Weekly Reflection

Though Frank is the primary person to be working out in our group, I decided to go to the gym as well.  I have gone to the gym a few times over the last couple weeks.  After my first day, I was sore a couple days later.  After my second and third workouts a few days later, I did not experience the soreness anymore.

Last year and the year before that, I worked out regularly.  That could be why after the second and third workouts recently, I found it so much easier.

Questions and Answers

1.)  What are the benefits of high repetitions sets?  (Burn fat, tone up, or build muscle? There are bodybuilders that use high repetition sets in their workouts.)

It is not the easiest to say.  It depends on what the person is using.  For me, it is for the rehabilitative state.  For the person that is just starting out with bodybuilding, it is for stabilization endurance training.  It will help the person lose weight and help him/her get comfortable with the exercises.  It prepares the body for the stresses that bodybuilding will be exerting on the body.

If the person is starting out with less body fat percentage, the higher repetition with lower weights would still be beneficial for preparing the body to subsequently lift heavier weight.

It is good to do high repetition workouts every three months for one to two weeks.

Strength training is a workout consisting of sets of one to five repetitions.

Muscle development is a workout consisting of sets of eight to twelve repetitions.

2.)  Is a one-rep set beneficial for bodybuilding?  (Is it beneficial for strength training only?)

If you are doing even one rep maxes, that could still help you in all that you do.  It would be beneficial in helping you lift heavier for bodybuilding.  It would help you perform better in other sports that require strength, whether it is bursts of force or continuous exertions of force.

3.)  Muscle soreness post is a sign of building muscle or tearing muscle down?  (Should a bodybuilder's goal be to feel muscle soreness as often as possible?)

Both.  After working out, you must be tired, but not too tired that you are not able to get back to the gym the next day.  Supplements are to help you not get too tired and to help your muscles get the required nutrients to prepare itself for the next day’s workout.

4.)  Does the body naturally produce fat or is fat gained from what we eat?

Gained from what we eat.

5.) What is a healthy range of fat percentage for a male vs. a female?  (What is a male bodybuilder's fat percentage in the off season vs. competition?  How about for a female bodybuilder?)

Ten to twelve percent off season.

Three to five percent for competition as a natural bodybuilder.

One to two percent for professional bodybuilders who take drugs.

For women, they would naturally have fourteen to seventeen percent body fat.  For competitors, between five and eight.

6.)  For bodybuilders, are there body parts that can be trained daily?

Abs, more than anything.

7.)  How much protein should a body builder consume per pound of overall body weight?

There’s a lot of controversy about this topic.  Generally, between 1.2 and 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

8.)  If you stop seeing improvements from your workouts, what is the easiest thing to do to snap out of that plateau?

Change your workout or take a week off.

9.)  Bodybuilding gets a person to exercise often and the person gets to see his/her body transform and improve.  Would you say exercise improves a person’s quality of life?

Of course, any exercise.  It improves a person’s mood.