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New program - suggestions welcome...

Danny1611124300
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Danny1611124300 Newbie

Danny1611124300

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After 2 months of working out I think it's time for a couple changes... still sticking with the general idea, free weights and compound exercises, but making a few adjustments. 2 routines, 3 workouts a week, 3 sets, after achieving 10 reps in every set it's time for more weight - all this stays the same.

 

Here's my old program

 

Routine A

 

Dumbbell Bench Press

Deadlifts (bent leg)

Wide Pull ups

Abwork straight (4 sets of leg raise variations)

 

Routine B

 

Squats

Dumbbell Military Press seated (leaning back very slightly)

Dumbbell Bent Over Row

Dips

Abwork (2 sets of Russian Twists, 2 sets of side bends on Roman chair)

 

The need for change...

 

What I don't like is my bench pressing progress (or the lack of such). I've been hanging at 60 lbs per DB forever now and I have barely made any progress since I've started seriously lifting 2 months ago... I do 55 lbs per DB in Miliary Press and soon it'll be the same as bench press.

For this reason I'll try the incline bench press (using dumbbells again) and throw in another chest exercise, the pullover, in the same routine while dips (leaning forward) will stay in the other routine...

 

Another thing I'm not quite happy with are my arms, no need to go into detail, I'll throw in a biceps or triceps exercise in at the end of each routine...

 

Besides that I'll make a couple minor changes just to get a little variation in my program...

 

Enough talk here it is!

 

Routine A

 

Incline DB Bench Press

Bent Leg Deadlift (stays the same)

Bent Arm Pullover (guess I'll use the EZ bar for this one)

Wide Grip Pull ups (same)

Biceps Curl

Abwork (Leg raise variations, same)

 

(whoa, this is gonna take longer than an hour )

 

Routine B

 

DB Lunges

DB Military Press seated (same)

Bent over Long Bar Row

Dips (same)

Skull Crusher (is this too much triceps?)

Abwork (Russian Twists, side bends... same)

 

So basically I have replaced the bench press with incline bench press have added the pullover to routine A as well as biceps curl and have replaced the squat by Dumbbell lunges and put in another row variation than before and added the skull crusher...

 

I'd appreciate any tips so don't hesitate...

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bronco Newbie

bronco

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Both routines look ok to me. I'm not oonvince about the usefullness of pullovers though. Also I would never do deadlifts for higher reps than five or close to failure, too much injury risk.

 

If you are not happy with how your pressing strength is progressing, it might be worth trying to lower the reps and not taking every set to failure (as I understand it you do train to failure). I think if you keep the weight the same and try to increase the reps every workout you are bound to hit a plateu pretty quick.

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bronco Newbie

bronco

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After I can do 10 reps in every set I add more weight...

Ah ok, then only the last set is to failure. That should be ok. However I still think you should lower the reps and up the weight if you are not happy with your strength progression. Maybe try some kind of linear progression? Linear progression means increasing the weight slightly every week while usually keeping the reps/sets the same.

 

I had personal training session today (comes with the new contract, the last 2 months were trial session) and the guy basically told me you should change your program every week and cycle it...

I'm a little unsure about this.

I would also be unsure, no reason to change the program every week I think.

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Danny1611124300 Newbie

Danny1611124300

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Ah ok, then only the last set is to failure.

 

Not necessarily... for example I could do the first set with 9 reps, the second with 7 and the third with 5 reps

until failure in each set... just if I reach 10 in every set I would move on, this doesn't mean I achieve the same amount of reps in every set... I have been taking it easier though. I guess the "failure" discussion is pretty widespread...

 

Not enough recovery time? Too much for you to fully repair till you rip it again.

 

Sorry, I don't quite get what you're trying so say... do you think that working out 3 times a week is too much?

I get 8 hours of sleep every day...

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Gaia Newbie

Gaia

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Do you mean that you do Routine A, B, A one week, and then Routine B, A, B the next, on a MonWedFri format and with the weekend off? To me that is 3X a week. Which is plenty of time for recovery, and one that I use to follow at one time.

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bronco Newbie

bronco

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Not necessarily... for example I could do the first set with 9 reps, the second with 7 and the third with 5 reps

until failure in each set... just if I reach 10 in every set I would move on, this doesn't mean I achieve the same amount of reps in every set... I have been taking it easier though. I guess the "failure" discussion is pretty widespread...

Ah, then my advice would be to stop training to failure. Lower the reps and keep the reps the same every session and instead try to add a little weight every session. Start with a weight that you can easily do.

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Danny1611124300 Newbie

Danny1611124300

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instead try to add a little weight every session.

 

That's not really possible because the dumbbells come in 5 pound steps...

 

I guess what I could do is start with a weight which I can lift 3 sets of 10 reps and do this

for 2 or three sessions and then move on...

 

Do you only have dumbbells? No barbell for a full on chest press?

 

I work out at the gym, they have everything there. I use dumbbells a lot cause I think they're better than barbells.

I use barbells for deadlift, t-bar rows and squats.

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Gaia Newbie

Gaia

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Just see if you can lift the barbell with a weight over 120 lbs (your 2 dumbbells of 60lbs each). Push to see if you can use the major muscle bellies to press the weight up with a low rep of 6-8 for a set. Try even to see what your max of one is. Then see if the next time you can use the 65 lbs dumbbells.

 

I always try to push myself, no matter what the reps or sets it is. I will take 6 reps of a heavy weight, and build muscles till I can do 10 reps of the same heavy weight. Then once it is solid, I push it again.

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bronco Newbie

bronco

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That's not really possible because the dumbbells come in 5 pound steps...

I think 5lbs should be ok. Just start low enough on the weights to that you can keep the linear progression going for four weeks at least. When you cant do it any more you can start the cycle over again, but at a lower weight this time.

 

I guess what I could do is start with a weight which I can lift 3 sets of 10 reps and do this

for 2 or three sessions and then move on...

If you want to get stronger I think lowering the reps would be a good idea.

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Gaia Newbie

Gaia

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In order to build muscle, you have to tear it (in a controlled manner hopefully ) and then while it repairs it will enforce it by making it bigger to hold the last load it had and not tear. You can build muscle with just 1 max rep if you want to. But you have to tear it, not just stress it by just lifting weights that task it but not tear it. Keep this in your mind as you lift the weights: Am I just using the muscles, or am I pushing past what is comfortable?

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