Post Your TBT Routine

Training Bodybuilding
21

bulldogmedic, I like the looks of that. Like you said simple and basic. I think if you push it hard enough though, with every other day, you could definitely say that’s enough. I don’t think it looks bad at all.

What complexes do you use?

By overhead pull do you mean some kind of vertical pull, or what?

Benreturns, just wait til you take some time off. That’s when those TBT gains really come through.

Der Candy, pretty low volume. What’s your goal? You pretty new to TBT? I think if it works, great, but that is much lower volume than most programs I’ve gained on.

jlats, what is a D press? dumbbell press?

Everyone post your fav exercises for use in TBT plans…as mentioned, I like two-in-ones…clean & press, high pull (upper/lower)…snatch/overhead squat.

22

Thank’s for the aswer.My goal is hypertrophy.
I am 5’9.5’’ 163 lbs, 12% bf
The poundages I use is:
Leg press:525 lbs
Bench press:184 lbs
Dips:B.W+88 lbs
Chins:B.W+59lbs
Pull-UP:B.W+30 lbs
Onearmdunbell rows:92 lbs
OHBP:100 lbs
Back extension:44 lbs
Incline dunbell bench press:72 lbs

I can only train 2 times a week, for 60 min.
Thank’s for any help!!

23

conwict, thanks for your response.

to respond to the thread, here is what I’ve been doing:

Day 1:
Back squat
Flat bench
Bent row
BB curls
Dips (triceps focus)

Day 2:
Deadlift
Incline bench
Pull ups
shrugs
calf raises

Day 3:
Front squat
flat bench
chin ups
shoulder press

I basically look at CW and Steve Reeves from a training perspective. They both advocate 3 full body workouts per week and complement one another well.

I’m doing a ketogenic diet, lifting heaving and incorporating some moderate walking (60%-70% heart rate) and the fat is melting off me…I’m getting stronger, not losing muscle and overall feel great. I know there is disagreement over keto diets (this isn’t Atikins, btw) but just like lifting programs, nutritional protocols can vary person to person.

The bottom line with the keto approach is, based on my research, very anabolic, effective at burning fat, very satisfying and even healthful. I find it works well with a full-body program (esp. using a bit higher rep ranges on Fridays in anticipation of glorious carb-up).

24

[quote]conwict wrote:
bulldogmedic, I like the looks of that. Like you said simple and basic. I think if you push it hard enough though, with every other day, you could definitely say that’s enough. I don’t think it looks bad at all.

What complexes do you use?

By overhead pull do you mean some kind of vertical pull, or what?
[/quote]
I use overhead in place of vertical, same thing (I know there are exceptions, but all my vertical is overhead).

I don’t have a chosen set of complexes. But, for discussion, today workout was:
Overhead Squatx10
Clean X8
Push Press x8
BO Row x8
RDL or Goodmorning x10
Squat or Front Squat x10

I do like the combo lifts, currently, I save them for complexes/weight conditioning vs strength training.

This last year, I bought up most of the books from the T-Nation store. Waterbury and Cosgrove has really influenced my thinking and training methods. TBT is the way to go for me.

As far as simple and basic, I am learning that less is more. I’m going to butcher a quote and try to paraphrase Bruce Lee. “Before I learned to fight, all I knew was a punch was a punch, a kick a kick. As I learned, I learned about an uppercut, a cross, a jab…Years later, I have come to learn, a punch is a punch, a kick is a kick.” I did not do this quote any justice, but I have a point in mind.

More is less. In general, you either push (lower body, upper body horizontal and vertical) or pull (the same). Most everything else is a variation of those. I am not a bodybuilder. There is no big difference for me in the long run if I do flat bench, incline bench, decline bench or pushups. It is all training the same movement and muscles, as I get stronger than one, it helps get stronger with the others. I include a lower body lift, and a upper body push and pull with each workout. That is the big picture, the rest are details. I keep rotating which lifts I fill into the template, vary rep ranges, and that is it. Not a perfect program, but it works for me.

One last note before I end this ramble. The above mentioned frame has been year round. Currently, I am dropping the volume and including complexes. During a mass phase, I’ll add volume, and maybe 2-3 sets of isolation work per movement (for example on a deadlift day follow up with a few sets of hamstring curls).Last year I put on @20 lbs by doing this. Ramble over, good thread by the way, thanks.

25

bulldogmedic,

I’m with you on the simplicity! Which isn’t to say that one shouldn’t strive for more knowledge. Quite the opposite.

As an addendum, I should add that as almost anything works fairly well in the long term, my priorities are 1) palatability (how long can I keep it up? Do I enjoy it?) and 2) safety. Efficacy is definitely important, but it would have to be 3).

I don’t care how effective something is if I hate doing it, or if it is unsafe. Fortunately I enjoy most types of training, but even if hammering my “chest and bis” one day per week worked great, I’d just find it boring and unchallenging.

Also bulldogmedic, I think it is wise to think in term of long-term cycles. Not just “after this mass phase I will cut,” but “each year I will…”. That way you really know where you will end up. Caveman (search for a thread on him) espoused a similar philosophy. Dunno where that guy went.

trextacy, I agree with your assessment. I don’t know about ketogenic, but low carb diets work well for me. I’m actually pretty versatile…I think (hopefully) now I’m body smart enough to know when I can have em. If I have had a clean, carb-timed, hard-working week in the gym, I feel comfortable having a mega carb day. I just go by what I feel, and it’s working.

In part I’m gonna have to cite good programming choices for my success with diet. In my case I’d say they’re equally important.

cgutcu, those are some sick chin and dip numbers. You may wanna go deeper in dips, and more strict in chins, if possible. If not great job. I’m not really sure what to say. 2x week can work, but is it a gym access issue, or a time issue?

If it’s a time issue just go very intensely. Gentilcore has a 2x week routine, and so does Waterbury (it’s called 2x4).

If it is a gym access issue, that’s very simple. Just add in a third day with bodyweight or oddball exercises:

Car pushing
Pistol squats (or pistol box squats)
King deadlifts (not simple one-leg RDLs, different form, look it up)
High-rep or feet-elevated or ballistic pushups, or maybe even one-arm
Jumps onto a box
Plank
Sprints

Pavel argues you can get as strong as you want with pistol squats and one-arm pushups.

26

I’m with you on the simplicity! Which isn’t to say that one shouldn’t strive for more knowledge. Quite the opposite.

In keeping with this theme, I think that one of the marks of a mature trainee is that he or she is not swayed by hype. I’m very glad to hear that whatever new training program is the bee’s knees, but I will not forget what has worked for me in the past. I will try both, and keep what works.

27

[quote]conwict wrote:
I’m with you on the simplicity! Which isn’t to say that one shouldn’t strive for more knowledge. Quite the opposite.

In keeping with this theme, I think that one of the marks of a mature trainee is that he or she is not swayed by hype. I’m very glad to hear that whatever new training program is the bee’s knees, but I will not forget what has worked for me in the past. I will try both, and keep what works.[/quote]

The irony in this statement is unbearable.

28

Stronghold, simplicity is not always easy to achieve. Just ask Einstein:

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

That old worn Bruce Lee quote is applicable here as well: absorb what is useful, discard what is not. While I know what works for me, I cannot shut myself off from new knowledge.

29

Thank’s for the help.
I think the 25 program is for me.But if I understand it, you take your 5 rm and do 5 reps, rest 60 secds, then more reps but not to faul, until you reach 25 reps total.This is not to much fatigue?
Also, 4x6 whit 60 secds rest is not to little weigth?Is this whit 80% of 1RM?

30

Go reread these articles, cgutcu:

The 25 Method
Fast to Big
Maximum Recruitment Training

You take your 5rm and do as many reps as you can until your bar speed or form decrease. The bar speed of the first rep of each set is your gauge. Usually when I do the 25 method it looks something like this:

4
3
3
3
2
2
1
2
1
1

31

[quote]conwict wrote:
Der Candy, pretty low volume. What’s your goal? You pretty new to TBT? I think if it works, great, but that is much lower volume than most programs I’ve gained on.
[/quote]

I am focussing on gaining as much strength as possible in the basic lifts right now (I am a newbie). I agree it’s pretty low volume. At this stage I can afford to add weight every workout. Anyone who is more than a beginner probably wouldn’t grow off of it, though.

32

Monday:

Power clean 5x5
Benchpress 1x5
Squat 5x5
Rowing and torso moves

Wednesday:

Power clean 5x1
Deadlift 1x5
Military press 5x5
Torso moves

Friday:

Power clean 5x5
Squat 1x5
Benchpress 5x5
Rowing and torso moves

1x5 = up to a heavy 5.
5x5 = 5x5 with the same weight.
I’ve been mostly using this program and varied a little with the rep scheme and so forth. Finished doing 3 months of 1x3/3x3 just recently.

33

HKdoom,

Again I’m no expert but to me that program could be improve a bit by tweaking exercise selection. Looks cool though, you can’t go wrong with heavy all the time.

What I’d do with the exercise selection if I were you:

Power clean
High pull with snatch grip
Power clean from blocks or rack or hang

Squat
Front or overhead squat

Regular bench
Close grip bench

…Personally if I’m hitting movements hard like that I gotta vary em to stay with the program longer. Just me though, maybe you have had a different experience?

34

[quote]conwict wrote:
Stronghold, simplicity is not always easy to achieve. Just ask Einstein:

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

That old worn Bruce Lee quote is applicable here as well: absorb what is useful, discard what is not. While I know what works for me, I cannot shut myself off from new knowledge.[/quote]

Explain to me how simplicity is not difficult to achieve? The only thing challenging about finding simplicity in your training is cutting through all of the bullshit and getting down to the main things that make you grow.

The irony is that you are speaking about simplicity in training, while throwing out more acronyms than my statistics professor.

35

[quote]conwict wrote:
HKdoom,

Again I’m no expert but to me that program could be improve a bit by tweaking exercise selection. Looks cool though, you can’t go wrong with heavy all the time.

What I’d do with the exercise selection if I were you:

Power clean
High pull with snatch grip
Power clean from blocks or rack or hang

Squat
Front or overhead squat

Regular bench
Close grip bench

…Personally if I’m hitting movements hard like that I gotta vary em to stay with the program longer. Just me though, maybe you have had a different experience?[/quote]

Yeah you’re right and I actually vary the moves like that, I just didn’t emphasise enough of that varying part. :stuck_out_tongue: I did/do the volume bench with wider grip and the hard bench with my regular grip which is rather narrow, for example. For a while I front squatted after the deadlift aswell depending on how much juice I have left on my legs. The routine is the base I work on, but I still leave room for some living on it. I used to do a lot more of snatching but I started concentrating on the power clean a while back to get its numbers as high as I can (and it’s making my neck grow a lot too :wink: ).
Lately I’ve been thinking of about implementing power shrugs to improve the second pull on the power clean, so I might either replace one of the power clean sessions with heavy power shrugging or doing both of them.

36

On an another note, do you guys have any experience about using complexes during weight dropping? I’m taking it a bit easier on the super heavy stuff on the powerlifts for a little while now while I’m dropping weight. Mostly because I started experiencing some nice joint pains (hurt my shoulder slightly, lower back and knees are aching :slight_smile: ). Not really surprising considering after a few months worth of heavy 5x5/1x5 I changed to even heavier 3x3/1x3 for a pretty long run.
I’m planning to start squat, deadlift and benchpress from strength levels’ upkeep percentage, around 70%, and go up from there gradually, and concentrate on 5x5 complexes like power clean - jerk/military press - front squat.
The routine I’ve been thinking about is something like this:

Monday:
Deadlift upkeep, power clean+jerk/military press+front squat, squat + good morning.

Wednesday:
Bench upkeep, power clean+jerk/military press+front squat, squat + good morning.

Friday:
Squat upkeep, power clean+jerk/military press+front squat, squat + good morning.

With extra workouts throughout the week with kettlebells.

The reason why I only bench once a week now is to take it easy on the shoulder and rehabiliate it with overhead work on the complexes and flexibility and other rehabiliation work at the end of the workouts.

EDIT: another complex I thought about using was snatch + overhead squat + behind the neck push press / press.
EDIT 2: shit, forgot more stuff from the routine. Rowing and torso moves again at the end of the workouts. I usually do these little things randomly and vary the moves a lot.

37

HKDOOM,

I think complexes are great for fat loss. They’re also fun psychologically, because you can come up with a ton of variations.

The only time I ever did fat loss, I lost about 20 pounds in 8-9 weeks with a 2300 cal/day diet and an A-B split.

A workout was 3x3 of a rather long complex, using about a 120lb barbell. I progressed by adding weight weekly and decreasing the rest periods by 5s each workout.

B workout was strength maintenance, basically 3x3-5 of some moves that weren’t a part of the complex (bench, heavier pulling, chins).

When I say a rather long complex I mean about 10-11 moves per “rep”…deadlift, high pull from hang, row, hang clean, front squat into push press, back squat, calf raises, push press from behind neck…all in a sequence would be one “rep”.

38

[quote]Stronghold wrote:
conwict wrote:
Stronghold, simplicity is not always easy to achieve. Just ask Einstein:

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

That old worn Bruce Lee quote is applicable here as well: absorb what is useful, discard what is not. While I know what works for me, I cannot shut myself off from new knowledge.

Explain to me how simplicity is not difficult to achieve? The only thing challenging about finding simplicity in your training is cutting through all of the bullshit and getting down to the main things that make you grow.

The irony is that you are speaking about simplicity in training, while throwing out more acronyms than my statistics professor.[/quote]

Sorry if acronyms like “CW,” “TBT,” and “OCD” confuse you. They’re pretty commonplace on the internet, so maybe you should make a list of acronyms for your later perusal.

I assume you mean “how simplicity is difficult to achieve,” but I think you’re overcomplicating this. I thought the Einstein quote summed the matter up.

I, and some other people, enjoy finding the all-around best way (for ourselves) to train while keeping it simple. An elegantly designed program like Waterbury’s Max Recruitment Training is very simple, but clearly took some thought. Dan John’s One Lift a Day is as simple as it gets. These programs are elegant.

For a great definition of simplicity in practice, I consulted the Encyclopedia Britannica.

[quote]
finding the most economical basis from which, in principle, theories of all other material processes may be derived[/quote]

This is a definition from the theory of physical sciences, which are ultimately what sound weight training practice is based on.

I won’t spend long explaining my thoughts on this, but I firmly believe that a SYSTEM of weight training (or nutrition) that is simple and well-founded is better than all the specifics in the world. One Lift a Day, Maximum Recruitment Training, and 7 Habits of Highly Effective Diets are all examples. These systems are highly effective, in my opinion, for almost everyone. They can be tweaked, but they are based on simple and sound principles that are essentially universal to all trainees.

If you think simplicity is easy to express and attain, I’d be flattered if you would articulate your system.