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I have been using something similar to 5x5 for 6 months (current pick in avatar, very recent), and I am told by friends that my arms are lagging behind the rest of my body. I'm not sure the avatar really picks this up, but I feel its true, particularly the triceps.
The differences to the 5x5 routine are
- I do bench and dips in workout 1 and 3
- I do pull ups/chins instead of barbel rows
- I do standing military and upright row on workout 2 (but just 3 sets each)
- I haven't been doing the linear progression thing, I tried this, but not working to failure bores me. I still have made constant progression though, although it's not always smooth. My bench has risen from 70kg to 125 kg in 5 months for example, and I believe benching double my bodyweight (i way 69) is shortly in sight.
I am thinking of changing routine. It seems that most people on the board (according to the poll) think that the 5 rep range is not optimal which i have been doing, and I'm considering adding more direct arm exercises to compensate for my poor arms. I really cannot stand arm exercises (I find them so boring, and one of reasons I exercise is because of a chronic headache condition, and only demanding exercises such as sprinting, squatting etc can distract me from this), but me and a group of friends started lifting 9 months ago, and I'm sick of them having better arms than me (vain, I know) and pointing this out.
What do people think of this routine (a bulking routine, I will undertake after 4-6 weeks more of cutting). This year I have been doing heaps of cardio (1 hour plus per day) because I've been playing comp tennis - this will reduce in 6 weeks where I start taking tennis less seriously, although i still want to maintain some degree of fitness (my current resting pulse is 38, and I would like to be fit enough so it stays below 45). I'm hoping less cardio = greater gains.
Monday (low reps, heavy weights, 3 sets unless otherwise indicated, back, legs):
(1) Back Squats
(2) Front Squats
(3) Hack Squats
(4) Deadlift (4 sets)
(5) Weighted Wide Pull Ups
(6) Weighted Close Grip Chins
(7) Barbel Row or T bar Rows (is there any point of barbel rows if ur going wide pull ups)
Tuesday (chest, shoulders, traps, arms, low reps high weights for chest and shoulder, abs)
(1) Bench (4 sets)
(2) Weighted Dips (arched back to emphasise pecs)
(3) Flys or Decline Bench (not sure)
(4) Standing Military
(5) Upright Row supersetted with shrugs
(6) 6 sets of Biscep Curls (different angles)
(7) 3 sets of skull crushes
(8) Tricep Push Down
(9) 6 sets of abs
Wednesday (30 mins HIIT - either oval sprints, or gym machines)
Thursday
Same as Monday, except SLD instead of conventional deadlift, good morning instead of hack squat, and higher reps, lower weights
Friday
Same as Tues, but lower weights, higher reps, may add 1 wrist exercise
Sat - HIIT, same as Weds
Sun - 5 km run
DIET - will be 2600 calories to start with, 40/40/20, because I expect metabolism to be slower after all the dieting. I will increase to 3000 over 2 months and then assess. I want my b.f. to be 7 after cutting (now 10, or so I have been told), and don't want it to go above 8, so I intend to bulk 8 weeks, cut 2 indefinitely. Alternatively, I will get calipers and cut whenever b.f. hits 9.
The differences to the 5x5 routine are
- I do bench and dips in workout 1 and 3
- I do pull ups/chins instead of barbel rows
- I do standing military and upright row on workout 2 (but just 3 sets each)
- I haven't been doing the linear progression thing, I tried this, but not working to failure bores me. I still have made constant progression though, although it's not always smooth. My bench has risen from 70kg to 125 kg in 5 months for example, and I believe benching double my bodyweight (i way 69) is shortly in sight.
I am thinking of changing routine. It seems that most people on the board (according to the poll) think that the 5 rep range is not optimal which i have been doing, and I'm considering adding more direct arm exercises to compensate for my poor arms. I really cannot stand arm exercises (I find them so boring, and one of reasons I exercise is because of a chronic headache condition, and only demanding exercises such as sprinting, squatting etc can distract me from this), but me and a group of friends started lifting 9 months ago, and I'm sick of them having better arms than me (vain, I know) and pointing this out.
What do people think of this routine (a bulking routine, I will undertake after 4-6 weeks more of cutting). This year I have been doing heaps of cardio (1 hour plus per day) because I've been playing comp tennis - this will reduce in 6 weeks where I start taking tennis less seriously, although i still want to maintain some degree of fitness (my current resting pulse is 38, and I would like to be fit enough so it stays below 45). I'm hoping less cardio = greater gains.
Monday (low reps, heavy weights, 3 sets unless otherwise indicated, back, legs):
(1) Back Squats
(2) Front Squats
(3) Hack Squats
(4) Deadlift (4 sets)
(5) Weighted Wide Pull Ups
(6) Weighted Close Grip Chins
(7) Barbel Row or T bar Rows (is there any point of barbel rows if ur going wide pull ups)
Tuesday (chest, shoulders, traps, arms, low reps high weights for chest and shoulder, abs)
(1) Bench (4 sets)
(2) Weighted Dips (arched back to emphasise pecs)
(3) Flys or Decline Bench (not sure)
(4) Standing Military
(5) Upright Row supersetted with shrugs
(6) 6 sets of Biscep Curls (different angles)
(7) 3 sets of skull crushes
(8) Tricep Push Down
(9) 6 sets of abs
Wednesday (30 mins HIIT - either oval sprints, or gym machines)
Thursday
Same as Monday, except SLD instead of conventional deadlift, good morning instead of hack squat, and higher reps, lower weights
Friday
Same as Tues, but lower weights, higher reps, may add 1 wrist exercise
Sat - HIIT, same as Weds
Sun - 5 km run
DIET - will be 2600 calories to start with, 40/40/20, because I expect metabolism to be slower after all the dieting. I will increase to 3000 over 2 months and then assess. I want my b.f. to be 7 after cutting (now 10, or so I have been told), and don't want it to go above 8, so I intend to bulk 8 weeks, cut 2 indefinitely. Alternatively, I will get calipers and cut whenever b.f. hits 9.
