I read up about 30 pages on it and it requires full 5 days at the gym which I cant do..I have access to a gym 3 times a week...monday wednsday and friday but I have access to cardio whenever...seeing we have a treadmill and the great outdoors. I was wondering if their are any good programs I could use that only require a 3 times a week period...Max-OT sounds great but I just cant do it..I tried it today but sadly the leg press was out of service..getting sick of the gym im going to about to save up for my own equipment..but if anyone knows and good programs for building muscle for at least 3 times a week.

I have access to a gym 3 times a week...monday wednsday and friday I was wondering if their are any good programs I could use that only require a 3 times a week period...

Why not look at full body workouts, 3 days a week, using heavy compound exercises no more than two for body part. no more than 12 in total. use 8-12 slow reps for 1 set. This is for 6 weeks.

Squats
leg curls
calf raise
BB or DB pullovers
bent-over BB rows
Lateral/front/bent-over raise
Shoulder Press
Flies
Bench Press
BB curls
Tricep push downs
Crunchs

Use as much weight as you can, try to increase reps or weights each workout. Cut out cardio. Just walk more, use stairs and take 30-60 sec rest between sets.

8-12 reps range, try to pick a weight that allows you to just complete 8 reps. Here is what you do, you try to complete as many reps as you can each time, if you can complete more than 12, next workout increase 5-10 lbs that should get you near 8 reps again, but do as many as possible.

This is High Intensity training, it is logical and works for cutting or bulking or maintaining. Diet calls the shots for what happens on weight. Here (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=11048) you will find many articles to get you started on concept. You should only spend 30-40 minutes in gym. You will build muscle which will build form and metabolism. :cool:

I see I recommend HIT to you before, you must have decided it isn't for you like Max-OT. :gl:

I see I recommend HIT to you before, you must have decided it isn't for you like Max-OT. :gl:
yeah ive been trying the full body and experimenting with some other stuff,I do enjoy the full body workout just want to see what else is out their :)

yeah ive been trying the full body and experimenting with some other stuff,I do enjoy the full body workout just want to see what else is out their :)

In my mind, HIT is best of all of them, period. You might look at Body for Life by Bill phillips.

..but if anyone knows and good programs for building muscle for at least 3 times a week.

Take a look at HST:

http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html

It is based on 3 full-body workouts per week. I'm on my third cycle now and like it a lot.

Check out german volume training. I'm not a big fan of naming any routine, but that's what it's commonly called. I did it in my old gym and saw excellent results. You have to have two pieces of equipment available to do it on a continuous basis. My current gym has more people and hence I cannot tie up two pieces of equipment at once.

It's basically 10 sets of 10 reps on two machines. You need two opposing muscle groups...chest and back.

There's more on the web. This really worked for me before. Because of the limited rest time ( 60 seconds) between sets, you get some cardiovasular activity as well once you get a few sets in.

Make up your own routine. You can do Max-OT 3 times/week. Just split things up differently and go with the large compount exersices. How about push, pull, legs?

For getting strong I'd recommend Westside over a straight Max-OT. Mix this up with srength endurance (instead of power) every 4 weeks and you will get strong in a hurry. Personally I think you really need to understand it and work out how to get it to fit your goals, so it's not good if you are looking for a recipe with everything spelled out.

Personally I incorporate Max-OT principals continuously throughout the year, but cycle in power, endurance and sheer volume about every 4 weeks and change intensity, volume etc.. every workout within those 4 week blocks. Put in a couple of full-body workout weeks after a cycle or two etc..

Change the workout before you have a chance to get used to it! Also, for me this helps prevent injuries.

I read up about 30 pages on it and it requires full 5 days at the gym which I cant do..I have access to a gym 3 times a week...monday wednsday and friday but I have access to cardio whenever...seeing we have a treadmill and the great outdoors. I was wondering if their are any good programs I could use that only require a 3 times a week period...Max-OT sounds great but I just cant do it..I tried it today but sadly the leg press was out of service..getting sick of the gym im going to about to save up for my own equipment..but if anyone knows and good programs for building muscle for at least 3 times a week.

Actually, MAX-OT can be done 3 times per week. If you scroll down towards around page 81, you will see that the author actually has designed a 3 day MAX-OT program for you! This is the one I use. I can't really tell you if it works or not because I've only been at it for a week and a half, but just letting you know the option is there.

Great program suggestion! I follow one extremely similar to this when I don't have time to make it to the gym everyday. Even when I do have the time, I sometimes find my workouts better when I follow full body progam 3 days a week. Mentally, it can be easier to give 110% in each workout when you're not lifting every day.
(however, I would not cut out carido. I'm not sure if this was meant in general or on weightlifting days. I would cardio on nonlifting days, at least some of them. For example, if I lifted with this program on Monday, Thursday, and Sunday(pm), I might do cardio wednesday morning and saturday morning.)


Why not look at full body workouts, 3 days a week, using heavy compound exercises no more than two for body part. no more than 12 in total. use 8-12 slow reps for 1 set. This is for 6 weeks.

Squats
leg curls
calf raise
BB or DB pullovers
bent-over BB rows
Lateral/front/bent-over raise
Shoulder Press
Flies
Bench Press
BB curls
Tricep push downs
Crunchs

Use as much weight as you can, try to increase reps or weights each workout. Cut out cardio. Just walk more, use stairs and take 30-60 sec rest between sets.

8-12 reps range, try to pick a weight that allows you to just complete 8 reps. Here is what you do, you try to complete as many reps as you can each time, if you can complete more than 12, next workout increase 5-10 lbs that should get you near 8 reps again, but do as many as possible.

This is High Intensity training, it is logical and works for cutting or bulking or maintaining. Diet calls the shots for what happens on weight. Here (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=11048) you will find many articles to get you started on concept. You should only spend 30-40 minutes in gym. You will build muscle which will build form and metabolism. :cool:

I think that HST is a good program, but I do not think that HIT is good at all. No recovery time especially if your workouts are intense.

I agree with Rtestes, gee I never thought I'd say that.

I'm not big on using pre-determined weight for your lifts. I think it can hold you back. Instead set a program that concentrates on complex movements, use a set number of reps and sets. Make each set difficult to complete.

If you're doing 15 reps and the 15th one isn't difficult, use more weight next time. If you can't get all 15, drop weight for the next set. Record exactly what you lifted and attempt more weight, even just 5 lbs more on one set, the next time you perform that lift.

Change your reps and sets every few weeks, use them in a range that fits your goals.

(however, I would not cut out carido. I'm not sure if this was meant in general or on weightlifting days.

During cutting or bulking we usually have certain goals, changes are made to diets. During these times, I believe weight training is required tool next to diet. The preservation or increasing of muscle is important to goals. Part of HIT is to cut down on rest periods to 30-60 secs that with the intensity is a cardio action. This was proven in a study at West Point.

We seek a 48 hour recovery between exercise. HIT doesn't think in terms of bodypart, we think about body. The body is a system, it needs rest for recovery. You don't get rest, running up a road or treadmill. That is exercise and your legs aren't the only thing in body reacting to cardio. Some people exercise 7 days a week, they quickly burn out in one way or another.

Cardio is something you can throw in when you are "maintaining" to help lungs and endurance if you need it. During those times when nutrition is being changed for goals, let all the rest and dietary aspects be working everyday towards muscle. See the logic?

Recovery time is all but the 1.5 hours of workouts.

I think that HST is a good program, but I do not think that HIT is good at all. No recovery time especially if your workouts are intense.

Recovery time is nearly the same for HST (http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_II.html) and HIT. But you have so many more sets with HST, you need the recovery. I thought HST was intense or do you back off on exercises?

Recovery time is nearly the same for HST (http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_II.html) and HIT. But you have so many more sets with HST, you need the recovery. I thought HST was intense or do you back off on exercises?

HST works a lot like Dogcrapp training on a M-W-F split where you work the same body parts Monday and Friday, Wednesday, Monday, etc ,etc. That gives you 4 days recovery time.

1 day after an intense workout is poor recovery, period. To each their own though.