Understanding bodybuilding.............

[Lugar]

Seriously boys....I have been in this game for awhile, as have many of you, but to truly understand bodybuilding, has goten to me....I want to find out the whole story and understand the science behind a few questions.

#1
DO WE NEED TO INCREASE THE WEIGHT, REPS, ETC. EACH WEEK IN ORDER TO GAIN MUSCLE MASS?
for example, if I bench 250 for 6 last monday, and only get 5 this monday, am I not gaining muscle? 
What if it was the second excersice, and last week it was the first.......pretty hard to hit the same reps.
Or supersetting........obvi ously weight will be lighter in an effort to complete both pairs.
Or using a different mach i.e. smith vs. free

#2 WHY DO WE NEED CARBS POSTWO IF WE EAT AMPLE AMOUNTS PRE?

#3 WHAT DO AAS DO AND HOW DO THEY WORK?  DO THEY ALLOW YOU TO JUST STIMULATE THE MUSCLE, NOT WORRING ABOUT WEIGHT SETS OR REPS AND GAIN MASS?

$#4 SOME OF THE PROS BAFFEL ME.....THE WEIGHTS THEY USE (I.E. BENCHING 225) WHEN THEY COULD EASILY DO 400 YET THEY CONTINUE TO GROW, IS THIS ALL DUE TO ROIDS AND FOOD?

for starters....sorry if these are newb questions, but I bet there will be different opinions......inquiring minds.

[Rimbaud]

for example, if I bench 250 for 6 last monday, and only get 5 this monday, am I not gaining muscle? 

There's a lot of different factors that come into play here. For example maybe you weren't mentally prepared to lift. Maybe you didn't get enough sleep. Maybe you didn't eat enough that day. That happens to all of us. Some weeks I use less weight then I did the week before - don't let it get to you.

[Lugar]

bump

[Redwingenator]

To compare apples to apples you really need to do the exact same workout in the same order for 3 weeks.  Write down your weight and reps for every exercise.  I use a formula based on a projected max and average my sets together.  Example  Set 1: 250/5(300) Set 2: 250/4(290) Set 3: 250/4(290)  (Each rep represents 10 pounds) add 300+290+290 and divide by 3 = 293.  Think of it as a way to estimate your max  lift without the risk.

Your log would look something like this:
Bench Press
4/2/07: 293
4/9/07: 297
4/16/07: 300
4/23/07: 303

By averaging 3 sets together it reduces the influence of a really good lift, or a really bad lift.  It also gives you a single number to assess your strength and removes multiple variables.

[Mike]

By averaging 3 sets together it reduces the influence of a really good lift, or a really bad lift.  It also gives you a single number to assess your strength and removes multiple variables.

If you're dilligent enough to log everything than this is a good approach but as Lugar already knows, we've answered this question NUMEROUS times. 

See Steroid board for AAS question...

[Lugar]

BUMP FOR MORE ANSWERS.........I understand the log........I want to know are you still gaining mass.....re-read the ? please.

[Princess L]

Bryan Haycock gives a nice explaination.

http://www.hypertrophy-specific.info/hst_index.html

[Beener]

LUGER WERE YOU IN THE 'SPECIAL' CLASS IN SCHOOL?!?!!