Hi. I am hoping to gain some feedback after doing one week on
the Anti Bodybuilding program. I know this question may show
my ignorance and lack of experience, so forgive me in advance.
But the program (on some days) seems so short, I feel as though
I haven’t gotten enough of a workout. For example, yesterday,
I did a vertical workout consisting of 5 supersets of chin ups
(10reps) and dips (10 reps). Even with putting a dumbell betwee
my legs during the supersets to increase resistance, the workout
was done in about 40 minutes. Again, I know this may sound
so stupid, so apologies again, but can I get a solid, hypertrophic,
mass building experience on this program? Should I be supplementing
this program with other exercises as well? Thanks to all who
can offer some advice. I appreciate it.
From what I’ve read about Chad’s programs you must keep the nervous system from becoming overly fatigued if you want to train more frequently and stimulate the muscles. Are you experiencing any soreness after the first week?
A lot of people claim that this workout is too easy or too short. I did it and didn’t find it too be easy. You’re doing all compound movements and as long as you are putting in the effort the workout should not seem that easy. Just give it a try for the 3 weeks and you can be your own judge on the program. Patience grasshopper.
Lorne, just wait till tomorrow when you do 10 sets of 3 deads, plus the calves and decline situps.
Those deads alone are a lot of work, and really give your old grip and callouses a beating.
As far as the workout seeming easy, it’s an accumulatative thing.
It seemed rather easy for me the first 3 days also, and then the deadlift workout on 4th day was a bit tougher, and then it all went tougher from there.
Just finished my 4th day of 3rd week (so end of 1st cycle of program) and I can say I noticed a difference already. I was able to do all of the sets and the only thing really tough was the grip/deadlift issue. Finished everything else strong, and just had to grunt and bear it with the callous pain.
A thing to mention on mine though is I went 2 days on, 1 off so I finished program a bit quicker than it’s listed.
And i’m coming from the view of previously being on a program where I was doing almost twice that amount of work per day (roughtly 90 minutes), and it’s safe to say I saw the same or better increase in lifts in all categories during that same length of time doing ABBH.
So doing less work in a controlled fashion does get the job done, CNS is important.
Antiliberal, I’m guessing that Chad designed the program as is, with one day on, one day off, etc. specifically to keep from overtaxing the CNS.
So it makes me wonder if, even given your previous workout volume, that with you going two days on, one day off, etc. you may have defeated the purpose of the program as designed, with regards to your CNS.
And Lorne, like Jason and A.L. said above, give it time. As long as you make sure you are at the recommended %1RM, then you’re training with enough volume.
It’ll kick your ass soon enough. I’m on Day 16, and still working through some soreness…
Lorne: so glad to see you back here. And I’m also glad to see you sticking with the training!
Follow the program as is. Don’t modify it. As what was said previously, Chad has a reason to have set it up that way.
Just stay with it; and report fully at the end of the cycle as to your results!
Mike, I dont think I ‘defeated’ the purpose of the program, but maybe I overworked my CNS in regards to my best possible gain on the program.
My lifts did go up, and really there is no way to ascertain if they would have increased even more if I did “1 day on, 1 day off” like it is listed. I also use the workout club for childcare and “my time”, so I go a lot. Especially this last week when baby was cutting another couple of teeth. I could only take so much fussing, had to bring him there… Funny thing is he wont fuss there, probably due to more action going on.
Only area which I could tell really needed the increased rest was the hands/grip deal, especially since I went waterskiing once in the middle of the program (on a day off). Anyone who has waterskiied knows that it also works forearms/grip, and I could tell after doing the skiing that I surely was limited by my hands more than my posterior chain in the deads.
Now im going to do the 3 weeks again, this time reversing the days around.
It’s is very short. Me and my partner finish in 40-60 min everyday. But it’s effective heres how it went.
Bench
185 10x3
190 10x4
and im gunna push for 195 next week. If it doesn’t work for you well, it’s only 3 weeks out of your life.
I’m sorry, but whether it’s a short workout or not, anyone who considers it easy or light isn’t going hard enough!Dear God!!! Even on the bench/row day I felt like I was doing Meltdown with those 60 sec. rests.
Don’t even get me started on the lower body days!!!
A note of thanks to everyone who replied: I really appreciated the feedback. Your messages made me realize what I was doing wrong with the Anti Bodybuilding workout…so here are the mistakes I was doing…which I believe contributed to why I have been finding it easy.
FIRSTLY, I was resting too long between sets…more than 60 seconds.
Secondly, I was not using proper poundage for my ability/capacity. On some sets I might have used more weight than necessary, meaning I was not getting a full range of motion to my reps, and was compromising on form…on other sets, I may have been using too little weight, hence the sense of feeling too easy.
What I now assume is that I should be using a weight that will sufficiently challenge me through all the reps, but still allow me to execute good form and control throughout.
Tonight I did the deadlift workout, which indeed was challenge…but again, I did find it way too easy to do just three decline situps during the giant set. I have never done such few situps before. Should I perhaps be using a 45 lb plate on my chest when I do these declines, if I’m only doing three?
AGain, to all of you who replied…thanks for your feedback…it really helped me. It’s fantastic to have the support of such knowledgeable and dedicated lifters like y’all. continued lifting success to you!
Lorne, whenever any exercise program calls for 10 set of 3 or 5 sets of 5 or whatever, it means that you use the most amount of weight that you can handle (a) in good form and (b) for a full range of motion for that amount of sets and reps. You may have some programs like GVT where the 10x10 is only a theoretical target (and when you hit it you need to go up), but most of the time you’re trying to get the weight matched with the set/rep scheme as precisely as possible.
So if you can do 5x5 of, say, dips with a 45-pound DB strapped to you, it doesn’t do you any good to do those five sets with a 35 instead. Use the 45, and when you start feeling too comfortable with it, trade it in for a 50. Or slap some Platemates on it. Or something, but increase the intensity a little more. Doing this consistently will bring much better results than working within your comfort range all the time.
Your load is correct if you hit “near failure” or failure, if you will, on the last rep of the last set of each method. Keep peforming the program as prescribed and you will reap the benefits. Remember, I don’t want you crawling out of the gym because that is counterproductive to frequent weight-training sessions.
But, if you aren’t pushing failure on the last rep of the last set, then increase the load until you reach that point.
Lorne, yes on decline situps I would add weight. Unless you are really out of shape I dont see how doing 3 of those with just bodyweight would ever feel like a workout.
Personally I only added 35 pounds but held the weight up by my head and sometimes behind it. Due to the lever concept the further you hold the weight from the pivot near your knees the harder it is, and boy can you tell. Weight on your stomach is one thing, but put that same amount over your head and it’s ugly.
Again…big thanks to all who replied. Through the feedback of everyone who replied, I have learned a ton of valuable information to help me improve both my understanding and execution of anti bodybuilding. Thanks!
Final question…regarding one of the prescribed exercises of this
protocol…can someone explain what a “hanging pike” is? Thanks
again for the advice.
Check out either Fat to Fire or Convergent Phase Training for pictures of a hanging pike. Basically you’re hanging from a chinning bar and you bring the legs up so the shins touch the bar. NOT an easy task.
In all the posts about the Anti program, how come no one ever complains about lack of volume on the leg days? It’s just upper body days that make people worry about not doing enough.Hmmmmm, I wonder why that is?
I just finished my first week of the ABBH program. When I started, I thought it might be a little too easy; that notion was quickly disspelled. I have been damn sore for about the whole week straight, on different muscle groups of course.
I have a question, I work out at home and don’t have a diamond-type bar for deads, how should I do them?
Why not just do regular deads with an olympic bar? Otherwise, how heavy do your dumbbells go?
Power cleans would be another option.
great advice and help from all of you as I continue through the ABBH. Doing well on it too…pushing myself to feel close to failure on my last reps as well… Question…any suggestions what protocol I should follow after the ABBH program is complete? Thanks to all who reply and thanks for keeping me motivated.