Austin IS right, ya know!
no the pump has everything to do with results, i read a whole article about it. ill post it up later...the pump is key to muscle size growth, i read a couple articles about it. Its a rumor that the pump is worthless...
Its ture about the stabilizer muscles
but soreness is a great indication of growth...
...its not like i never do free weight, probally half i what i do is on free weights, just not chest, either i have to have someone spot me, or i have to use dumbells and i have to waste energy on getting heavy dumbel onto he correct position...
...None of the supps i bought turned out to be magic muscle builders, they just help and extra 30-50 percent...
...im actully not try to build so much mass,im trying to refine and shape my muscles,like a recomp.
1. I would question what sources your articles were from. It's a MYTH that you need a pump for growth! The pump is no indicator whatsoever of any potential muscle growth that you may get. It is simply lactic acid building up in the muscles (resistance training is an anaerobic exercise), and is easily achieved with high reps or lifting at a fast tempo. It is NOT necessary for muscle growth/gain. Guys, especially younger ones, are under the impression that it is, simply because it makes their muscles appear harder and fuller after a resistance session.
2. A strong core (i.e. stabilizers) is needed to balance out the lower back, as well as being important for balance and stability (Liemohn, 2003). Machine weights do not force you to use your core very much at all, whereas with free weights the core is used to maintain posture and stabilization (especially with compound, multijoint exercises). It's easy to cheat, and form is completely different (free weights you NEED correct technique, else you risk injury) on machines as opposed to free weights. You can do more weight with machines (sometimes), but that strength is not always translated to free weights. Closed-kinetic-chain exercises (i.e. free weights) have a higher carryover value than isolated joint or open-kinetic-chain (i.e. most machines) exercises (Chu, 1992).
3. Soreness is no indication of growth. It can be caused by any number of things, such as overtraining, doing an exercise incorrectly (i.e. poor form), starting on a new trainng programme that the body is unfamiliar with, lack of flexibility, muscular or metabolic disturbances, etc.
4. Both free weights and machines have their own place in a trainng programme (Baechle, Earle & Wathen, 2000). However, free weights should comprise the majority of the programme, as they will be more beneficial. And if you're not strong enough to do them on your own, then work your way up. Don't let ego hinder your training.
5. Supplements are only that: to SUPPLEMENT your DIET and training programme. And they don't help as much as 30-50%.
6. FYI, Recomping is gaining muscle mass and strength, with minimal fat gain. NOT "refining and shaping muscles". DEFINITION will occur as you lose fat and have the muscle there beneath it. And you cannot 'shape' your muscles; as your genetics will determine what your developed muscles will look like (i.e. you cannot dictate to them what you want them to be).
7. Earlier you said that you're trying to gain muscle. Now you're saying you want to recomp. either way, the best exercises for either are compound multijoint exercises like squats, deadlifts, dips, chin-ups, bench press, shoulder press, etc. (ALL of which are FREE weights) because: a) the greater frequency per muscle group will boost your growth hormone more than doing isolation exercises, which will build more muscle mass and thus increase strength more effectively; b) increase neural activity; and c) recruit more motor units in a given session, and therefore train your body to work more effectively as a whole (Heyward, 2006).
