Thunder from there. You learn a ton just browsing the forums its great. The most important part to weight training and trying to gain weight is training hard and getting 1.5-2 X your body weight in protein a day. Combine that with 1/2-1 gallon of milk a day and 1 gallon of water and you will put on serious weight.

[hockechamp14 0]

It all depends on your experience, # days your in the gym, and what you're looking for.  I personally use a 5 day split that looks like this:

1 - Chest

2 - Legs

3 - Back

4 - Shoulders

5 - Arms

6 - Rest

7 - Rest

but recently have been doing chest 2x a week (not for hockey purposes) and playing hockey one night, so it has turned to this:

1 - Chest 1, Tris

2 - Legs

3 - Back, Bis

4 - Chest 2, Bis

5 - hockey

6 - rest, possibility of hockey

7 - rest

When splitting it up, combine a big muscle w/ a small muscle...preferably one that is already being worked (i.e. - tris w/ chest or shoulders, back w/ bis, etc.).  When hitting a bodypart twice in a week, be sure to allow sufficient time for a full recovery. 

You could also do a push/pull split where you do pushing type exercies (bench press, squats, etc.) on one day and pulling type exercises the next (bent over rows, hamstring curls, etc.) and repeat this for several days which will hit your entire body.  A full body workout like this is best for beginners that aren't ready for an "assault" on one bodypart per day.

I said it in a previous post, but I'd recommend picking up a copy of muscle & fitness or Flex magazine.  The information in one issue would help anyone out that is asking the types of questions in this thread.

1) How big are you?

2) Stop giving bad advice!

flex magazine sucks, muscle and fitness sucks, men's health sucks, and working out your legs once a week, while working out your chest and bi's twice, SUCKS.

www.t-nation.com will give you more help than any of those, along with protein that tastes good.

www.charliefrancis.com will offer you some of the best resources in becomming a faster skater.

Also, as long as you eat big, you could defenately put on 20-30 pounds of muscle. Although you'd have to devote your whole summer to it, eat big, and you'd likely end up with some fat. One of the best nutrition programs out there is made by Dr. John Berardi, which you can get at www.precisionnutrition.com

[HotBacon 0]

1) How big are you?

2) Stop giving bad advice!

flex magazine sucks, muscle and fitness sucks, men's health sucks, and working out your legs once a week, while working out your chest and bi's twice, SUCKS.

www.t-nation.com will give you more help than any of those, along with protein that tastes good.

www.charliefrancis.com will offer you some of the best resources in becomming a faster skater.

Also, as long as you eat big, you could defenately put on 20-30 pounds of muscle. Although you'd have to devote your whole summer to it, eat big, and you'd likely end up with some fat. One of the best nutrition programs out there is made by Dr. John Berardi, which you can get at www.precisionnutrition.com

1) As a certified personal trainer, I garauntee I'm built better than you.

2) Joe Weider invented the bodybuilding scene. Just about any type of workout out there will involve one or several of the "Weider Principles" that he started back in the '50's and 60's. Sure you'll find many other places that tailor workouts to hockey specific training, but they're all based on the same principles that are printed in Weider's magazines. I prefer to learn stuff from the source, rather than relying on some people who are in a gym a few times a week and think they know how the body works.

I did screw up my last post...I only do bi's once a week, and just started doing chest twice/week to bring it up to par w/ the rest of my upper body. As I stated before I don't workout for hockey performance anymore, so of course the websites you mentioned will give differing splits than what I do. When I was playing I hit legs twice a week and everything else once.

As any BS in Biology (minor in chemistry) who has taken anatomy, physiology, kiniesiology, biochemistry, etc. could tell you...it is physically impossible for a human to put on 20-30 pounds of lean muscle in a summer. Anyone can put on 20-30 pounds in that time, but it's going to be a combination of fat and muscle...not necessarily what gavin is looking for.

[gman 0]

As any BS in Biology (minor in chemistry) who has taken anatomy, physiology, kiniesiology, biochemistry, etc. could tell you...it is physically impossible for a human to put on 20-30 pounds of lean muscle in a summer. Anyone can put on 20-30 pounds in that time, but it's going to be a combination of fat and muscle...not necessarily what gavin is looking for.

You beat me to it. Whatever makes up the 30# gain over a summer will not be helpful to hockey. Maybe if you want to plug a hole in a defensive line it would work. Otherwise I would think that 5-8# weight gain would be pushing if we are talking about strictly lean muscle.

[HotBacon 0]

As any BS in Biology (minor in chemistry) who has taken anatomy, physiology, kiniesiology, biochemistry, etc. could tell you...it is physically impossible for a human to put on 20-30 pounds of lean muscle in a summer.  Anyone can put on 20-30 pounds in that time, but it's going to be a combination of fat and muscle...not necessarily what gavin is looking for.

You beat me to it. Whatever makes up the 30# gain over a summer will not be helpful to hockey. Maybe if you want to plug a hole in a defensive line it would work. Otherwise I would think that 5-8# weight gain would be pushing if we are talking about strictly lean muscle.

Thank you for the backup :P .

[gavin 0]

Honestly I wouldn't be too sad if some of that is not muscle. I tend to be TOO lean if that's possible: I'm a xcountry runner and my marathon times are lower than what you'd expect for a guy that's so big-boned.

I kinda want to "reinvent" myself.

[gman 0]

Honestly I wouldn't be too sad if some of that is not muscle. I tend to be TOO lean if that's possible: I'm a xcountry runner and my marathon times are lower than what you'd expect for a guy that's so big-boned.

I kinda want to "reinvent" myself.

As a guy fighting from the other side of the ring, let me assure you that your trouble is way better than the alternative. I would give my left little toe to be way too lean and have low marathon times. Go for the increase in muscle and strength, and enjoy the fact that you are naturally lean.

[Sven 1]

Alright, i got me something new.

I went to the seller and picked it up, now its standing here and i started pumping. I dont know how all those various ways are called.

What can i do to gain hockey-needed muscles? By the way, i know its about the 'core'.

Thanks.

[GSHL99 0]

Don't know exactly what the rates in Europe are, but seriously, I'd recommend joining a gym. It looks like you have a curl bar, some dumb bells, and an incline bench. It's something, but it's not enough to do basic exercises like squats and bench press. Financially joining a gym just makes sense. A little break down:

Decent bench and bar for bench press: $250

Squat rack: $300

Weights: generally run $0.75 per pound.

Right there is bare bones gear, at the $19.99 per month I pay to belong to the gym I can go for years before hitting that number. In the course of a single workout the machines and free weights I use would cost thousands of dollars to buy. Additionally, for someone just starting out in weights you can usually get a trainer to show you the ropes for free or a small charge. You also have experienced weight lifters around that can give you pointers. On the cardio side it provides various machines to differ your cardio training regardless of weather. In the summer I love to get outside to do cardio, but like most people that play hockey the climate here just isn't conductive to year round outdoor cardio.

Anyway, it's not lifting bags of sand over your head, but an idea none the less.

[Sven 1]

Don't know exactly what the rates in Europe are, but seriously, I'd recommend joining a gym. It looks like you have a curl bar, some dumb bells, and an incline bench. It's something, but it's not enough to do basic exercises like squats and bench press. Financially joining a gym just makes sense. A little break down:

Decent bench and bar for bench press: $250

Squat rack: $300

Weights: generally run $0.75 per pound.

Right there is bare bones gear, at the $19.99 per month I pay to belong to the gym I can go for years before hitting that number. In the course of a single workout the machines and free weights I use would cost thousands of dollars to buy. Additionally, for someone just starting out in weights you can usually get a trainer to show you the ropes for free or a small charge. You also have experienced weight lifters around that can give you pointers. On the cardio side it provides various machines to differ your cardio training regardless of weather. In the summer I love to get outside to do cardio, but like most people that play hockey the climate here just isn't conductive to year round outdoor cardio.

Anyway, it's not lifting bags of sand over your head, but an idea none the less.

I used to be in a gym, which was not expensive at EUR15 (=about $20) but im way too lazy to drive to the gym and i dont want to get arms like treetrunks, i just want to gain SOME muscles and stay in shape.

[ktang 34]

I think you need to do squats, deadlifts, and cleans for your legs and core for hockey. For me, I need a gym membership for those exercises.