Critique My Routine

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Hello. I’ve been doing the following routine 2-3 times a week for almost a month now, and I’d like to know if it seems complete or deficient in any areas. I’m not new to lifting, but this is the first time I’ve been really serious about gaining muscle mass and strength. I was 5’9" 150 lbs. when I started this program and after a month I’m almost at 160 lbs. Here’s the routine:

Squats: 1 set of 20 reps
Chins: 5 x 5
Dips: 5 x 5
Plank holds (abs): 3 (isometric) sets

I’m adding small amounts of weight to the squats, chins, and dips each workout, and adding seconds to the plank holds.

Do the exercise selections, set/rep schemes, and training frequency look appropriate for a relative beginner trying to gain overall strength and size?

My diet and sleep/recovery situation are in great shape, so the last place for refinement is my actual workout. Thanks for reading this.

2

Try doing 3 full body routines 3x a week. First you want to gain a solid base so just concentrate on doing the main lifts Deadlifts, Squats, Bench, Pullups, Dips, etc. Doing that same routing each time will get old and wont do very much at all.

3

[quote]Boyder326 wrote:
Try doing 3 full body routines 3x a week.[/quote]

He could also use an upper/lower split or a push/pull routine, or even two upper body days and one lower body day. There are other options besides three full-body workouts.

For the most part, I agree. It sounds like the OP is still fairly new to training, so he should definitely focus on the focus lifts (squats, deads, benches, rows, overhead presses, chins), but he shouldn’t neglect or eliminate direct work to smaller body parts.

You can still focus on overall strength and size with the focus lifts and add some additional arm, shoulder, calf and ab work to make sure nothing lags behind.

Agreed. The workout posted is not very well thought out at all. The exercise selection, sets, reps and repetitive nature of this program will not lend itself to good (or long-term) gains and could lead to overuse injuries.

4

[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:
Boyder326 wrote:
Try doing 3 full body routines 3x a week.

He could also use an upper/lower split or a push/pull routine, or even two upper body days and one lower body day. There are other options besides three full-body workouts.

First you want to gain a solid base so just concentrate on doing the main lifts Deadlifts, Squats, Bench, Pullups, Dips, etc.

For the most part, I agree. It sounds like the OP is still fairly new to training, so he should definitely focus on the focus lifts (squats, deads, benches, rows, overhead presses, chins), but he shouldn’t neglect or eliminate direct work to smaller body parts.

You can still focus on overall strength and size with the focus lifts and add some additional arm, shoulder, calf and ab work to make sure nothing lags behind.

Doing that same routing each time will get old and wont do very much at all.

Agreed. The workout posted is not very well thought out at all. The exercise selection, sets, reps and repetitive nature of this program will not lend itself to good (or long-term) gains and could lead to overuse injuries.[/quote]

hey but at least he didn’t use db flies, concentration curls, kickbacks, and leg presses. they are right though having the big three in ur workout is pretty important but you definitely could’ve started off worse. i like the 20 rep squat idea. if they are the rest pause squats then kudos to you. in the old days that was like a staple for massive growth plus milk of course. plus it takes some balls to do the rest pause squats.

5

^ They are the rest pause style 20-rep squats. In fact, it’s pretty much the “Squats and Milk” routine I’ve read about in “Super Squats” by Randall J. Strossen and on many websites. From what I’ve read, the main emphasis of the program is the squats, and keeping the poundages moving up with them. Other exercises aren’t given as much focus.

It’s not a long-term program (6 weeks), but some help with what’s wrong with the rep scheme or what’s specifically missing would be appreciated.

If it’s a matter of not enough variety, what does that mean exactly? Is trying to up the poundage in a few specific exercises a bad thing for a beginner?

I’ve been doing very wide squatting which seems to work my lower back well (in a good way), to the point where deadlifting doesn’t seem necessary (only for the length of the routine).

I’ve done bench press before, but I feel like the weighted dips work me a lot harder, especially in the chest when I curl forward, a thing I can’t get from bench.

The planks are killer on the entire ab section and the lower back, keeping it healthy for more squats.

So far I’ve felt great on the routine, but from the beginning I’ve suspected that it can’t be a long-term routine.

6

[quote]bransao wrote:
Hello. I’ve been doing the following routine 2-3 times a week for almost a month now, and I’d like to know if it seems complete or deficient in any areas. I’m not new to lifting, but this is the first time I’ve been really serious about gaining muscle mass and strength. I was 5’9" 150 lbs. when I started this program and after a month I’m almost at 160 lbs. Here’s the routine:

Squats: 1 set of 20 reps
Chins: 5 x 5
Dips: 5 x 5
Plank holds (abs): 3 (isometric) sets

I’m adding small amounts of weight to the squats, chins, and dips each workout, and adding seconds to the plank holds.

Do the exercise selections, set/rep schemes, and training frequency look appropriate for a relative beginner trying to gain overall strength and size?

My diet and sleep/recovery situation are in great shape, so the last place for refinement is my actual workout. Thanks for reading this.[/quote]

Looks OK, things that stick out to me the most though is that you’re lacking in any real posterior chain work and no scapula retraction/horizontal pulling.

You can still go with the same approach, but I would suggest switching up the exercise selection AND the rep scheme on the other 2 days, i.e. 5x5 monday, 3x8 wednesday, 4x6 Friday. Etc…

This is bound to get stale/boring after a while, plus with some new lifts thrown into the mix it’ll keep you good in all planes of movement. Look at it like that and you’ll hit all the necessary muscle groups.

7

[quote]bransao wrote:
^ They are the rest pause style 20-rep squats. In fact, it’s pretty much the “Squats and Milk” routine I’ve read about in “Super Squats” by Randall J. Strossen and on many websites. From what I’ve read, the main emphasis of the program is the squats, and keeping the poundages moving up with them. Other exercises aren’t given as much focus.

It’s not a long-term program (6 weeks), but some help with what’s wrong with the rep scheme or what’s specifically missing would be appreciated.

If it’s a matter of not enough variety, what does that mean exactly? Is trying to up the poundage in a few specific exercises a bad thing for a beginner?

I’ve been doing very wide squatting which seems to work my lower back well (in a good way), to the point where deadlifting doesn’t seem necessary (only for the length of the routine).

I’ve done bench press before, but I feel like the weighted dips work me a lot harder, especially in the chest when I curl forward, a thing I can’t get from bench.

The planks are killer on the entire ab section and the lower back, keeping it healthy for more squats.

So far I’ve felt great on the routine, but from the beginning I’ve suspected that it can’t be a long-term routine.[/quote]

you are following the recommended assistance exercises that go with the Squat routine right? I think i’ve seen these exercises recommened witht he squatting. no it is not bad to add weight on the bar everytime as a newb as long asyou can get good reps out. you should add something on the horizontal plane of your body like bench press and seated rows or something,just for balance. b