g-money wrote...
@GourmetPrince: Well, I prefer "toning" to "bulking" because I'm not in it to increase overall muscle mass but rather to get it up to a level and keep it that way. I normally don't increase the weight per next set, favoring repetition than increasment.
On another note, you do 2 HOURS of strength training everyday, except Sunday. I'm assuming you work on different sets of muscles per day, or else there's just no possible way to work out everyday without hurting the overworked muscles. I usually do a full body workout, but every other day.
Then I have a question, since you're a personal trainer yourself: what is considered an ideal workout routine on a weekly basis, e.g. how many times per for how long and do what?
You are correct. It's different muscle groups, and different exercises each day. Usually with 2 days of rest in between groups (1 if I'm bad, which I usually am.)
As for your own personal routine, everyone wants something different. Without examination, provide me with as much information as you can about which parts of your body you wish to improve upon. If it's all parts of the body, let me know which parts are weaker and which parts may be stronger. For example, you may have killer legs, but a not so killer upper body. Next, I'll need to know if your determined to stick to a good routine. If you're often busy it'll be hard to get a healthy plan into your schedule, but it can still work out. Also, throw in your height, weight, and what you're doing now, as well as what equipment you have available.
The ideal routine is based upon what your goal is. If your goal is to get big, you'll have a totally different routine from an individual who just wants to improve on a particular athletic performance.
As for the whole "toning" and "bulking" mess. Toning really doesn't mean much. Most people think of toning as burning off body fat. Which...isn't toning, and is rather just burning off body fat. Women's magazines spew the word Tone over and over without ever really giving you a solid definition. Bulking is obviously gaining mass, increasing weight, usually with the intent of pure muscle mass. The term toning hasn't particularly secured it's place with many legitimate fitness experts. To make it simple, when someone says to me they want to get "toned". I have no clue what they're talking about. If they tell me they want to gain muscle, while keeping a low body fat percentage, I know exactly what they're talking about.