Tips?

[worksux]

I have one more week before i take my break from lifting and i was just wondering if i should change my workout before i start to lift again. i am seeing gains with this workout (i've gained 5 pounds in 1 month). im trying to bulk so yea here it is:

Monday-legs
squats (5x5).
leg press (5x5).
leg curls (5x5).
Calf raises (3x10)


tuesday-chest/tri
bench (5x5).
incline (5x5).
flys (5x5). i use a steady weight and i go up fast, flex, and then go down slow
dips (5x6)
Skull crushers (5x5).
tri pull (3x8).


wednesday-back
wide grip pull ups (5x5)
horizontal machine pull (5x5)
wide grip lat pull (5x5)
barbell rows (5x5)


thursday-deadlifts/bis
deadlifts (5x5).
bb curls (5x5)
Standing db curls (5x5)i use a steady weight and i go up fast, flex, and then go down slow


friday-shoulders
shoulder press (5x5)
side dumbbell lateral raises (5x5)
shrugs (5x5)
behind the back shrugs (5x5)


and i do abs everyday, i just do cunches. since im bulking i just do a lot of crunches to burn the fat on my stomach.
i also sprint a 1/4 mile before i lift to warm up (about 1 min lap)


should i change anything up or am i good? thanks


EDIT: i changed the workout around. i changed the back and shoulder days and took out decline from chest/tri

 

[Tatyana]

I have one more week before i take my break from lifting and i was just wondering if i should change my workout before i start to lift again. i am seeing gains with this workout (i've gained 5 pounds in 1 month). im trying to bulk so yea here it is:

Monday-legs
squats (5x5).
leg press (5x5).
leg curls (5x5).
Calf raises (3x10)


tuesday-chest/tri
bench (5x5).
incline (5x5).
decline (5x5).
flys (5x5). i use a steady weight and i go up fast, flex, and then go down slow
dips (5x6)
Skull crushers (5x5).
tri exten (3x8).

I think you are doing too many exercises for chest, especially if you are going heavy with the 5 x 5.

Alternate incline, decline and flat bench.


wednesday-back
wide grip pull ups (3x8)
back machine vert pull (5x5)
back machine horiz pull (5x5).
dumbell row (5x5).
barbell row (5x5).

Again, why two rows? Maybe a bit too much.


thursday-deadlifts/bis
deadlifts (5x5).
bb curls (5x5)
Standing db curls (5x5)i use a steady weight and i go up fast, flex, and then go down slow


friday-shoulders
db shoulder press(5x5).
db shrugs (3x8).
Behind back bb shrugs(5x8)

I would do one more exercise for shoulders.


and i do abs everyday, i just do cunches. since im bulking i just do a lot of crunches to burn the fat on my stomach.
i also sprint a 1/4 mile before i lift to warm up (about 1 min lap)

Crunches do not burn fat on your stomach. That is cardio and diet

should i change anything up or am i good? thanks

Would you be able to give us some more info as well please, like your age, how long you have been lifting, weight.

Thanks

 

[worksux]

im 18 years old, about 145, and ive been lifting for a about 2 years.

 

[lockdownd7]

Basically what Tatyana said....simplify things. Don't do redundant exercises just for the sake of making yourself feel tired like you're "working hard" or whatever. The more things you try to make your body adapt to, the less it adapts to each specific one. When in doubt, do less, not more. I don't know how tall you are, but at 145, you're likely very skinny. The main thing you need is to drive up the weight on your core lifts. With that type of volume, it's going to be hard to do that for very long. There's been plenty written on this site about 5x5 programs, that would be a good place to turn at this point. If you can't squat 1.5x BW yet, you're still a beginner and Rippetoe's Starting Strength program would be just fine for you now.

 

[Tatyana]

im 18 years old, about 145, and ive been lifting for a about 2 years.

You obviously love it.

This is the most difficult thing for most people to get, less is often more.

Over-training can really hold back any progress,muscle grows when you are NOT lifting and recovering.

You may even want to try and cut back to training three or four days a week and see if you have better gains.

5 x 5 is great for getting stronger, which is necessary to lift heavy and hard enough to put on muscle.

How tall are you?

Are you also working on your diet?

 

[worksux]

I'm about 5'9". And my diet is set. I posted on the diet forum and figured out how many calories I need and what to eat. Also I figured since I'm doing a major muscle once a day I'm fine to lift 5 days a week. however im considering to drop the decline press. because i have flat bench and dips so my lower chest is still being worked.

 

[dabuffguy]

I'm about 5'9". And my diet is set. I posted on the diet forum and figured out how many calories I need and what to eat. Also I figured since I'm doing a major muscle once a day I'm fine to lift 5 days a week. however im considering to drop the decline press. because i have flat bench and dips so my lower chest is still being worked.

yes, drop the decline if you are doing dips.

Looks like it's time for a hypertrophy phase. Move your rep range to 10 reps per set, and do 3 or 4 sets per excercise instead of 5.

You will grow more this way.

leave your deadlifts at a 5X5 though.

 

[the_alcatraz]

Yes. 3-4 sets with 8-12 reps each.

 

[worksux]

i thought 5x5 allows you to gain size the fastest? also how are the exercises that i am doing each day. should i add or remove anything? thanks

 

[lockdownd7]

i thought 5x5 allows you to gain size the fastest? also how are the exercises that i am doing each day. should i add or remove anything? thanks

Size is more how you eat than how you train. You'll gain size provided you're eating enough food. If your diet really is set, you'll get bigger.

Let me mention however, that what you're doing now is not a "5x5 program". At least not in the sense that most people recognize it. The magic is not in doing a specific number of reps and sets in a particular workout, it's providing the proper stimulus over a longer time period. Just picking a bunch of exercises and doing them for 5x5 is not the best way to approach things.

 

[dabuffguy]

i thought 5x5 allows you to gain size the fastest? also how are the exercises that i am doing each day. should i add or remove anything? thanks

No. 5x5 is great for building a base. 5 rep sets are geared more toward developing power and strength as opposed to maximum muscle size. It is decent for size, but a rep range of 8-12 will provide maximum hypertrophy. Hypertrophy means muscle growth in terms of actual size or volume. IMO, 5x5 is great for beginning lifters for the first months or so.


Ever see a bodybuilding video? they almost always do more than 5 reps per set. Not that you should copy pro bodybuilders per se.


8-12 reps is the maximum hypertrophic rep range for most people. If you honestly find that a few less reps or even a few more reps per set work best for you in terms of growth, then do that.

You have to try different things to learn what your body responds well too, and what it doesn't respond well too.

I for one, respond very well to 10 rep sets, and do not respond well to extremely heavy sets at low reps in terms of muscle growth. I do get stronger though, which helps me push more weight and increase reps at a heavier weight.


There's a training theory called periodization training, where you train for strength for a 4-6 week period, then train for size for 4-6 weeks. and just alternate every 4-6 weeks between going for strength and going for size. I for one only realy care about size. I don't need to bench 450lbs to be satisfied with my development. I'd rather have a 20" arm that is well defined and developed then bench 500 lbs. I just don't care.



Anyways, on to your workouts.

When you bench do you alternate between using dumbbells and bench press? Diversity is very important to keeping your muscles in a state of adapting to different stimulation. Your body will adapt to a certain type of excercise, and you will not gain anymore (or gain really slowly). You need to switch it up, and keep things fresh.

I have even found that if I ignore flat bench and exert my greatest force on incline at the beginning of a workout, I return to flat bench pressing more weight than before even though the incline weight is lower due to the angle of motion. It' because my body isn't use to it, and it gets stronger in that mode of training, and when I turn back to flat bench, my weight has already increased without even doing
anything with that excercise. Then my flat bench will inrease even more because it isn't used to that anymore, and your body will respond and grow to the increased weight you are pressing.

Some may laugh at the fact I have done incline first instead of flat bench. All I can say is in that 4 weeks where I did inclines first, my upper chest made great improvements, and my flat press increased better than it had the 2 months before. You have to do something new sometimes to get results.

You just continue to build on yourself through diverse ways of training. Listen to your body. If you are not increasing the amount of weight you can lift, or it seems you hit a wall and are not making progress, you need to make changes to your routine so your body experiences something new and different in order to grow and develop. Then, when you return to your previous routine, you'll progress because your body will not be adapted to that mode of excercise any longer. Cycle it through like that.

 

[worksux]

i usually take a break after 5 weeks of lifting to rest. also if i start to feel like im not progressing i start to use dumbbells instead of barbells or add in different exercises. also are the exercises that i have good? and for which exercises should i use 3 sets and which ones should i use 4? thanks

 

[dabuffguy]

i usually take a break after 5 weeks of lifting to rest. also if i start to feel like im not progressing i start to use dumbbells instead of barbells or add in different exercises. also are the exercises that i have good? and for which exercises should i use 3 sets and which ones should i use 4? thanks

why take a rest so frequently? there's no need. I haven't taken a rest for 8 months.

 

[dabuffguy]

i usually take a break after 5 weeks of lifting to rest. also if i start to feel like im not progressing i start to use dumbbells instead of barbells or add in different exercises. also are the exercises that i have good? and for which exercises should i use 3 sets and which ones should i use 4? thanks

You need to determine what you need to do bro. We can give you ideas and direction, but you need to start learning and figuring out what works best for you by your own experience. We can give you ideas and stuff, but you need to tailor your workouts for yourself.


We have given you enough in this thread to get you on your way. Use some initiative and analyzation of yourslf, your progress and your workouts to fill in the gaps.


Your welcome to ask more question of course, but just waiting for someone to write a detailed plan for you is not prudent. Have initiative, and learn how to manage yourself in the gym. It will go a long ways.

 

[worksux]

thanks yea i've learned a lot from these forums. actually if it wasnt for this forum i would prob still be 5'9" and 120 lbs. i know a good amount of info but i feel more comfortable if i have someone backing up what im doing. also i was told that i should rest every 5 weeks to prevent plateauing. also i fixed the workout and the sets and reps. let me know what you think. like i just want to know that im doing the right thing and not overtraining and that my workout will get me bigger. here it is


Monday-legs
squats (4x10).
leg press (3x10).
leg curls (4x10).
Calf raises (3x12)


tuesday-chest/tri
bench (4x10).
incline (4x10).
flys (3x10). i use a steady weight and i go up fast, flex, and then go down slow
dips (3x12)
Skull crushers (4x10).
tri pull (3x10).


wednesday-back
wide grip pull ups (3x10)
horizontal machine pull (4x10)
wide grip lat pull (4x10)
barbell rows (3x10)


thursday-deadlifts/bis
deadlifts (4x10).
bb curls (4x10)
Standing db curls (3x10)i use a steady weight and i go up fast, flex, and then go down slow


friday-shoulders
shoulder press (4x10)
side dumbbell lateral raises (4x10)
shrugs (4x10)
behind the back shrugs (4x10)


also do you have any suggestions on what i shud do for abs. cuz all im currently doing is crunches. should i add wieghted sit-ups?
thanks

 

[lockdownd7]

why take a rest so frequently? there's no need. I haven't taken a rest for 8 months.

Actually, a proper deload can be very beneficial. Granted, once every 5 weeks is probably too frequent for a beginner like the OP, but hey, if it keeps him fresh and motivated, there's nothing really wrong with that.

worksux, you keep asking the same questions again and again. If there's something you don't understand, ask for specific clarification, not just repeat what you already asked.

For abs, I don't really like crunches/sit ups. First off, consider why you need ab work. If it's because you have fat on your stomach, diet is the solution. However, if abdominal strength is truly lacking, there are better options than crunches. Janda sit ups are ok if you have a partner. Basic planks are good if core stability is lacking. Ab wheel rollouts are pretty good. I really like L-sits, as they are not an isolated abdominal exercise. Also realize the training effect that comes from exercises like the squat and deadlift. When using any considerable weight, the abs are heavily recruited in these movements. As such, you may find direct ab work unnecessary.

 

[dabuffguy]

thanks yea i've learned a lot from these forums. actually if it wasnt for this forum i would prob still be 5'9" and 120 lbs. i know a good amount of info but i feel more comfortable if i have someone backing up what im doing. also i was told that i should rest every 5 weeks to prevent plateauing. also i fixed the workout and the sets and reps. let me know what you think. like i just want to know that im doing the right thing and not overtraining and that my workout will get me bigger. here it is


also do you have any suggestions on what i shud do for abs. cuz all im currently doing is crunches. should i add wieghted sit-ups?
thanks

Weighted sit ups are my favorite. crunches don't really put resistence on your abdominals, so how can it grow well without resistence training?


you missed my note. deadlifts should stay at 5X5. deadlifts need to be heavy.


No one can determine for you if you are overtraining just by posting your workout up


A rest is fine, but every 5 weeks is way too frequent. Every 10-12 weeks should be sufficient. You should never plateau within a 3 month period. You barely make solid progress in 5 weeks, just to rest your body and lose some of that strength and lean mass you just worked so hard for.

 

[worksux]

im sorry for repeating myself in certain areas im just paranoid when it comes to lifting. i just want my workout to be perfect. but yea i just read it ill change the deadlifts back to 5x5. i think my exercises and the sets and reps are good now so im gunna stick with that. for abs im gunna do weighted sit-ups everyday. and i run before i lift so that shud be good enough since im bulking. its a good warm up. i dont think im gunna overtrain becuase i only have about 4 exercises a day and i give it a week before i major in that muscle again. and im hitting all my body parts now so i should be good. and i dont feel like i need a week off i was gunna do it becuase i had it in my mind that i needed to. ill prob rest during thanksgiving break. i just wanna thank everyone for their help. this has really helped me. thanks

 

[dabuffguy]

thanks, im sorry for repeating myself in certain areas im just paranoid when it comes to lifting. i just want my workout to be perfect. ok im pretty comfortable with my exercises and sets and reps that i have posted so im gunna stick with that. as for cardio i run before i lift so that helps me warm up and get my heart pumping. and for abs im just gunna alternate different exercises each day. im eating correctly so hopefully my abs will get more toned. i just want to thank you all for your help thanks.

Do NOT do cardio before lifting. It needs to be the other way around. If you want to do a 3-5 minute warm-up or something to that effect, that is fine. But cardio before lifting is exactly what what you DON'T want to do. Exhaust your energy on your lifting, and do cardio after you lift. You will build more muscle and lose more fat that way.

And, don't do abs everyday. Every 3-4 days is fine. They need rest too. They get worked some doing deads and squats as well, so...

 

[worksux]

Ok yea ill do abs Mon, wed, Fri and ill do cardio after I lift on Tues, and thurs. But before I lift everyday I'm gunna jog a quick lap to warm up and stretch

 

[dabuffguy]

Ok yea ill do abs Mon, wed, Fri and ill do cardio after I lift on Tues, and thurs. But before I lift everyday I'm gunna jog a quick lap to warm up and stretch

that's a fine warm up. I do zero warm up other than a few lighter sets and a little stretching before i jump right into the heavy lifting.

Warm up sufficient for oyur needs to avoid injury, but doing more than necessary is only exhausting energy you could be using to lift with more intensity.

 

[ceo]

find an established, very experienced powerlifter, adn see if you can train with/be trained by him. Then do what he does and says and eat like you've never eaten before. Do that for a couple years or so, then see what you want to do next.

 

[the_alcatraz]

find an established, very experienced powerlifter, adn see if you can train with/be trained by him. Then do what he does and says and eat like you've never eaten before. Do that for a couple years or so, then see what you want to do next.

yes, learn by watching