Robb

Hi there Maybe you don't need to split your workout at first. Keep it simple for a few weeks or even months! Why not work the whole body in one go three times a week. If you've never worked out before this should be fine. Stick to one movement for each muscle group. 2 sets squats, reps 10-15, big breaths at the top! 2 sets calf raises reps 20-30 2 sets deadlift reps 8-10 2 sets bent over rows, reps 8-10 2 sets bench press, you guessed it! reps 8 to 10. 2 sets standing presses, more of the same. 1 set bar curls reps 8-10 1 set close grip bench press, reps 8-10. (if two sets are too much, just do one.) One day on, one off, or rock climbing (I live in the Yorkshire Dales I often see crazy people doing the overhangs round here as I walk my dogs, those guys and gals must have some good grip!) Correct form, with slowish movement, is much more important than the weight being lifted. Try this for a while, then split into two. It's always better to make changes to a workout schedule if you don't feel any progress, stopping means that you have to start again. I hate starting again even after only one rest day! It sucks! Enjoy Rob

It really does make you blow, and you really wouldn't think it. Yesterday when I was hack squating with 160 kg, my ticker was going crazy. I wanted to do three reps for each set but just couldn't! I guess you really have to take care not to over do it. But it is worth it, and it does push up the one rep max, and muscle mass, and it helps lower fat levels.

About a week a go I started doing rest pause training. I'd got bored with my old system and wanted to shake things up. I read an article by a powerlifter who'd used rest pause to push past his limits. But, not being a pure powerlifter, I adapted it to my requirements and added a few more reps. If anyones interested here's how it goes. Warm up with a weight of about 25% of your one rep max, do about 15 reps, next do a set using 50% for about 5 to 8 reps. Then you're ready to rest pause. Chose a weight of about 85% of one rep max, do anything between 3 and 6 sets of two or three reps, taking about one minutes rest between these sets. So, for my back I would deadlift first using rest pause, then I would do one arm bent over dumbbell rows using rest pause and then a conventional set of chins. I'd finish off with barbell curls, two or three sets of 8 reps, and reverse barbell curls, the same. This is really exhausting, but I think I can see a difference already. Keep workouts short, warm up and cool down well. It's not as mentally taxing as some people's ideas of rest pause, but to me it's better than the powerlifting six sets of one rep. This will really bulk up anybody prepared to give it a go.

I think what actually constitutes a compound movement can be open to debate. To me both barbell curls and twisting dumbbell curls are compound movements. Take the barbell curl, because of the awkward hand position you're bringing muscles other than biceps brachii into play, maybe a little front deltoid, and certainly forearm muscle groups. Concentration dumbell curls are more isolating, and hence, unless you are Arnie, you use light weights. Compound exercises don't directly stress the whole body, just those in the immediate area of the target group. You can still have an effective split system of training because you are not training the entire body all the time. I personally enjoy lifting heavier weights, is it better to leg extension with a few kilos or squat with a few hundred? I prefer using mainly compund movements. But everyone is different.

Hi there Interesting routine, what are you aiming for? Bulk? Definition? Aerobic Fitness? To me you are mixing it up a little too much, I'm a simple guy, straightforward exercises, increase intensity just a little each workout and make progess. Would suggest three on one off. Rest is important, not just for the body but to make sure you're fresh and want to make progress each workout. Day one Legs, Day two chest, shoulders, triceps, day three Back, and biceps. Squat on leg day and deadlift on back day. Doing them together is a big stress on your body. All the best Rob

I train mainly compound all the time, I do some heavy laterals but that was only because I saw Ronnie Coleman doing them heavy on youtube and got inspired. Ronnie is inspiring. But I do them after I've done Behind neck presses, military presses and dumbbell presses. Unless you are looking for definition and/or are an advanced athlete lots of isolation movements really just put a lot of strain on joints. You tend to use too much weight and then, bam! something's popped. I used to do leg extensions for frontal thigh, now it's heavy front squats, and, touch wood, my knees feel a lot better. Go for it, but be warned, you may get a bit more tired! Tired but bigger! All the best Rob

Hi all I too thought Albert was a vegetarian, never thought he was vegan though, I wanted to know for some academic work I want to do on veganism/vegetarianism and strength training but when I emailed Linda Beckles his wife she said he wasn't. He eats chicken and is not vegetarian. It's a rumour that just got blown up out of knowhere. Albert never, ever said he was vege, and Linda can't understand where it all came from. She was really nice and helpful about the subject. The only megastar bodybuilder vege Albert knows of is Bill Pearl. And Bill of course eats eggs. I might email Bill and find out what he knows, because years ago, many athletes wouldn't admit to not eating meat, don't know why. Hope this helps. If anyone knows any inside info, I'd love to know. Cheers Rob

I can see your programme contains a lot of the right movements but to me reps are too high, 4-8 (upper body) 6-10 (lower) max. Also big muscles should rule. For example when training chest and arms, do chest first, work the big muscles hard and merely finish off with the small. When you are doing any squat, do it first and foremost. Be careful with how you do the movement, lower slowly, no bounce and slowly rise. You can increase intensity by slowing things up. then it's your muscles doing the work not your ligaments. Legs should be squat, front squat and lunges, all the muscles groups are covered by these big movements. Do basic movements and you will muscle up, progressive increase in intensity, either increased weight or by slowing the movement up will develop your physique. I think a two day split, legs,back and biceps, one day and the next chest, shoulders, triceps. rest on day three or do some aerobic work, if you like. Keep it simple but do the basic right.

I agree with you guys strong, powerful, big legs are a good foundation for overall strength. But to me a lot of big lifters have relatively small legs and it's not because they can't squat super heavy. I met Jon Paul Sigmarrson years ago, when he was worlds strongest man. He was a big guy, great upper body, but his legs were just toned, no massive development, and the guy was demonstrating the squat with 500lbs on the bar, just warming up! Great leg development takes time, unless you're genetically gifted. It's painful too, most people ignore it because it's hard. Big legs to me can be achieved with or without big weights. But not without committment. Lots of soccer players have massive legs. Lots of rugby boys have even better development. There are a couple of the current all black team with massive legs, Luke McAllister for one is a centre, he's about 90kg and his legs are huge. Rugby players and soccer players use a variety of training systems, lots of rugby players can squat big but they also do dynamic movements, spring jumps etc, walking lunges, things like that. I like combining heavy progressive lifting with other, dynamic movements, I know look stupid lunge walking 20kg dumbells around the park, but I don't care. And I normally have to crawl home! Is anyone else doing more than just traditional gym movements for their legs, I love to know. All the best

Hi guys Cheers for the supportive words. It's nice to hear from you. Deadlifting and a belt? I know what's being said, and I am not one to rely on supports a great deal, but I pinged my back a couple of times about ten years ago, once due to a minute grip slip when deadlifing then the second time just it had healed diving/rugby tackling over a stream to stop my greyhound chasing a rabbit, she was fine, I wasn't, but the rabbit got away! Crazy I know. But since then I have always felt uncomfortable one repping on the deadlift without a belt. It's psychological, but when you feel safe you can perform. I try and stick to just the one reppers and the belt comes off as I pyramid down. But there you go. Has anyone tried lunge walking? I love this sort of thing.I read an article by a guy called Jeff King about twenty years ago, don't know if he's still about, he loaded up a bar, slung it on his shoulders and set off lunging round a field. He had big thighs. I'm thinking of putting it into my leg routing for some extra oomph!

Hi all. My training changes and evolves all the time. Last year I was doing a entirely super slow work, but this can be too psychologically testing, big cheating weight lifting styles can cause injuries so easily so over the past three months I have been following a fairly basic system. I like to lift heavy (heavy for me) and to be quite honest bigger movements can bring more definition than direct ones. Eg a big press behind neck builds up delts miles better than a thousand laterals, which I find put a lot of strain on the joint. I train alone so I do old fashioned hack squats with an olympic bar (my personal best is 190kg in February). I don't do mulptiple sets with the same weight, just the one, except for those pesky calves! I hope my routine is of interest to anyone. I'm making great gains at the moment. I'm 5feet11 and 90 kg. My waist is 32 inches when I suck it in hard! This week Day 1 Legs Good Mornings 15kgx30 Hack squat 75x10/ 95x6/ 115x4/ 135x 3/ 145 x1/ 155x1/ 165x1/175x1 (and then come down the pyramid) (No belt or supports) Front squats 60x4/ 70x3/ 80x2/ 90x2/ 100x1 (then down) Seated calf raises 120x 50/50/50 Then go inside and walk up the stairs 15kg x 60 reps (three steps at a time) 30kg x 40 reps (two steps at a time) This hurts a lot! Day 2 Chest and Triceps Bench Press 75x8/ 90x4/ 110x 2/ 120x1 (then pyramid down) Close grip bench press 60x8/ 70x4/ 80x 2 (pyramid down) DB Bench Press 32.5 kg(x2) x 4 reps (slow 12 second lower) Lying triceps ext 30kg x 5 (slow 12 sec lower) Day three Back and Biceps Deadlift (same weights and reps as hack squat) (belt) Barbell bent over rows 70x6/90x5/110x2/125x1 (pyramid down) Barbell curls 40x8/50x4/60x2/70x1 Db Bent over rows 60kg db x 3 reps (slow 12 second lower) 1 rep chin close grip (35 second lower) Day four Shoulders DB one arm presses 20x8/25x4/27.5x2/30x1 (pyramid down) Press behind neck 60x 2/ 65x1/70x1 Power Cleans 70x2/75x2/80x2/85x1 (pyramid down) Day five = day off I hope someone will find this of interest. I try and increase either weights just a tad each workout, and/or reps a little. It's a hard routine but it's not very long. I like it and it's working for me at the moment. What does everyone think? cheers

Hi Everyone Just stumbled accross this excellent site recently, great to know there are like minded people about. A little background, I'll keep it short n sweet. I've been lifting weight for a quarter of a century, I started lifting before I could walk to tell you the truth. I became Veggie twenty years ago, been vegan a couple of years. I've got a first degree in sport and about to start a Master in strength and conditioning for elite athletes soon. I have never competed but my brother did. I follow a 4 on 1 off routine, which is mainly powerlifting based. My routine is a lot like Svend Karlesens (he stole my ideas) except I dont flip tyres (only because I don't have any) or practice the farmers walk. And of course he's bigger than me too so I'll shut up now! I'm going to check out everyones input for a while and hopefully contribute where able. best wishes to everyone. Rob