i’m Gab and that’s my first topic , so happy to be here.
I’ve been lifting for 10 months , i’m a super newbie . In those first months my goal was to strip off fat so i lost 30 pounds. Now in september i’m gonna focus on strength and hypertrophy .
That’s my question
Let’s say i’m gonna do 12 weeks of hypertrophy so i need to choose some beginner routine for example push/pull . How does this routine evolve during those 12 weeks ? I mean the only variation will be trying to increase the weight on the bar or there gonna be some differences in exercises , sets , reps or thing like that ?
That all depends entirely on the program and what it’s meant to do. A better bet is just to pick a program that excites you and follow it to the letter. That’ll take care of all those questions.
Definitely agree with choosing a pre written program that you can follow with enthusiasm. Some ideas of what to look for in a program:
has a focus on one or more big full body (compound) movements in each session. These are the exercises that you can continue to add weight to as you get stronger and use a lot of muscles. Think squat variations over tricep pull-downs.
Doesn’t have you working out 7days a week. You grow muscle and recover your body when you arnt in the gym. 3-4 days a week is usually the sweet spot but slightly more or less can work depending on your personal circumstances.
Has a built in progression. This is how your workout ‘evolves’ as you put it. It may increase reps. It may increase weight or it may do a bit of both (there are other ways to progress but these are the most common).
It has exercises that you can perform. Some people have issues with certain movements due to injury or mobility issues so they may not be able to perform them. Equipment at your gym/shed/basement may be limited so you can’t do certain things. Changing 1 or 2 exercises in a program is usually not a problem but if you have to change everything to make it work, maybe just look for something else.
thanks for the reply .
I know i should stick to the program i pick but i can do that when the program is described week by week with his variations and everything else .
Not every program is written in that way, sometimes i found the routine who only describes the split and the “first” scheme of sets and reps , and from now ?
The best thing is finding a week by week from but when it’s not like that what can i do?
jello, this is not nearly specific enough to be helpful. This isn’t a workout plan. It’s a list of exercises. Those are fine exercises though.
Gab,
You can pick a program that details different sets, reps, exercises, etc from week to week, OR you can do the same thing every week for 12 weeks if that’s what the program suggests. It really doesn’t matter at your level.
The only thing that will matter is you consistently going to the gym and lifting weights, eating properly, resting well, and staying injury-free. The particular program you choose DOES NOT MATTER. Pick on that appeals to you, and just get used to following a program. You can make more specific decisions on what is right for your specific goals later. Right now, just lift!
Well as i said before in those first 10 months my goal was losing weight and learning the correct technique of the big 3 . I couldn’t think about hypertrophy because i was constantly in a caloric deficit , after that i reverse dieted and now my TDEE is 320 g CHOs , 60 g FAT , 120 g PRO .
Now that i’m cleaner in body fat i can start with mass and i already read a lot about the errors of the classic bulking diet , about macros partition , insulin sensitivity , timing ecc . I know the basics of nutrition but i do not have a program , I was thinking about this program :
September - break in light routine
October - November - Strength , i’m gonna follow the Starting Strength Program
November - December - January Hypertrophy
As you can see i already have an idea of the macrocicle but to complete everything i need something for those 12 weeks of mass .
At this point i was following the classic push/pull routine but now i need a detailed program , not just an array of exercises , i want to program everything , i’m really motivated , i lost 30 pounds , i’m keeping the fat off , i feel great and that’s why i wanna have everything planned or at least a general path to follow .
I found online the Max Muscle Program of brad schoenfeld , do you know that ?
Fair enough. For reps I usually run 4 sets of 10,8,6,4 per exercise. On weighted exercises I increase 2.5 (micro plates) to 5lbs each set depending on what I’m doing.
When I can complete my first set of 10 reps I will advance weight the next workout even if I can’t complete the weight/reps on the following 3 sets.
For variety I’ll do a 2-3 month cycle of 20 rep squats/deadlifts once in a while. I’ll also cycle out other exercises for different multi joint compound movements to break up the monotony.
I don’t like this idea at all. I’m guessing you’re pretty new to training? Or you aren’t very strong? I HATE using microplates. I don’t even think about using them.
I also tend to keep weight the same between sets. I’ll do 3-5 sets of 8-10, not less each set. If you’re using the same weight, and you’re going from 10 reps to 4 reps in your last set, you’re not recovering enough between sets.
Are you asking someone else, or me? Because I already told you I don’t care what program you run. They all work.
Dude, you’re going into WAY too much minutia. macro partitioning, insulin sensitivity, and food timing are unbelievably inconsequential in the big scheme of things. As a beginner, you’re doing yourself a disservice by paying attention to these things.
You should consider an IIFYM type of approach. This is a great approach for both beginners and pretty advanced lifters, because it focuses on the most important things. It’s all about macros. Everything else is far less important.
Noobs make sick gains pretty quickly if they do what flip said: stick with the program, eat, sleep, and avoid injuries. It’s like a car. Elite lifters are tuning timing and air/gas ratios. Noobs are still putting the engine together. It’s not trying to be disrespectful in the least, but you can reach pretty sick levels of strength while keeping things pretty simple.
I think microplates are for when progress becomes very difficult. 5 3 1 might have a too slow progression for newbies. They progress quickly to begin with. I don’t really consider anything 2.5kg or above microplates.
I agree that they certainly can be used fit that purpose.
Not to derail anything, but my girlfriend just added 15 pounds to her estimated total in one week using 531. I think that is some pretty fast progress!
I disagree micro plates/loads are used when you can advance but not by 10 or 5 lb jumps. My first set is an all out work set followed by three sets to near failure with heavier weights than the first set. Yes, I am weak and new to training, this came to me while waiting at a stoplight.
To the OP: I did Starting Strength and I recommend doing it for longer than a month. Do it until you stop making progress. You WILL get bigger. I gained 10 pounds in 3 months and if anything I got leaner. I also didn’t eat a significant caloric surplus.
that means you don’t understand how 5/3/1 works. The progression is as fast as you progress. It is not limited, because you have amrap sets involved. And you regularly reset maxes. I don’t understand why anyone would think a program like 5/3/1 would limit progress. The only people who believe this nonsense are people who think you have to be working to failure all the time to see progress.
Every time I hear someone claim that 5/3/1 is fundamentally slower progression than [insert program here], it makes me think of that scene from Spinal Tap. Its the same failure of reasoning, and nearly as amusing. Adding 5 pounds to the barbell each workout is obviously better than adding 5 pounds to the barbell each month. Because you add five pounds more often. Make strong faster. Obviously.
Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and…
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it’s louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, it’s one louder, isn’t it? It’s not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You’re on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you’re on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don’t know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Marty DiBergi: Why don’t you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?