Strength Proportions

[Blit]

Hi to whom reads this!

I'll try to make this as short as possible, I promise. I am a 30 year old male. Several years ago I weighed around 198 pounds and created a problem with my body. I could curl 50 pound dumbells and had around 17 inch arms. Before lifting I had always been an avid cyclist. So, my back was very strong naturally as with my qauds, etc. The problem is that I really only did pushups and never benched. I would only train my shoulders with one excercise compared to 4 to 6 bicep/tricep excercises. Since that time, I am now discharged from military service for medical reasons. I lost weight down to 159 pounds within 3 years due to my problems. I recently began to lift weights again (seriously at least) with a free motion Nordictrack and free weights. Here is the deal, my shoulders are so weak I can't even do some basic excercises with the gym. I can only push 20 to 30 pounds with my chest excercises. I can only push 10 pounds with all shoulder movements except military press at an awesome 20 pounds (sarcasm). However, my arms can double (and more) the shoulder and chest movements. My back quadruples the weight of my chest movements. The burning question is this. Is it alright to ignore all but chest and shoulder excercises to bring them in line with the rest of my body? And, what should the proportions (in terms of weight lifted for each major muscle group) be? Is there a ratio for these things? One more would be what "healthy" sources of calories are availible to put on weight for someone who's body is negatively impacted by sugars (which I know aren't healthy but do pack in weight some), wheat, and lactose? I am having bouts of fatigue from lack of calories and complex carbs (I itch and get sick to my stomach with mostly all kinds of complex carbs). I like to ride, but get to skinny and weak and find myself drinking high sugar drinks to balance out the weakness. Same with the weight training, but more protien helps me out in that area somehow...I just stay skinny but get stronger (which is fine with me really). I would like to gain at least 15 pounds back though. Would like to weigh 180.

Thanks to the patient soul who reads this, I really do appreciate any input!

Happy New Year!

 

[jenn]

hhmm well i'm no expert but i wouldn't completely ignore your other body parts, just keep them at a higher rep mid weight range maybe. then work your chest and shoulders at a low rep high weight to gain more strength, until you feel you have evened things out. as per diet??? fruits,veggies, nuts, meats. i don't really know on that one i think that there is a special bread that you can get if i remember correctly from a girl friend with similar probs. you might want to check out the local health food shops in your area or google some recipes. if you tell me exactly what the problem is i can try to find out a little more info from some of my sources here. i work with some pretty awesome medics and doc's..might be helpful.

 

[newf]

Is it alright to ignore all but chest and shoulder excercises to bring them in line with the rest of my body?

Well, its seems yours is an extreme case. I would suggest a GOOD personal trainer. If he knows nothing about postural imbalances, range of motions and fiber makeups don't give him a dime.

However, it seems you done alot of isolation excercises which most likely caused the imbalance of strength. Hit the compounds dude.


Give ^ that a shot if you want. I would probably cut out the bicep/tricep excercises thou. You'll still hit the bis/tris using the bench and rows.

 

[Blit]

Thanks

Jenn and Newf. I have been hitting all excercises with at least twice as many movements to the shoulder area. I just start out with shoulders always then chest. I really thought about quitting every other move besides shoulder/chest, but there are some other movements that finish off my shoulders and make them nice and worked like a tricep pulldown or french press. I am going to do what you both suggest in a way. And that is I am not going to increase the weight (or reps to a point) for all other body parts unitl my shoulders and chest catch up to the rest. This is what I have kinda been doing, and I think it may work out but is just a lot of extra effort I suppose. The diets a pain but I have been looking into food combining (seperating starches/protiens, etc.) and am taking a good pro-bitoic and stomach enzyme. Your right though, Jenn, a good nutritionalist would help out. I am worried about vitamin and mineral absorbtion at this point. I am only digesting a certain amount of calories a day. I tired gaining weight by eating half pound hamburgers and a bowl of ice cream everyday for a month and only gained maybe a pound with no excercise barely at all. So thank you and enjoy the new year and keep the helping personalities in shape!