Lifting Routine... Comments Wanted

Training Competitive Bodybuilding
1

I have been using the following routine and am seeing good results from it. Would be curious what others think:

Workout 1: legs

7 sets of squat
7 sets of leg press
7 sets of calf raises — done on leg press
5 sets of leg curls

Workout 2: chest/back

4 sets of superset - bench press, flys

4 sets of incline bench press supersetted with incline flys,

4 sets of rows

4 sets of pullups/chinups supersetted with pulldown

Workout 3: biceps, triceps, shoulders

6 sets of dumbell press or military press

5 sets of bent over lateral raises supersetted with regular lateral raises

5 sets of barbell curls

4 sets of dumbell curls

5 sets of tricep presses

4 sets of tricep push downs

Workout 4 - forearms and lowerback/hamstrings

4 sets of deadlifts

5 sets of wrist curls

5 sets of reverse wrist curls

4 sets of gripper exercise for forearm

all sets are done usually in workouts listed above are done 5 to 8 reps and close to fail; though isolation exercises are usually more reps (8 to 12).

Workouts are done on a daily basis; but sometimes two workouts are done in one day; when doing two a day, i have two light cardio workouts in one day after completion of split to prevent overtraining. Feels good right now; have a lot of energy am getting stronger with every workout.

let me know what you think…

2

[quote]ds77 wrote:
I have been using the following routine and am seeing good results from it. Would be curious what others think:
[/quote]

It works.

3

[quote]Fulmen wrote:
ds77 wrote:
I have been using the following routine and am seeing good results from it. Would be curious what others think:

It works.[/quote]

yes, i agree it is working; wonder if anyone follows similar split so as to give advice based on experience for long term…just wonder how long i can follow and still get good results…

4

Theres no way to say for sure, everyones different, everyone lifts with varying intensity. You can keep following it till you stop progressing, then change.

Otherwise this feels more like a Beginner section thread.

5

i am always interested to see other peoples programs, as they are always different to mine in the most surprising ways. It is unlike any program i would design, and as i was reading it, it seemed off-balance because i obviously think in a different way to you… but by the end, i realised it seems to be a good (and tough!), balanced program!

Nice one, as for any comments - well, i shall be nit-picky just to give you something to think about - (because basically, it is fine and if it is working, stick with it till it dont!)
So the Workout 4 seems a lot lower in volume, is this designed like that, as a kinda “finisher” workout or is it due to the deads, do they wipe you out?
I think the hammies could handle more on day 1 - i know you add deads later, but still…
I think you should split your calf over every day, they like frequent workouts and then you could have a little more space on Day 1 for say… glute/ham raises? seat curls? Stiff deads? Lunges? lol!
You have a superset for lats… and for all chest, but not rows… is this due to the deadlifts also? Maybe stick a superset in for the rows!
(the way i’m going, you’ll have to buy shares in your local gym!)

Na, seems fine anyway. Good stuff… i think you or someone at least gave me similar advice on my OT thread; if it works, stick with it, you know if you’re overtraining and if you feel good, keep it up!
Its good advice!

Joe

6

least the volume isnt too high!! LOL

7

OH, you must be ronnie coleman my bad

8

??

9

Seconded.

10

[quote]Joe Brook wrote:
i am always interested to see other peoples programs, as they are always different to mine in the most surprising ways. It is unlike any program i would design, and as i was reading it, it seemed off-balance because i obviously think in a different way to you… but by the end, i realised it seems to be a good (and tough!), balanced program!

Nice one, as for any comments - well, i shall be nit-picky just to give you something to think about - (because basically, it is fine and if it is working, stick with it till it dont!)
So the Workout 4 seems a lot lower in volume, is this designed like that, as a kinda “finisher” workout or is it due to the deads, do they wipe you out?
I think the hammies could handle more on day 1 - i know you add deads later, but still…
I think you should split your calf over every day, they like frequent workouts and then you could have a little more space on Day 1 for say… glute/ham raises? seat curls? Stiff deads? Lunges? lol!
You have a superset for lats… and for all chest, but not rows… is this due to the deadlifts also? Maybe stick a superset in for the rows!
(the way i’m going, you’ll have to buy shares in your local gym!)

Na, seems fine anyway. Good stuff… i think you or someone at least gave me similar advice on my OT thread; if it works, stick with it, you know if you’re overtraining and if you feel good, keep it up!
Its good advice!

Joe[/quote]

Hey joe, thanks for the comments; some of the stuff like supersetting rows with bench i actually like doing and do; in fact i commonly do a triset of bench, flys, then rows, then rest, saves a lot of time.

Yah, the deadlifts are put in on there own day because they really are demanding on me; and thats the reason i put my forearms in there because they are not that demanding. must say the dead leaves me “dead”; but thats just me. Right now my calves are developing ok; however, you bring some good points should they start to leg behind as its always a possibility as they are a little different than most muscle groups as far as recovery.

Actually, i thought about what you said when i posted this, that people would think this is program out of balance or strange (but as you said if you really look at, i dont think it really is); but figured i have been lingering around the forum long enough and should at least post my workout as i really do want to hear comments wether it be bad or good… even though the workout is currently working for me very well, if i get stuck its usually the negative comments or those giving suggestions that will all of a suddenly ring true or make sense down the road…

Thanks for the comments

ds

11

maybe if you put the leg workout between the back/chest and arms one you would be able to hit higher weights on workout 3? im not telling you to change your routine, cause it works… shit i guess i am, whatever

12

I would swap the leg press for dead lifts since you’re already doing squats.

13

[quote]AmandaSC wrote:
I would swap the leg press for dead lifts since you’re already doing squats.[/quote]

Thats what I was thinking, you arent a mind reader are you? Wait, maybe I am a mind reader, quick are you thinking what I am thinking right now?

14

[quote]Scrotus wrote:
AmandaSC wrote:
I would swap the leg press for dead lifts since you’re already doing squats.

Thats what I was thinking, you arent a mind reader are you? Wait, maybe I am a mind reader, quick are you thinking what I am thinking right now?[/quote]

amongst other things I would change that too. Or a lift like GHR might be better than leg curls.

No point leg pressing unless it’s a replacement for squats do to injury or a need for new stimulus or injury response training.

-chris

15

Some of this is ok. As long as you have a general theme that sounds reasonable you are good. And if you are getting results you are in great shape. A few things though:

Leg Workout-
You just need some type of progression plan besides just adding weight to the bar.
Could have an RDL in there keeping it light so as to not wear out the back for deadlifts later.

Chest/Back-
Some exercises working under extremely long TUT is good for others it will keep your strength increases down hurting your ability to use more weight, missing out on some hypertrophy there. I am saying this in reference to all the supersetting of bench presses and flyes.

Same thing with pullups supersetted with pulldown. You should be shot enough after doing pullups that you are using a weight on pulldowns that is much lighter than it would be otherwise.

You are going to see huge improvements in muscle endurance doing these supersets but you will most likely not get as much hypertrophy as you could doing single sets.

Bis, Tris, Shoulders-
With the lateral raises doing the supersets is a bit more feasable, since you have already hit them with a compound exercise. However, even with this method you are limited in that having your muscle under tension for that long is going to make it very tough maybe impossible to increase the weight past a certain point, so you are basically just trying to increase the TUT, which again is muscle endurance primarily, hypertrophy can be better targeted.

Personally I would put deadlifts on a different day, because as it stands you have 3 hard days (Legs, Chest/Back, Deadlifts) and one moderate day with arms and shoulders. Also you are using muscles that are stressed heavily during deadlifts twice with legs and again with back BEFORE you do the hardest exercise of the week. I would put your chest/back workout at the opposite end of the week from legs and do deadlifts with back. Either that or suck it up and do deadlifts on leg day.

Overall not bad though.

16

[quote]AmandaSC wrote:
I would swap the leg press for dead lifts since you’re already doing squats.[/quote]

I would swap the leg press for lunges.

17

[quote]Shadowzz4 wrote:
Some of this is ok. As long as you have a general theme that sounds reasonable you are good. And if you are getting results you are in great shape. A few things though:

Leg Workout-
You just need some type of progression plan besides just adding weight to the bar.
Could have an RDL in there keeping it light so as to not wear out the back for deadlifts later.

Chest/Back-
Some exercises working under extremely long TUT is good for others it will keep your strength increases down hurting your ability to use more weight, missing out on some hypertrophy there. I am saying this in reference to all the supersetting of bench presses and flyes.

Same thing with pullups supersetted with pulldown. You should be shot enough after doing pullups that you are using a weight on pulldowns that is much lighter than it would be otherwise.

You are going to see huge improvements in muscle endurance doing these supersets but you will most likely not get as much hypertrophy as you could doing single sets.

Bis, Tris, Shoulders-
With the lateral raises doing the supersets is a bit more feasable, since you have already hit them with a compound exercise. However, even with this method you are limited in that having your muscle under tension for that long is going to make it very tough maybe impossible to increase the weight past a certain point, so you are basically just trying to increase the TUT, which again is muscle endurance primarily, hypertrophy can be better targeted.

Personally I would put deadlifts on a different day, because as it stands you have 3 hard days (Legs, Chest/Back, Deadlifts) and one moderate day with arms and shoulders. Also you are using muscles that are stressed heavily during deadlifts twice with legs and again with back BEFORE you do the hardest exercise of the week. I would put your chest/back workout at the opposite end of the week from legs and do deadlifts with back. Either that or suck it up and do deadlifts on leg day.

Overall not bad though.
[/quote]

thanks for all the comments; you do have me thinking.

I have tried doing deads on leg days; but for some reason the deads just really drain me and i cant do it the same day as squats. The leg press really is not that demanding and while placing the dead in place of the leg press looks good on paper (i actually tried doing dead on leg days as i was thinking same as you guys); the reality for me is that having both on the same day compromises either my dead or squat (depending on which one is done first). Replacing the leg press with some other less demanding exercise though makes sense.

The comment relating TUT and supersetting is something i am actually trying to keep in mind. I usually like lifting heavier with bench - 5 to 8 reps; total time of bench is about 30 seconds max and then another 20 to 30 second for flys as i only do about 5 reps of flys - so tut is less than 1 minute; but you are right; at 1 minute i am at the upper level for time for adding mass; and actually way over the time for adding strengh; however, my thinking is that because my bench is pushed very heavy for the first 30 seconds to failure, i am still in the strengh range for bench (which i think is more important exercise); i could be wrong on this; but just thought id give you insight into my thinking on this… would be curious what others think on this…

I have also started doing a lot strip sets on some exercises. Bench, for example, i will go heavier when doing a strip set where i can only initially do 1 or 2 reps (close to fail), then strip some wieght, and then do another 2 reps , then do another 2 reps…i dont superset when doing a strip sets; thought id bring this up as it does sort of get into tut issue… but tut also sort of relates not doing an initial set of extremely heavy reps to fail then stripping the wieght… of course there is a point to where the wieght get to low to be meaningful…just bring this up for discussion as i really do like doing strip sets as i feel they really work the muscle…i suppose i can over do it though; but dont feel i am yet…

As i said before, my workout is working; but as usual, you guys always get me thinking… which is a good thing…

18

overall this is a pretty solid routine. i have done one very similar to this in the past and made some great progress. i would change one thing. on your leg day add a uni-lateral movement such as lunges or heavy step-ups. this assist in any existing or potential imbalances as well as allow for greater stimulus and growth.

19

yah, im actually thinking about adding some lunges; its probably the one exercise im missing.

One of the reasons i have the leg press in there is i do my calf work on the leg press; so i figure as long as doing my calf work on the leg press, i may as well superset some leg press work in there as i use almost the same wieght and it really does not add that much extra time to my workout…the lunges would add a lot more time as i would not be able to superset the calf raises with it if i did in lieu of leg press (also lunges is a unilateral movement as you mentioned which adds even more time)… i guess im trying to get the most bang for the buck as far as time…am thinking about the lunges though…

20

just superset calves on your arm day with military press