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Work Out help?
SO i just joined a gym and i want to start using the weights to get my chest and arms more "buff". Whats workout equipment should I use?
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Maybe give some free advice about: Fitness?
Alright, first off let me just give you some of the basics, before suggesting some exercises. The best kind of exercises, irrespective of which bodypart you are interested in, are compound free weight exercises. That means dumbbells and barbells, for exercises that use multiple muscle groups together.
These are far more effective for both strength and mass than what one often sees people do at the gyms (i.e. a lot of isolation work and machines). Always keep this in mind when designing a routine.
There are a number of good compound options for the chest. Bench presses, incline or flat, dumbbell or barbell, are always great. Dips can also be very effective. You could always start with the classic barbell bench press.
As a beginner, I would recommend that you mainly train your arms indirectly. For instance by doing benches you also work out your triceps. Similarly, by doing pulling exercises (primarily for your back) you also train up your biceps (e.g. pull ups, pull downs, rows, etc).
Then, finish them off with a couple of sets that focus on solely on the arms (which by definition tend to be isolation, but they should still be free weight). It is important not to overdo it since isolation work can lead to overtraining.
For triceps I think exercises like skullcrushers, barbell tricep extensions, or perhaps narrow grip bench presses are pretty effective.
For biceps you can do something like dumbbell or barbell curls, hammer curls, etc. Here is a link that shows you how to do all these things:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
(note that they list under each exercise whether it is compound or isolation, under "Mechanics type")
Now, just a few final words so that you dont fall into the trap most people do when they start out the first time. I cannot stress enough how important it is to train your entire body. First of all training your "front" without training your back can lead to posture problems as well as a weak back (which you need to move all the weights around). Secondly you will not look anywhere near as good as someone who trains all the muscle groups, i.e. legs, back, and shoulders as well.
Finally, doing big lifts (like the absolutely essential squat), will actually help you get a bigger chest quicker than if you dont train it. Thats because squats increase your natural testosterone production like no other exercise (thats why its king). Deadlifts are a close second btw.
I will stop rambling now, but I just wanted to prevent you from making the kind of mistake I see at the gym every day. If you have any other questions just ask.
Good luck and happy training.
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