My Workout To Critique

[DieselGunz]

Well getting ready to go for my big push to the summer I havent realy been training since the birth of my daughter so i took a few step's bakc this winter but now is the time to get my ass in gear. My basic WO is intense pushing every set and focusing on solid form and NO cheating I will gladly grab a lighter weight to focus on working the muscle than to let my ego get in the way and be cheating like no tomorrow. I usually have about 60 seconds in between sets sometimes more if I am on my bulk excercises. This might not be the best way of WO but it has worked for me, now is the time to make some suttle changes and push my body to another level.

Day 1 Chest- BB incline 2 warmup 4 working last drop set
BB flat- 4 working last drop set (plate under bench)
2 finishing changed up every week

Day 2 Back- Deadz 2 warmup 3 working
BB/DB rows 4 working
chins wide-4 working one drop
seated rows-3 working 1 drop
narrow pull ups light and strict

Day 3 shoulders- BB upright rows-3 sets
DB presses 1 warmup 3 working 1 drop
side laterals 4 sets
rear laters 4 sets
combination of all laterals till cant lift my fn arms

Day 4 legs- squats 2 warmup 4 working
lunges 3 working
seated extensions 3 sets till failure
hamm extensions or still leg deadz 3 sets

Day 5 arms- close grip bench 2 warm up 4 working
extensions 3 working
EZ bar skull crushers 4 sets
DB overhead extensions 3 sets
BB curls 1 warm up 3 working
preacher curls BB 3 sets
incline seated 3 sets
concentration 3 sets ALL excercises are drop setted

calves are mixed when I feel like or have the energy to do it.

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

looks good. abs???

 

[psychedout]

I don't like it, but eh thats just me. Not enough frequency, too much emphasis on non-core lifts, and not enough rest.

 

[DieselGunz]

I don't like it, but eh thats just me. Not enough frequency, too much emphasis on non-core lifts, and not enough rest.

point taken, any ideas how to improve?

 

[DZLS]

i'd say you need more ferquency as well...

i'd try and hit chest every 4-5 days, and not wait 7 to hit it again... same goes for back...

shoulders and arms can be hit every 3 days...

legs...? well everyone has a different thought on them, and i always only did them once a week, so this 5x5 is going to be a major shock to my system...

 

[psychedout]

I prefer a split like:

Day 1 Upper
Day 2 Lower
Day 3 Rest

Repeat. Pic 2 or 3 core lifts , 1 or 2 accessory lifts per session and then go from there.

 

[DieselGunz]

I prefer a split like:

Day 1 Upper
Day 2 Lower
Day 3 Rest

Repeat. Pic 2 or 3 core lifts , 1 or 2 accessory lifts per session and then go from there.

that makes sense but i find if I do 2 much in one day I loose focus and my WO suffors. Funny thing is DZL I thought I would be told I was training 2 much not 2 little.

This is my basic WO I change it up alot with diff exercises and reps

I might try that tho for a month and see how i feel

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

what are your goals? high frequency WOs are great for sports-specific training, not for bodybuilders. if your goal is putting on mass- muscles need more rest/repair time to grow. Wait five days at least before hitting the same muscle group again.

 

[psychedout]

that makes sense but i find if I do 2 much in one day I loose focus and my WO suffors. Funny thing is DZL I thought I would be told I was training 2 much not 2 little.

This is my basic WO I change it up alot with diff exercises and reps

I might try that tho for a month and see how i feel

Don't get me wrong or anything bro -- if you are happy with the way things are going then keep it up. You look good in your avatar.

But I would break it up like this if I was you -- have two A workouts and two B workouts. You shouldn't get rundown or loose focus if you don't do too much volume and plan it out.

A-1
-Bench Press
-Shoulder Press (standing preferably)
-BB Rows
-Weighted Dips

A-2
-Incline Bench Press
-Weighted Chinups
-Narrow Grip Bench
-BB Curls

B-1
-ATF Squats
-Stiff Leg Deadlifts
-Calve Raises
-Weighted Situps

B-2
-Front Squats
-Deadlifts
-Calve raises
-Weight rope crunches

Blah, I dunno -- that's something like I would do. All lifts with be done for like 3x5.

 

[psychedout]

what are your goals? high frequency WOs are great for sports-specific training, not for bodybuilders. if your goal is putting on mass- muscles need more rest/repair time to grow. Wait five days at least before hitting the same muscle group again.

Completely wrong. A lot of research (and by a lot, I mean ALL) that once a week frequency is not adequate.

 

[DieselGunz]

Don't get me wrong or anything bro -- if you are happy with the way things are going then keep it up. You look good in your avatar.

But I would break it up like this if I was you -- have two A workouts and two B workouts. You shouldn't get rundown or loose focus if you don't do too much volume and plan it out.

A-1
-Bench Press
-Shoulder Press (standing preferably)
-BB Rows
-Weighted Dips

A-2
-Incline Bench Press
-Weighted Chinups
-Narrow Grip Bench
-BB Curls

B-1
-ATF Squats
-Stiff Leg Deadlifts
-Calve Raises
-Weighted Situps

B-2
-Front Squats
-Deadlifts
-Calve raises
-Weight rope crunches

Blah, I dunno -- that's something like I would do. All lifts with be done for like 3x5.

thank you i am happy where I am right now but I want to get bigger and better. thanx for your help, i really appreciate it.

dont mind me if I have more questions

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

Completely wrong. A lot of research (and by a lot, I mean ALL) that once a week frequency is not adequate.

LOL. you can get research to support anything you want- Im talking about real life as in pro BBdrs I personally know or have trained with...they train one muscle group per week. they also have placed in the top 10 of the Olympia

 

[DieselGunz]

what are your goals? high frequency WOs are great for sports-specific training, not for bodybuilders. if your goal is putting on mass- muscles need more rest/repair time to grow. Wait five days at least before hitting the same muscle group again.

that has worked for a while but i am looking to change it up in hope to grow. I know when i do I will feel better also.

 

[JIMguy]

you can get research to support anything you want- Im talking about real life as in pro BBdrs

hmmm....

that sentence seems to be a contradiction in and of itself. I doubt it is very "real" for the average trainer on this site, or even Diesel who looks like he is in excellent shape, to model their training based on that of Olympian pro bodybuilders, because, I can assure you, the tools used by these bodybuilders (i.e. slin, gh, igf, pgf2a, and of course tons of AS) are far from real life conditions for any other trainee. So yes, I'm afraid I will trust the "research". I find scientific research, modeled on complex organisms, to be very real indeed.

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

So yes, I'm afraid I will trust the "research". I find scientific research, modeled on complex organisms, to be very real indeed.

your preaching to the choir! for every "scientific research" that shows hi frequency training works- theres another to show it doesnt.

 

[Cynical Simian]

I'm generally in agreement with psychedout on this: you need more core lifts and frequency. Coming from a bodypart-per-day split, isolation-heavy split, it would be a bit of a transition, but you might be surprised by what you can do after a week or two of conditioning. I know it seems like the 5x5 is all people talk about on this board, but it or a similar full-body program (HST would be very much in line with your goals) might be worth trying instead of just slightly tweaking what you've always done.

 

[DieselGunz]

I'm generally in agreement with psychedout on this: you need more core lifts and frequency. Coming from a bodypart-per-day split, isolation-heavy split, it would be a bit of a transition, but you might be surprised by what you can do after a week or two of conditioning. I know it seems like the 5x5 is all people talk about on this board, but it or a similar full-body program (HST would be very much in line with your goals) might be worth trying instead of just slightly tweaking what you've always done.

yeah HST seems to have some good theorys, I am reading about them now



thanx!

 

[psychedout]

your preaching to the choir! for every "scientific research" that shows hi frequency training works- theres another to show it doesnt.

Okay, then show me ONE scientifically researched theory that says it doesn't work. Articles don't count either. I am talking about quality literature here. I will stop speaking when you show me that.

 

[psychedout]

LOL. you can get research to support anything you want- Im talking about real life as in pro BBdrs I personally know or have trained with...they train one muscle group per week. they also have placed in the top 10 of the Olympia

The only reason professional bodybuilders look as the do is due to ungodly ammounts of AAS, GH, IGF, anti-GDF8, and thyroid hormones. That coupled with good genetics. You take a shitty training stimulus and multiply it by drugs gallore, and they look like they do. They could lift a broomstick and probably look better than 90% of the people on this board because of all the drugs/genetics on their side.

 

[psychedout]

In order for the loading to result in significant hypertrophy, the stimulus must be applied with sufficient frequency to create a new "environment", as opposed to seemingly random and acute assaults on the mechanical integrity of the tissue. The downside of taking a week of rest every time you load a muscle is that many of the acute responses to training like increased protein synthesis, prostaglandins, IGF-1 levels, and mRNA levels all return to normal in about 36 hours. So, you spend 2 days growing and half a week in a semi-anticatabolic state returning to normal (some people call this recovery), when research shows us that recovery can take place unabated even if a the muscle is loaded again in 48 hours. So true anabolism from loading only lasts 2 days at best once the load is removed. The rest of the time you are simply balancing nitrogen retention without adding to it.

Studies to support it to come.

 

[psychedout]

http://www.kieser-training.de/de/wissen/mkt_abstracts/cervical_extension_strength.pdf

Study #1. Conclusion: 2x week frequency is better than 1x week frequency. I have to go do school work but I promise you I will post many more.

 

[Phaded]

i'd try 5x5 if i was you dieselgunz .. i used to do basically exact same workout you are doing .. started 5x5 10 weeks ago and i fucking love it..

 

[Guinness5.0]

DG-

I've been absolutely thrilled with my training as of late. I'll give a basic rundown of what it's consisted of. Bascially I've run 'cookie-cutter' versions of some of the solid programs that have fit my needs and I have learned some great stuff about training that I'll be applying to my training throughout my lifting career.

I ran DF 5x5 after reading up in the monster 5x5 thread, and that went very well. I tried HST and loved it (recomped by a decent amount without any gear) and learned more great stuff. Now I'm using WSB and am loving it.

The goal for me is to learn as much as possible so that I won't need 'cookie-cutters' - I want to be able to assess where I'm at, where I want to be, and determine exactly what I'll need to do to get there. The journey for me so far has been fantastic. I probably learned more about training and the body's response to it in the last year than in the ten or so years I trained prior, and the results have been fantastic. Really, the difference has been getting away form teh typical BB magazine stuff and looking more to the world of strength/conditioning.

An awesome place to read a TON of solid info on training would be madcow's site. Obviously he's got the 5x5 variations in there, bbtu there's also a wealth of articles/posts that are great general pieces for anyone who lifts:

http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow1/

And I agree with the frequency crowd. Besides, bodypart splits are pretty flawed for a variety of reasons.

 

[nelmsjer]

Well getting ready to go for my big push to the summer I havent realy been training since the birth of my daughter so i took a few step's bakc this winter but now is the time to get my ass in gear. My basic WO is intense pushing every set and focusing on solid form and NO cheating I will gladly grab a lighter weight to focus on working the muscle than to let my ego get in the way and be cheating like no tomorrow. I usually have about 60 seconds in between sets sometimes more if I am on my bulk excercises. This might not be the best way of WO but it has worked for me, now is the time to make some suttle changes and push my body to another level.

Day 1 Chest- BB incline 2 warmup 4 working last drop set
BB flat- 4 working last drop set (plate under bench)
2 finishing changed up every week

Day 2 Back- Deadz 2 warmup 3 working
BB/DB rows 4 working
chins wide-4 working one drop
seated rows-3 working 1 drop
narrow pull ups light and strict

Day 3 shoulders- BB upright rows-3 sets
DB presses 1 warmup 3 working 1 drop
side laterals 4 sets
rear laters 4 sets
combination of all laterals till cant lift my fn arms

Day 4 legs- squats 2 warmup 4 working
lunges 3 working
seated extensions 3 sets till failure
hamm extensions or still leg deadz 3 sets

Day 5 arms- close grip bench 2 warm up 4 working
extensions 3 working
EZ bar skull crushers 4 sets
DB overhead extensions 3 sets
BB curls 1 warm up 3 working
preacher curls BB 3 sets
incline seated 3 sets
concentration 3 sets ALL excercises are drop setted

calves are mixed when I feel like or have the energy to do it.

Ok, as far as bodypart once per week training goes, I'm actually impressed with your program. You have an appropriate number of total sets per bodypart and potentially an appropriate number of total reps (depending on your rep range).

Having said that, I think you're wasting your time with it. As the others have stated, greater frequency has immense value to reaching your goals.

If you insist on working with the style you have presented, at least let me suggest the following:

Day 1 Chest/Shoulers- BB incline 2 warmup 4 working last drop set
BB flat- 4 working last drop set (plate under bench)
Push press: 4 working

Day 2 Back- Deadz 2 warmup 3 working
BB rows 4 working
chins wide-4 working one drop

Day 3 off

Day 4 legs- squats 2 warmup 4 working
lunges 3 working
stiff leg deadz 3 sets

Day 5 off

Day 6 - start over at Day 1

Yes, I dropped the arms on purpose. You've been around enough to know that all pushing works the triceps and all pulling works the biceps. It's just that simple. Leave the arms for after you've put on 15-20 pounds and THEN decide if you need to work them. You'll probably realize, like most of us, that arm work is a waste of quality gym time, at least 80% of the time.

This gives you more frequency, but I would still rather see you do 5x5, even if only for 2 months or something like what psychedout wrote for you. Either one will be better that what you have. Again, though, I have to give you a "good job" for at least reducing the disturbing amount of machine work and volume in one session that most use.

Good luck and keep us posted. I can't argue with the results you have in your avatar, and I would be foolish to. However, if you're talking about going to the next level, it's time to work out more intelligently. I'm looking forward to your progress.

 

[silver_shadow]

yep, i'm going to throw in my vote for high frequency as well.
first of, i don't want to sound preachy but "pro BBs" & "mr O" dudes can probably masturbate and make their forearms grow... thats how much gear those guys are on.
second: lets also not forget that some of those guys are genetically gifted.
third: combine one & two and they will grow with the shittiest WO.
fourth: importantly, diesel in all probability does NOT come into the juiced to the gills category and neither is he a freak. you say that "from practical experience" the bodypart 1x wk works, then i say that from practical experience greater frequency works better when all you have at your disposal to cause hypertrophy is food and iron. this is not some new fad either... "pro BBs" used to follow this regimen before AAS changed everything. in any case i would be very curious to see any study which shows that a freq of a bodypart 2-3x and even 4x wk is inferior to the old 1x. and again, as someone else pointed out.... no articles, real literature.
diesel: i think there are some good solid WOs already posted here so i'm not going to post another. here's wishing you luck. cheers

 

[Tweakle]

I really don't like all the drop sets.

5x5 would be cool, or try DC or go to ironaddicts.com and try one of his routines.. or a WSB approach with modifications, anything but a standard bb routine

 

[DieselGunz]

thanx everyone keep it coming!

 

[Womanizer]

The only reason professional bodybuilders look as the do is due to ungodly ammounts of AAS, GH, IGF, anti-GDF8, and thyroid hormones. That coupled with good genetics. You take a shitty training stimulus and multiply it by drugs gallore, and they look like they do. They could lift a broomstick and probably look better than 90% of the people on this board because of all the drugs/genetics on their side.

Props bro!

 

[romanv1]

Ok, as far as bodypart once per week training goes, I'm actually impressed with your program. You have an appropriate number of total sets per bodypart and potentially an appropriate number of total reps (depending on your rep range).

Having said that, I think you're wasting your time with it. As the others have stated, greater frequency has immense value to reaching your goals.

If you insist on working with the style you have presented, at least let me suggest the following:

Day 1 Chest/Shoulers- BB incline 2 warmup 4 working last drop set
BB flat- 4 working last drop set (plate under bench)
Push press: 4 working

Day 2 Back- Deadz 2 warmup 3 working
BB rows 4 working
chins wide-4 working one drop

Day 3 off

Day 4 legs- squats 2 warmup 4 working
lunges 3 working
stiff leg deadz 3 sets

Day 5 off

Day 6 - start over at Day 1

theres something i wanna understand about this, what about the supporting workouts for your shoulders and chest, would it be a good idea to include them along with this? same goes for back, and chest... shrugs,lateral raises, etc

 

[DieselGunz]

I have 2 months before i venture to the dark side, I am going to use a HST workout for one month and then a traditional 5x5 the second and see how feel. One thing is for sure I appreciate all your help!


K to all!