Please Critique My New Routine

[Liberator]

Hi guys

Ive been following bigandys program for about 3 months now and its time for a change, this is what Ive come up with.

I am aiming for MORE mass which is why I have TRIED to focus more on compound/basic exercises than the details, I'm not too interested in details right now, I want more mass. MORE MASS MASS MASS MASS MASS, BLOWOUT IN EVERY AREA, CHEST, ARMS, LEGS ALL.

MONDAY (CHEST, TRIS)

FLAT BARBELL 3x6-10
INCLINE DB 2x6-10
DIPS(4 chest) 3x10-15
FLAT FLYES 2x12

SKULLS 3x8-10
ROPE PRESS 3x10-12

*DO THIS CHEST WORKOUT FOR A MONTH THEN SWAP INCLINE FOR FLAT IN PRIORITY


TUESDAY (LEGS)

SQUAT 3x12,10,8
LEG PRESS 2x10
SL DEADLIFT 3x12,10,8
LEG CURLS 3x12-10
CALVES 4x12

*ALTERNATE LEG CURLS WITH LEG EXTENSIONS



WEDNESDAY (OFF)



THURSDAY (BACK, BIS)

WIDE CHINS 4x8-10
LAT.PULLDOWNS 3x8-10
BB BENT ROWS 4x8-10
DEADLIFT 2x8-12

WIDE BB CURLS 2x8-10
CLOSE BB CURLS 2x8-10
REVERSE W.CURLS 3x15

*ALTERNATE CABLE ROWS FOR DEADLIFT

FRIDAY (SHOULDERS, ABS)

BB SHOULDER.PRS 3x8-10
LAT.RAISES 3x10-12
UPRIGHT ROWS 2x12
BAR UP.ROWS 2x12
SHRUGS 4x8-10

I AM GETTING GOOD GAINS FROM THE SHOULDER ROUTINE, SO LEAVING AS IS.

So, whattdya think?

I will bring in pre-exhaust again for chest in a month, but I want to keep both Flat and Incline presses

Also my shoulder seems to have near as dammit recovered

 

[Robboe]

If you are not on AS then you need to reduce sets.

It is apparent that you do more for biceps and triceps than you do for quads!

Rule of thumb: 4-6 sets in total for large body parts, 2-3 exercises; 2-4 sets smaller bodyparts in total, 1-2 exercises.

So do 2 sets for 3 exercise for chest for example. So keep flat bench and get rid of one of the others [which ever you prefer].

then move onto triceps and do your 2 exercise, but for only 2 sets each - maybe even less.

Take all sets to failure.

Use this as a template for the rest of your training.

P.S. Shoulders need about 3-4 sets in total - so 2 sets of a press and 2 sets of a raise.

 

[The Dude]

Reduce sets if he's not on 'roids? Shit, he can increase them if he wants and he'll be fine. I would just a little more on the quads.

 

[Robboe]

Yes, of course he'll be fine. Especially if 'fine' is defined as 'not growing', or at least not growing as best as he could.

 

[Liberator]

No I am 100% natural

So are you saying that my chest workout looks more like a cutting up workout than mass?

I have not had a problem recovering from that volume before, but as I said, I want mass, so that means less sets and heavier, yes?

I just added flyes to totally finish off my chest, it seemed to work well

What I want to know is are you saying it is possible to do too much for your chest without actually feeling overtrained, if you understand?

I'll drop the sets on shoulders as you recommended as that seems like a good idea.

Thanks for your replies!!

 

[Franco]

Cutting up workout? When you are trying to lose bodyfat you should still use the same routine a you used to gain mass, but you may have to lower your work set weights as there is bound to be a loss in strength

 

[Liberator]

Yeah, I understand this, what I mean is why lower the sets then?

Is it soley because I can train heavier with lower sets which will give me more mass or what?

If to cut up you use the same as to gain mass, what is the difference compared to the sets I have chosen, if I can handle this volume?

Slightly less weight, more sets, slightly more weight less sets

What is the difference?

 

[BigAndy69]

Your routine looks pretty good lib.

If you are getting good gains from the shoulder routine, why change it ??? If ain't broke don't fix it.

I would cut out the wide grip upright rows, because you said you shoulder problems.

You will not be able to deadlift twice a week effectively. I recommend STL deads because there aren't that many good ham exercises. Drop the regular deads and sub with cable rows or hammer strengh rows.

This is more like it. The toughest exercises first.

WIDE CHINS 4x8-10
BB BENT ROWS 4x8-10
LAT.PULLDOWNS 3x8-10
Cable rows 2x8-12

Forget ham curls, they are a waste of time. Use leg extensions and leg curls back to back as your pre-exhaust. Just add a work set of STL Deads.



SQUAT 4x12,10,8,8
LEG PRESS 3x10
SL DEADLIFT 4x12,10,8
Donkey calf raises 3x12-10
Surperset with
Standing calf raises 3x12 ( this one is a killer)

You need more tricep work.

Try:

SKULLS 3x8-10
ROPE PRESS 2x10-12
Sitting skulls 2 x 12-15---->higher reps for this one.

And cutting is not a function of weight training. It has to do with your diet.

You usually increase sets and reps, and decrease rest to BURN MORE CALORIES.

 

[Liberator]

Hey BigAndy

Your still around

Thanks for the detailed reply

I agree about the SL DEADS, they do not fail to make my hams big time sore, I love doing them and would not drop them as they are working so well. I'll ditch deadlift, although I am looking forward to using that sometime in the future. i am the only one who does them in my gym, I think people vastly underestimate how effective they are!!!

For back, I put chins first as I am trying to get my back stronger, Ive got to a point on chins where progress is getting hard, so I thought I would change it slightly. Looks good what you suggest. Squats and SL Deads are hitting my lower back quite hard, I expect this is natural? Its never been as strong. Ever.

I did the leg presses tuesday and it was a good change, BUT STILL MY QUADS ARE NOT SORE?! Why not? They have stopped getting sore now for about 2 weeks, I admit it is difficult going heavy on free squat as I am still learning the balance, but I am still getting stronger, so I should carry on as is?

Calves are a problem, I would say they have had minimal growth, there is no calve machine in my gym, weird I know, it has a biomechanics one and that is it, what I was going todo was do it at home as I have dumbells there I can use and a block of wood I can stand on. Can I still do the superset?

Oh yeah and someone told me ARNOLD used to only use WIDE GRIP BB CURLS as his MAIN arm exercise 99% of the time, he got basic results with it as we can all see!! I thought I'd give it a go as my first routine.

Cheers!!

 

[Franco]

And cutting is not a function of weight training. It has to do with your diet.
Correct


You usually increase sets and reps

You obviously buy into the Myth that higher reps are used for cutting

 

[BigAndy69]

Bro, please don't take what I said out of concept. You quoted only part of what I said.

"You usually increase sets and reps, and decrease rest to BURN MORE CALORIES."

I had made it a point to use caps, how could you miss it.

I am saying that some BB use higher reps and sets because they can't use as much weight when dieting and it BURNS MORE CALORIES. They also decrease rest between sets, and use supersets. This becomes more of an aerobic workout. No, higher reps are not for cutting, but used in conjonction with the other guidelines listed, they can be used for losing bodyfat.

Liberator, for leg presses, put your legs lower on the platform, and try different variations on the angle of the pad. Experiment. Is your ass more sore after a leg workout than your legs? This could be a problem. Your biomechanical needs may be different than others. I think you are 6'5, am I mistaken? I have a client who is 6'5-6'6, and can't get a good pump in the quads or chest because of his long limbs.

For calves, you really need to KILL them like no other bodypart. Straight sets don't do much. Try rest-pause.

Bro, Arnold could have grown doing whatever. His training is completely insane for anyone to follow, it only worked for him because he is so gifted.

 

[Liberator]

No man, I am 6ft 3.75

My legs were thin as hell a year or so ago, now they look alot better. I'll try the idea with the leg press, before I made sure my knee was over my toe, is this right or does it not matter on this? I thought any other way was bad for your knees.

I'll cain my calfs then, they definately are abit behind, but they would be using that shitty machine I was using

No its still more legs, or used to be, just seems to be hams more than anything now, I'll try supersetting if it doesnt work next week, I know this works as I tried it once, I couldnt walk for 6 days !! haha

I just read that Arnold used wide grips all the time, totally un-authordox at the time

One thing I was going to say was that I did flat bench and incline db on monday, I got next to no soreness in my shoulders at all but excellent soreness in my chest (for 3 days, still abit sore today, but almost gone), whereas ALWAYS before when I used the FIXED INCLINE BENCH (barbell) my shoulders were killer sore nearly all week and chest about 1/2 days MAX

is it

A) THE BENCH COULD BE AT THE WRONG ANGLE, 45 DEGREES AS SOMEONE ELSE POINTED OUT

or

B) I'M DOING IT RIGHT, IVE MOVED MY GRIP INWARDS ABIT AS I WAS GOING ULTRAWIDE WHICH MY SHOULDERS DIDNT LIKE

I can train now without any shoulder problems
Thanks

 

[einstein1]

"One thing I was going to say was that I did flat bench and incline db on monday, I got next to no soreness in my shoulders at all but excellent soreness in my chest.. "

Are you under the impression that soreness is the result of a productive workout?

 

[Liberator]

Well I know its probably not, but I have been using it yeah, it seems a good enough guide

I just couldnt understand how I did not get soreness in my shoulders and was trying to find out if it was because the bench angle was too steep

If so, I wont use it as I want to target my chest more, not my delts

 

[einstein1]

As your incline approaches 90 deg. the more you are working your shoulders. As for this:
"Well I know its probably not, but I have been using it yeah, it seems a good enough guide"

Mentzer would ask,"If you don't get sore after a workout, what are you going to do next time, bend over backwards so you are sore?"

When you say it is a good enough guide, you are really talking about your feelings (if you feel sore, then you had a good workout). Bodybuilding is a science, a like every other realm of science, feelings are not proof of a theory. For example (again from Mentzer), take NASA. It's 2 seconds away from blast off when "Fred" says,"I've always pushed the blue button before liftoff, but something doesn't feel right, I'm going to push the yellow button this time." A key to science is precision, feeling sore is not a precise sign of a good workout.

 

[Scott Steinner]

You have to switch between exercices for musclegroups. Don't do the same exercises over and over again. Don't give them time to get used to the exercises! I just can't tell what my exercise routine is because it is always different! The more you do this the more stress you place on you're muscles! I you're muscles get stressed they will grow because the don't like to get hurt so they will make thereselfs stronger and bigger to be prepared to the next trainingsession!

 

[Robboe]

Don't change order or type of exercises each week you idiot! I've said this before.

This means you won't be able to gauge progression as good, and also, best gains come after about 4 weeks of doing that exercise.