are there are any muscle groups im not hitting?

[garruk]

ive been really concerned with getting bigger lately, but i still care alot about functional strength.

my current workout incluedes these excercises:

bench press
squats
curls
deadlift
back rows
calf raise
power cleans

is tehre anythings else i hsould incorporate to hit a muscle group im neglecting?

 

[PDubb75]

Those exercises should be hitting basically every muscle, however, you should add different movements. Every different movement hits a muscle differently, and that change will shock your muscles. If you stick with the same few exercises, you will reach a plateau.

But, overall, those are exercises that should always be in your arsenal. Just add in some others and use them in a rotation.

 

[cuzza]

You're barely touching:
- Lateral deltoids - add lateral raises
- Traps - add shrugs
- Biceps - add curls
- Triceps - add dips/close grip bench

The groups I've mentioned will be slightly activated by the exercises you're doing, but there's no reason to skimp out and hit them inefficiently. If you want to grow your biceps, you curl. If you want bigger traps, shrug.

In my opinion there is no reason to utilise such a small proportion of exercises.

 

[Fuglydude]

You're barely touching:
- Lateral deltoids - add lateral raises
- Traps - add shrugs
- Biceps - add curls
- Triceps - add dips/close grip bench

The groups I've mentioned will be slightly activated by the exercises you're doing, but there's no reason to skimp out and hit them inefficiently. If you want to grow your biceps, you curl. If you want bigger traps, shrug.

In my opinion there is no reason to utilise such a small proportion of exercises.

Cleans will work traps as well as everything else in the posterior chain. He mentioned curls in his program. However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with adding extra isolation work to his program as you are suggesting, as long as he still performs big basic compound work and has an adequate nutrition, rest/regeneration program.

Garruk, don't be afraid to add more isolation work. I know tons of guys on here don't agree with this, but if you're training primarily for aesthetics, I think you need both compound and isolation work.

Can you post a more detailed work out and diet? Its easier to analyze a program when you give more info.

 

[cuzza]

My mistake, I didn't notice curls, nor cleans... seriously bad comprehension right there.

But still, I'd add shrugs.
Fully agree with what you're saying there Fug.

For me, isolation exercises are a must. There's just no reason not to, unless you have to be in and out of the gym in 20 minutes.

 

[Alle_Gory]

ive been really concerned with getting bigger lately, but i still care alot about functional strength.

By itself that doesn't mean anything. Functional strength for what? Sprinting? Football? Arm wrestling? Rowing?

Even bodybuilding can be considered functional training. It's functional for the purpose of competition on a stage.


You've got to be clear about what your goal is if you're going to ask questions like this.

 

[garruk]

By itself that doesn't mean anything. Functional strength for what? Sprinting? Football? Arm wrestling? Rowing?

Even bodybuilding can be considered functional training. It's functional for the purpose of competition on a stage.


You've got to be clear about what your goal is if you're going to ask questions like this.

if im stuck on an island with a bunch of random people like on Lost.

I want to be able to beat up the most guys, wrestle the most bears, climb up the boats the fastest.

or like those reality show challenges? I want to win them all.

 

[Jitterbug]

Do the basic big lifts, then when you discover weaknesses, add assistant exercises to fix them.

The fewer exercises you do the better. Less is more, and keep it simple.

 

[PDubb75]

The fewer exercises you do the better. Less is more, and keep it simple.

Completely disagree. There are no perfect moves for a full body workout, and you can't always notice exactly where weaknesses are. You need a good variety of exercises to build up stabilizer muscles. So much is about balance and stability, and that is severely limited if you only do a few exercises, no matter which ones they are.

 

[Alle_Gory]

if im stuck on an island with a bunch of random people like on Lost.

I want to be able to beat up the most guys, wrestle the most bears, climb up the boats the fastest.

or like those reality show challenges? I want to win them all.

Then I suggest you get started with that and as you progress you find weaknesses and fix them. You won't know what kind of training you'll require to tune your body for those activities. When you say fighting do you mean boxing style, or ground and pound, or fancy martial arts moves that require the dexterity of a ballerina and the strength of an Olympic athlete?

 

[garruk]

Then I suggest you get started with that and as you progress you find weaknesses and fix them. You won't know what kind of training you'll require to tune your body for those activities. When you say fighting do you mean boxing style, or ground and pound, or fancy martial arts moves that require the dexterity of a ballerina and the strength of an Olympic athlete?

thats the point of this thread....

why would i go out and lift a car when i could just ask someone whose alraedy done it?

and i mean fighting like mma.

 

[Alle_Gory]

You don't just start lifting cars, you work up to it. Just like everyone else.

Keep in mind that people have different bodies and different strengths and weaknesses to overcome. You can go ahead and talk to powerlifters but they will have a different approach that works best for them, not you.

MMA is very broad. If you want to train to enhance your MMA skills then I suggest you find a local MMA gym and get started. You won't know what to train for in the gym unless you're already doing MMA.

I think you're trying to take the kitchen sink approach. "I want to be good at everything and then some." You're well on your way to complete failure. No one is good at everything and chances are you don't have the ideal body and genetics that are good for everything. You will come to realize this once you begin your training regimen.

 

[cuzza]

Do the basic big lifts, then when you discover weaknesses, add assistant exercises to fix them.

The fewer exercises you do the better. Less is more, and keep it simple.

I also disagree.

In my opinion this approach leads to the weaknesses in the first place. There is absoloutely no reason not to do isolation exercises. They should not be the focus of your routine, but they should be in there.