My routine, looking for advice

I think 4 days is difficult to pull off if you're hitting each bodypart just once a week. It's just too easy and tempting to do too much volume doing it the way you are. An easy example is you've picked dbell flyes and cable crossovers, they're virtually the same exercise.

If doing 4 days then maybe do an alternating Upper/ Lower and hit each bodypart twice a week. Though only do 1 or 2 exercises per bodypart per session. I think legs especially respond well to being hit twice a week, the big back muscles also. Just be carefull of frying the little fella's like the biceps.

Example:
Monday - Upper
Deadlifts, 3-4 sets
Incline D'bell Bench, 3 sets
Upright Rows, 3 sets
Rear Raises, 2 sets
Dips, 3 sets
Barbell Curls, 3sets

Tuesday - Lower
Leg Press, 3 sets
Barbell Step-Ups, 3 sets
SLDL's, 3 sets
Standing Calf Raises, 3 sets 12 reps

Thurs - Upper
Close grip, palms in Chins, 3 sets
Bent Over Rows, 3 sets
Flat Bench Press, 4 sets
Military Press, 3 sets
Rear Raises, 2 sets
Rope Pushdowns, 3 sets

Friday - Lower
Squats, 3-4 sets
Lunges, 3 sets
Good Mornings, 3 sets
Standing Calf Raises, 3 sets - 8 reps

It's just a quick example but you can see there's a lot less volume and I think you'd get more hypertrophy from a routine like that on a 4 day split,

Just a few other little things about your choices of exercises:
Dips - I think these are the best tricep builders out there. Try and use them as a tricep exercise.
Upright Rows - I use these to build up my delts, they're great for adding width. I wouldn't call them a back exercise.
Lat pulldowns & Chins - Very similar, pick just one. Pulldowns are handy if you struggle with chins, if you don't then pick chins as they're a superior exercise;)
Military Press & Front Press - Again two very similar exercises and again shows how that split tempts you to add too many exercises.
Leg Curls - Leave this exercise to the ladies:) They aren't going to build you much muscle. SLDL's are so much better, though I find them possibly one of the most difficult exercises known to man. I hate them, they hurt! :)
 
Chong Warrior said:
Example:
Click to expand...

Awesome, that looks a lot better. I've never done Barbell Step-Ups, Straight legged deadlifts or Good Mornings before, so I'll start light with those.

Can't wait to start, I'm excited about having a new routine. I'm going to be training tonight and I'll begin with a leg session, gave the back a good workout Sunday.

Cheers :cool:
 
Fusion said:
Awesome, that looks a lot better. I've never done Barbell Step-Ups, Straight legged deadlifts or Good Mornings before, so I'll start light with those.

Can't wait to start, I'm excited about having a new routine. I'm going to be training tonight and I'll begin with a leg session, gave the back a good workout Sunday.

Cheers :cool:
Click to expand...
No worries :)

It was just a quick example and can and probably should be tweaked a little but it's basically a sound workout and easy to build on. Again just be carefull of adding too much, you'll already be working out 4 times a week.

Excellent idea of starting light with the new exercises, heavy weight will do you no good at all until you've nailed the form as I'm sure you already know ;)

Get ready for some DOMS in those hams :D
 
Bench Press still a shocking 65kg, but I've bought some oats to introduce into my protein shake. Getting the necessary amount of quality calories has been an issue, this is a step in the right direction.
 
Fusion said:
Bench Press still a shocking 65kg, but I've bought some oats to introduce into my protein shake. Getting the necessary amount of quality calories has been an issue, this is a step in the right direction.
Click to expand...

How long have you been training? I wouldn't say that 65kg was bad at all (if that's what you meant by shocking). I find my bench hard to progress aswell, but i'm going to introduce bench into my back/bicep and leg/ab days aswell to try and get my chest used to the amount.
 
I think the trick to a good bench press is good form early on and concentrating on getting the chest muscles working hard instead of the deltoids and triceps. It's sounds a lot easier than it really is because people don't naturally have a good mind to muscle connection with the pec's, as it not a muscle we use that much.

Don't worry about the weight, just try and squeeze the pecs through the movement, even try doing some pre-exhausting exercise like d'bell flyes first. I find this helps you sense how the pecs work as you feel the burn because they're already tired. There's nothing worse than performing an exercise and not really being able to feel the muscle working.

I find this helps so much once you try to pile the weights on later. Once you start hitting 100kg+ you need as much of those big pecs to get involved as possible because that much weight soon tires out those puny (in comparison) delts and tri's.

...and I agree with the above post, 65kg isn't too bad at all ;)
 
Couldn't agree more about getting the form right. Imo, if a set is done in sloppy style then its a wasted set. There's no point whatsoever in swinging and bouncing the weight up and down. Always use the targeted muscle to move the weight :)
 
talking of form in bench.

ive started to do a single set of flat barbell, halfway down i stop briefly, then complete the rep (all the way down and back up), its forcing the form by eliminating the temptation to 'bounce' the weight back up.
 
Chong Warrior said:
I think the trick to a good bench press is good form early on and concentrating on getting the chest muscles working hard instead of the deltoids and triceps. It's sounds a lot easier than it really is because people don't naturally have a good mind to muscle connection with the pec's, as it not a muscle we use that much.
Click to expand...

Thanks for pointing that out, it's exactly what I was doing, using too much of my delts and triceps. I benched yesturday (after doing leg's) and found that more of the power was coming from the centre of my body.
 
Chong Warrior said:
Straight backed and yeah I'm same as you, after squats these just totally fry my hams, they're sore for 2-4 days after!!
Click to expand...

I found an article which increases the effect on the hamstrings, I sometimes feel like my hamstrings aren't completely worked (it sometimes does, but not always). Anyway, it's here : http://www.topendsports.com/fitness/technique-deadlift.htm
 
$loth said:
Thanks for pointing that out, it's exactly what I was doing, using too much of my delts and triceps. I benched yesturday (after doing leg's) and found that more of the power was coming from the centre of my body.
Click to expand...
Good stuff! You'll find once you learn how to invlve your pecs more your bench will come on leaps and bounds... as will your physique :)
$loth said:
I found an article which increases the effect on the hamstrings, I sometimes feel like my hamstrings aren't completely worked (it sometimes does, but not always). Anyway, it's here : http://www.topendsports.com/fitness/technique-deadlift.htm
Click to expand...
Nice find, sounds like it could help. I find it's always the little changes like that that suddenly turn an exercise from a poor one to one of the best.

I'm really struggling with my SLDL's atm :(
 
Bench is up to 70kg, felt pretty good. Failed on 75kg. With hindsight I should have tried 72.5 instead of gunning for a bigger increment. 5kg can make a lot of difference.

Nice that I'm progressing, next stop 80kg.
 
An updated, been training properly again since 8th Jan. Wasn't able to train as effectively throughout most of December due to being in Prague and at home, now I'm at uni again and have full access to quality equipment.

Finally nailed my form on deadlifts and squats, these exercises take a while to master. Concentrating on upping the weight now, was happy that today I managed a personal best squat of 120kg. My target for the next six months is 140kg. Deadlift max is still 130kg, going to try higher on Friday. Deadlift target is 150kg. Bench still at 70kg, not tried higher. Target is 80kg.

Did a couple of barbell push presses today aswell, 50kg is fine. 60kg is a no-no! Aiming to notch 60kg in the near future.
 
Last edited:
I had to go all the way down to 15kg for SLDL's at the start of the year. Been doing them 3 times a week every week and tonight I did 2 sets of 8x60kg easy. Might not seem much to some but I'm made up with that :)
 
Not done SLDLs, but started Good-Mornings for the first time yesterday and started with just the bar. Did:

20kg x 10
30kg x 10
40kg x 10
50kg x 10

Will likely go up to 60kg next week. An effective exercise, I'm not flexible enough to get my back parallel though!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom