My routine, looking for advice

Fusion

Fusion

Fusion

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
10,632
Location
Notts
Just a thread about my lifting where people can pass advice on now that I'm settled in at the uni gym. I'm training for hypertrophy mainly, though strength and retaining some conditioning is important.

Day 1: Chest/Triceps

Flat Barbell Bench Press
Dips
Dumbbell Chest Flies
Close Grip Barbell Bench Press
Cable Pushdown
Dumbbell Triceps Extension

Day 2: Legs/Shoulders

Squats (always to parallel or lower)
Lever Leg Extension
Lever Seated Leg Curl
Barbell Shoulder Press
Dumbbell Side Laterals
Lever Rear Delt Row

Day 3: Back/Biceps

Deadlifts
Close Grip Chins
Cable Front Lat Pulldown
Cable Row/Lever Low Row/Barbell Upright Row
Seated Dumbbell Curl

I've not been following the routine week in, week out for long, and so my strength is incresing each week but my bench press is lagging:

Max Lifts

Flat Barbell Bench: 60kg x 4
Squat: 90kg x 5
Deadlift: 130kg

I'm getting around to sorting the diet out but due to constraints of being in catered accomodation, I have only three meals a day excluding the Whey/Casein shake post-workout. I'm thinking that I may struggle getting the quality calories I require. Perhaps I could buy some oats and have a mid morning meal, what about for mid afternoon though? I've limited cooking facilities (read: toaster & microwave).

A little about me:

Age: 20
Weight: 83kg
BF%: Not entirely sure, at an educated guess I'd say 15%.

Thanks for reading my somewhat vague, advice-seeking retort. I'd be grateful of any assistance.
 
Definately need to post up a rep range, time you've been working out etc

Also I'm not surprised your chest is lacking, you only have 2 main chest excersises (that target the chest completely).
 
I realised not long after posting that I'd missed vital information! All exercises are generally 10, 8, 6. I do a few sets at less than 6 reps on the big three exercises to increase my maxes.

Although my bench pressing strength is poor, my chest development is good given my size. Shall I throw some incline dumbbell pressing into the mix? What's an optimum number of sets to be doing per muscle group? I've been training on and off for two years, more off than on unfortunately. I'm only in my second month of following this regime.
 
Hooked up with a new training partner today as he'd said that we'd do some High Intensity Training, Mike Metzner style. It was by far the toughest workout I've ever completed. The intensity was insane, after the set of leg extensions I had to physically be assisted in running over into the next room to knock out some leg presses. The routine:

Leg Extensions, supersetted with Leg Presses
Calf Raises
Weighted situps

Why the problem, you ask? Only four exercises? The Leg extensions were done not only to failure, but then my partner assisted me in doing some more reps, then he took over on the positive phase and I did negatives. Only one set was done, but it was brutal. Next he practically carried me over to the leg press machine and I started repping out for as many as possible, then he assisted me. I had to sit in the seat for a few minutes before I could get out.

The final leg exercise was calf raises on the machine, again to failure. No assisted reps. Finally I finished with a set of 20 weighted situps, easy in comparison.

That was it, only four sets. But I've never pushed myself so hard in training before. I thought I trained quite intensely, but this is a totally different level. It's a strange sensation coming off a machine and physically not being able to support your own body weight.

Before anyone mentions overtraining, we're only working out twice a week. Three full days of recovery lie ahead- hurrah!

Definitely give it a blast if you want to be shown what real intensity is. You need a dedicated partner, though.
 
Its worth putting your workout on the mens health magazine forum too, they are pretty helpful at times.
 
A2Z said:
so you trained legs and you didnt do any squats?
Click to expand...

So you're a firm believe in the squats, as am I. Interestingly they are often replaced nowdays (well sometimes) with Leg presses on the machine, hack squat machine reps, front squats on the smithy, etc etc.

I love squats and I always will, but there is no reason you can't develop excellent legs with missing them out. Things like front squats will develop your 'teardrop' at the front of the quads, whereas a hack squat machine will give you nice overhangs with good shape.

For me,I'll always have squats I love them too much :)
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Leg day was a success when you walk like a penguin for the next 2 days, 3 if you're lucky :cool:
 
S7yl3s said:
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Leg day was a success when you walk like a penguin for the next 2 days, 3 if you're lucky :cool:
Click to expand...

hahaha

im a big believer that legs need to be blasted, stuggling to walk up stairs for a couple of days is mandatory!
 
Chong Warrior said:
So aren't you doing that workout from your original post now Fusion?
Click to expand...

No, I'm going to have a plug at this high intensity malarky for a while. Just experimentin'.
 
Fusion said:
No, I'm going to have a plug at this high intensity malarky for a while. Just experimentin'.
Click to expand...
Go for it mate :)

High intensity training is awesome, if you're upto it physically and mentally it will transform your physique ;)
 
1 week in 4 (or 5) we do a high intensity leg day similar to that.

Start with leg curls, light weight to warm up then move down the stack in 5-6sets working upto max, quick turn around on the machine to minimise rest. No negatives or assisted reps, just do what you can, then same thing on leg extension but throw in a drop set with single leg negatives. Then robocop it over to the smith machine and squat :(

Finish with some calf raises and abs. No deadlifts on that day. :D
 
Hows this look? There's a bit less reliance on machines, and big muscle groups are given their own day. I'm thinking that it'll be quite demanding.

Day 1: Chest

Flat Barbell Bench Press
Incline Dumbell Bench Press
Dumbell Flies
Dips
Cable Crossovers

Day 2: Legs

Squats
Lunges
Leg Extensions
Leg Curls
Calf Raises

Day 3: Shoulders & Triceps

Military Press
Front Raises
Side Laterals
Shrugs
Close Grip Bench Press
Tricep Cable Pushdowns

Day 4: Back & Biceps

Deadlifts
Bent Over Rows
Chins
Upright Rows
Lat Pulldowns
 
Three sets, 10, 8, 6 as always. With bench press, squats and deadlift I like to get a few sets of less than six reps in there so I can use as much weight as possible. Sometimes finish with a single or two (maxing out), but not every time.

A three day split is probably fine, but earlier someone commented that I didn't have enough volume for the chest.
 
One more question. Have you got your heart set on a 4 day routine and your mind's made up? or would/ could you change to a 3 day?

Haven't got time to go through it all right now but will give you my view later on this evening.
 
I'm flexible. I do three days a week at present. I was only thinking about extending to four to let me spend more time on the bigger groups, but a reworking of my three day plan (similar to in the first post) may allow this.
 
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