The exercises in the back of the book, are they sugegsted, or should you really stick to only those listed? For triceps they don't have tricep kickbacks and I really don't feel comfortable doing the dumbell extensions at level 10 without a spotter to help me put down the weight. I also don't see the exercise for back where you sit and pull the weight cable to you in a rowing motion.

On back exercises, should lower back be done, or just focus on the large upper body muscles and work the lower back when you do abs?

Kickbacks are fine as an isolating exercise instead of the extensions.

The back rows would be fine as well. The goal is to choose one exercise that is compound for the first sets and one that is isolating for the finishing exercise (failure).

You will find that your lower back gets worked quite well when you do lower body days - deadlifts (just about all versions of this compound exercise) in particular target the lower back.

-Nat

Hi LadyBelle,

My guess is that the exercises in the book are suggested. I don't think anyone should do an exercise at a level 10 if they are uncomfortable doing it without a spotter. It's just too easy to accidentally over-estimate ones own abilities. One time, years ago I was alone in a gym, doing a bench press and couldn't get he bar up and dropped it on my chest. My chest and my ego were bruised, but I was just really lucky I didn't drop it on my neck. It was hard to get it off my chest.

I have found that my lower back is getting a good workout on leg day, doing squats and stiff legged dead lifts.

Just a suggestion, when you figure out the routine you want to use, you could post it here for comments. I will be figuring out a new routine in the next couple weeks and was thinking about doing that.

Arnie,

P.S., I like doing seated rows too.

Hi ya LadyBelle,
here is an excellent website that gives exercises for muscle groups. as well as a brief demo of how to perform them.. it may be of help to you.
EXRX Exercise and Muscle Directory


Cheers,
j

Sure Annie, though the first few days will be experimenting. I want to vary my rutine just enough I do different exercises on the muscle groups different days. About the only exercise I know I can't do is the leg extensions for quads. Those things about kill my knees, even at low weights

I plan to spend the next week getting to know the gym, and going on the machines to find out about where my levels 5-10 are. I'll also be doing 1 week of induction though so my max will probably be low. I can raise it as I get stronger and raise carbs

Is there an isolate exercise for the back muscles? I can't seem to find one for the second exercise. Should I just do two compound, such as a wide grip pull down followed by a reverse grip?

Also is there a coumpound one for biceps?

Pullovers are pretty isolating for the back. A trick when using exrx.net is that the exercises from the list in italics are isolated or auxilliary (meaning they complement the basic exercises). Doing the widegrip and the reverse is fine, though. BTW, you can do that barbell pullover with a dumbell (I belive that is how it's shown in the book as well).

Biceps are a little different because they are so small. Basic curls coupled with concentration curls will usually do the trick. The thing here is that they will work the muscle differently. Concentration curls are what help give your muscle a nice peak, basic curls work on overal size of the muscle.

-Nat

what about preacher curls? would those work for the final set on biceps?

(by the way, thank you so much for answering all these questions! I would never have made sense of BFL if you weren't here. for one thing, I wouldn't have known about glutamine and would have probably given up from the pain!!)

Yep, preacher curls are very similar to concentratin curls and they'll do a nice job on that 'peak'.

And you're welcome

-Nat

Question, do I choose two excercises from both the upper and lower body groups or two for the upper and one from the lower ie, one quad exercise and one calf exercise, but two chest,back etc.....

Senimoni, if you're doing BFL then you choose two exercises that work the same muscle group. Upper body focusses on Back, Chest, Shoulders, Biceps and Triceps. Lower body focusses on Quads, Hamstrings, Calves and Abs.

-Nat