Holy Sh*t - you REALLY don’t need to train ANY extra direct arms when on this program! I should have never doubted C-dub in the first place!
I do have to admit though, I had to slightly tweak the ABBH I, because I can only hit a 7 day rotation, not an 8 day like Chad designed. So, I dropped the 10X3 to 8X3, and also took one of the set’s off on the second day for each body part. Reducing the volume is the only way I could see to completing the w/o with one less day of rest per rotation. Still, it’s “only” 24 reps with 80% of my 1RM, but it it feels like I did an ENTIRE upper body w/o for arms and shoulders as well!
In case anyone else has an issue with only being able to hit the ABBH programs designed for a normal 7 day week (not 8):
day 1 Monday, heavy upper 8X3,
day 2 Tuesday light lower 3X10 (since it’s lower body and light, I don’t necessarily need 48 hrs off),
day 3 Wedneday is off,
day 4 Thursday, 2-3X10 second upper day,
day 5 Friday is off (if I don’t have a busy weekend, otherwise it’s legs),
day 6 Saturday, 8X3 is the heavy lower day (I do RDL and clean singles),
day 7 Sunday is off completely.
day 8 Monday, repeat as CW indicated.
I am looking to start the ABBH I program today. I have planned to add arms to the workout (using Chad’s advice, of course). Bad idea? Ok idea? Your comments please.
Not a bad idea, when I did it I was doing Military Presses instaed of dips so i added some triceps work, on the bench/row day I just added biceps work since I bench with quite a narrow grip.
[quote]reubmar69 wrote:
I am looking to start the ABBH I program today. I have planned to add arms to the workout (using Chad’s advice, of course). Bad idea? Ok idea? Your comments please.[/quote]
like i said, i also have a thing for arm training (favorite body part) so i thought i would try to work them in. however, i decided to hold off last night and boy was i glad! like i mentioned, i have almost the same soreness in my arms as i do after an arm-only w/o, but i got a great chest and back w/o in as well. sore meaning the good sore.
i can’t speak for c-dub, but i would add arms to the light upper day, instead of lowering the total sets of the heavy upper day and adding heavy arms, which is what he suggested. i think hitting heavy chest and back AND heavy arms would be over-kill in the same bout. since the 2nd upper day is light and it won’t hit the arms as hard, i think you could throw in 2-3 sets of 10 if you wanted.
but honestly, just try hitting it hard for 3 weeks without adding arms. maybe you have been over-emphasizing them and they will grow better without direct training… just an idea. are your arms lagging???
My arms aren’t lagging (any more than the rest of my body) but I would like to add the arm portion per Chad’s suggestions. But your post made me think of a question. On day 1 Chad has Bench Press and Barbell Rowing (examples) being performed for 10 sets of 3 reps each (10x3). Chad suggests that if you want to add arms to perform them on the upper body days (days 1 and 5) but for half the suggested sets. This would mean that on day 1 I would perform Preacher curls for 5x3 and Decline DB extensions for 5x3. The Bench Press and Barbell Row stays at 10x3, right? Or am I supposed to do half (5x3) for chest and back also?
Chad,
I am confused. If we add the arm option for ABBH I, what does the rest of the workout look like? For example, on Day 1 is it 10x3 for chest and 10x3 for back along with 5x3 for biceps and 5x3 for triceps? Or is it 5x3 for everything?
[quote]reubmar69 wrote:
Chad,
I am confused. If we add the arm option for ABBH I, what does the rest of the workout look like? For example, on Day 1 is it 10x3 for chest and 10x3 for back along with 5x3 for biceps and 5x3 for triceps? Or is it 5x3 for everything?[/quote]
Chad can jump in here, but according to him, you cut the 10X3 for chest and back in HALF to 5X3, then hit the remaining semi-supersets b/n a bicep move and a tricep move (5X3 each). You most certainly will be in pain, if not an acute injury, if you performed all 10X3 on chest and back at the proper load (80% 1RM) AND did another 10 heavy sets for your arms (5 sets each)! But again, I have to highly discourage you from adding arm training - you in essense would be halving the chest and back work and doubling the arm work. I don’t know many guys that want bigger arms than chest and back, but go for it if your arms are lagging!
[quote]J.Boogie wrote:
This prolly sounds retarded, but on Tampa Terrys ABBH 1 program, what are the abreviations H/S? Also describe the saxon side bend please.
[/quote]
H/S stands for Hammer Strength, which I believe was a mistake. She sent out a new template. For the saxon side bends check out this link. http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459681
[quote]reubmar69 wrote:
Chad,
I am confused. If we add the arm option for ABBH I, what does the rest of the workout look like? For example, on Day 1 is it 10x3 for chest and 10x3 for back along with 5x3 for biceps and 5x3 for triceps?[/quote]
Yes. This is correct. You would still do 10x3 for chest/back and add the 5x3 for arm work.
Like CW originally said, you don’t need to do extra arm work. But for those that think they do, he listed the correct way to do it.
[quote]Joe_Bob wrote:
J.Boogie wrote:
This prolly sounds retarded, but on Tampa Terrys ABBH 1 program, what are the abreviations H/S? Also describe the saxon side bend please.
I begin ABBH on Monday and have been eagerly awaiting it for the past four weeks. My last day of the strength-focused mesocycle is Thursday. I’ll have a day to test some of my lifts so I know what weight to use on ABBH and then a few days rest.
I’m quite pleased with SFM. My strength levels are nearly back to my all-time bests (within 10-20lbs on most lifts), while some are better than ever (good mornings!). This is after a four-month layoff and some serious pain/injury to my shoulder and knee. Great program CW. I’ll use it again further down the road for sure.
For now, I can’t wait to put ABBH to the test for six weeks before moving on to the Single’s Club and ABBH2.
Just to reiterate what Nate Dogg said, yes, you still perform 10 x 3 with chest/back, then follow it up with 5 x 3 for bicep/tricep work. [/quote]
Oops, my bad! Guess I mis-read CW’s recommendations for adding arm work… probably because I couldn’t fathom doing ADDITIONAL arm work AFTER the 10X3 on chest and back! Still, sorry for the incorrect post.
I’ve been doing the ABBH Program for 4 weeks now and like others have said you don’t need to add any arm workouts. My biceps and triceps have visibly grown over the course of the program with no added arm exercises and my strength has also increased. I’d like the thank Chad Waterbury for the great program!
TopSirloin,in ABBH there is a clear periodization pattern. During the program the workouts become progressively more difficult. The final workouts including, for upper body, 10X5 and 5X10 are hard. Personally at the end of these workouts I simply had a shower and went back home. I never had the idea of performing the optional additional arm work. I believe that if you perform ABBH while on a bulking diet and you have PRs of this kind:
Bench press 300 lbs (or of course more)
Squat 400 lbs (or more)
Deadlift 500 lbs (or more),
your arms will grow without any additional direct work.
I couldn’t agree more! I’m still in the first week of ABBH 1, and I just finished up the second “light” upper body day and felt wiped out! I couldn’t believe that only 3 sets of dips and 3 sets of vert lat pulls at 60-65% of my max would hit me so hard! But, the 10X3 and the 3X10 compliment each other very well (8X3 and 3X10 in my case). My arms have been blowing up with each upper day. I have only added two light sets of lateral raises and a couple 4-arm movements, since there is no direct work for them. Otherwise I’m just sticking to the program.
If the Dips and Pull-ups don’t make your arms hurt, then I am skeptical of the loads.
Seriously, the days following the dip/pullup routine, I hurt bad. You also have to remember that you have to prescibe exactly to the time(rest) periods. If your waiting 60 seconds between a 10 rep dips with weight and 10 pull-ups with weight, your going to hurt. My stamina went down fast, and I was shuttering to finish 10 reps. This is a blazing fast work out and its hard enough on the arms without direct arm work.
So, I would say don’t waste your time doing extra arm work, just hit the showers, eat and get some sleep.
