New Program, Crazy?

Training Bodybuilding
1

I posted my training program a while back trying to figure out why I always felt weak in day 1, and was told the routine had way too much volume. I found that that once I dropped the triceps lockout prior to chest training things went fine. I have been on the program for several weeks, gaining some decent poundage both on my lifts and frame.

As my progress halted, I have recently started a new (but similar) routine that seems to work fine, but it maybe completely out of whack as I have little experience of designing my own programs. I know I could just choose a program from this site, but it’s much more fun the other way around. Here goes:

Day 1: Chest and Back

  • Barbell Rows: 5X5

  • Dumbell Rows: 3X8-10

  • Lat Pulldown: 4X6 (alternated with chins/pullups)

  • Isolation Exercise

  • Bench barbell press: Going for 10X3, probably 7-8X3.

  • Incline barbell press: 2X7-8

  • Dips to failure

Day 2: Legs and Shoulders

  • Dumbell shoulder press: 3X6-7

  • Behind neck press: What I feel like

  • Lateral raises: 3X10

  • Deadlift: work up to a heavy single + some sumos and snatch grips

  • Breathing Squats: 20 reps (the weight is a little less than usual because of the deadlift, still makes me want to cry)

  • If I can still walk, some leg curls or extensions.

Day 3: Arms and traps

  • Close grip bench press: 2-3X6-8

  • Triceps extension: 5X5

  • Barbell curl: 4X6

  • Incline curl: 2-3X8-10

  • Isolation exercise.

  • Power shrugs: 3X5-7.

This is the basic outline, I don’t follow it religiously. For instance instead of doing both dumbell 5X5 and military press 8X2, I may do DP 2X5 and MP 3X5. I also try to do some low volume leg work every workout, as well as lagging body parts.

For bench press, I’m working up to a 5X5 (3X10, 3X8, 4X6, 5X4). That’s basically what I do with the other low-rep exercises too, progressing to higher rep ranges.
The leg day may seem a bit crazy, but it sure is blowing up my legs.

This may seem too much, too little… I Don’t know. At least I seem to be able to add some weights on most lifts every workout. Please comment on how I could improve this program, as I like it very much so far.

2

Well not crazy, but you could change a few things. As long as you are taking a day off between these days you should be getting enough recovery. Stick with the chin-ups pull-ups vs. curls and lat-pulldowns.

I would encourage you to look into one of chad waterburys programs because that is where I have found success. Variety in exercises and rep ranges keep me interested. Switching programs after 4 weeks and a week off. I think his workouts have the right amount of volume and intensity for growth.

3

Spend less time drawing up programs and more time in the gym. Very few big guys use training journals and draw up elaborate training schemes.

4

[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
Spend less time drawing up programs and more time in the gym. Very few big guys use training journals and draw up elaborate training schemes. [/quote]

Thanks for the reply, but the few minutes spent on writing this post doesn’t really interfer with the time I spend in the gym. It’s just for fun.

And I would think “big guys” change up their training schemes from time to time when progress halts, even if its all in their heads.