Mass gaining workout program

Ok so I have recently just tried a lot of routines in order to help gain mass, yet most of them only increased my strength instead of put on mass. I have a strict diet and I have been lifting for about three years now. I have done alot of research and I have developed my own routine. I would just like if some of you could critique it and give me your opinion. I feel that with compound exercises and bigger muscle areas i respond better to lower reps and higher weight, whereas with bi/tris i respond better with lighter weight and more reps.

Monday:
Legs
Squat 4 sets: 4-6 reps
Deadlift 4 sets: 8, 6, 4, 4 reps
Leg Press 3 sets: 6-8
Leg Curl 2 sets: 8-10
Leg Ext 2 sets: 8-10
Calf raise 1 set: 15-20

Chest/ Triceps
Bench Press 4 sets: 4-6 reps
Incline Press 4 sets: 4-6 reps
Decline Press 4 sets: 4-6
Flys 2 sets: 8-10
Skull Crusher 3 sets: 8-10
Tri pressdown 3 sets: 8-10
Weighted Dips 2 sets: Max

Back/ Biceps
Bent Over Row 4 sets: 4-6
Weighted Pull Ups 3 sets: 5
Cable Row: 3 sets: 8,6,4
Barbell Curl 4 sets: 4-6 reps
Hammer Curl 3 sets: 8-10
Preacher curl 2 sets: 8-10
Chin Ups 1 set: max

Shoulders
Military Press 4 sets; 4-6
Arnold Press 3 sets: 8, 6, 4
Upright Row: 3 sets: 8, 6, 6
Lat Raise 2 sets; 10

I would really appreciate some feedback on this routine and I am open to any advice, thanks

whats your diet like ? diet is what helps you put on mass

my diet is pretty good i depend on chicken, eggs, and shakes as my main protein sources, Im 200 pounds and aim for over 200 grams of protein a day and has many calories as i can eat. Im more concerned about my workout plan because i feel my diet is already good, I eat six meals a day and just aim for maximum calories and protien as well as healthy carbs.

i just feel like some workout plans im overtraining on, some im only getting strength gains, and some are too easy. I did the 5x5 and was sore as **** and it worked tremendously for strength gains but not so much hypertrophy which is what im concerned about now cuz i want to gain as much muscle before i begin the 5x5 again and cut.

[QUOTE=zmac;374804771]i just feel like some workout plans im overtraining on, some im only getting strength gains, and some are too easy. I did the 5x5 and was sore as **** and it worked tremendously for strength gains but not so much hypertrophy which is what im concerned about now cuz i want to gain as much muscle before i begin the 5x5 again and cut.[/QUOTE]

Can you post your diet so we can see? that may be your weakness

[QUOTE=zmac;374756311]Ok so I have recently just tried a lot of routines in order to help gain mass, yet most of them only increased my strength instead of put on mass. I have a strict diet and I have been lifting for about three years now. I have done alot of research and I have developed my own routine. I would just like if some of you could critique it and give me your opinion. I feel that with compound exercises and bigger muscle areas i respond better to lower reps and higher weight, whereas with bi/tris i respond better with lighter weight and more reps.

Monday:
Legs
Squat 4 sets: 4-6 reps
Deadlift 4 sets: 8, 6, 4, 4 reps
Leg Press 3 sets: 6-8
Leg Curl 2 sets: 8-10
Leg Ext 2 sets: 8-10
Calf raise 1 set: 15-20

Chest/ Triceps
Bench Press 4 sets: 4-6 reps
Incline Press 4 sets: 4-6 reps
Decline Press 4 sets: 4-6
Flys 2 sets: 8-10
Skull Crusher 3 sets: 8-10
Tri pressdown 3 sets: 8-10
Weighted Dips 2 sets: Max

Back/ Biceps
Bent Over Row 4 sets: 4-6
Weighted Pull Ups 3 sets: 5
Cable Row: 3 sets: 8,6,4
Barbell Curl 4 sets: 4-6 reps
Hammer Curl 3 sets: 8-10
Preacher curl 2 sets: 8-10
Chin Ups 1 set: max

Shoulders
Military Press 4 sets; 4-6
Arnold Press 3 sets: 8, 6, 4
Upright Row: 3 sets: 8, 6, 6
Lat Raise 2 sets; 10

I would really appreciate some feedback on this routine and I am open to any advice, thanks[/QUOTE]


The workout looks more like a strength program than a mass gaining program. Generally, when I think about anything under 6 reps that is a strength focus exercise.

At a minimum, I would suggest going 10-12 reps on your large muscle group lifts, Squat, Deadlift, Bench, and Pull-ups, and cut down your rest periods to a strict 60 seconds. Your goal would be to finish the reps even if it meant dropping the weight on the last set.

In college, in our first off-season phase we'd do Hypertrophy geared workouts. It was typically hellishly difficult stuff, but the goal was to absolutely burn your muscles and eat like pig to gain the mass. The two keys to the program were; Pace, each lift was completed 4 seconds down (on one-thousand, two one-thousand, etc), and 3 seconds up, and Super sets of major muscle groups, Sqauts supersetted with Straight leg deadlift (zero rest between exercises, 60 seconds between sets), Bench w/incline press, pulldowns/bent-over rows. At 7 seconds per rep and 12 reps, each set is keeping your muscle under stress for almost a minute. You'll have to drop weights (considerably) to maintain the pace, but its killer for mass and will build your smaller support muscle which is invaluable for moving up to bigger weights. It will kill your strength if you cycle longer than 4-6 weeks though, so beware...

ok i would
remove leg press and curl

you are doing dips so remove decline press

you are doing bent over row so why bother doing cable row? it is the same exercise again?
also cancell preachers and chin up.

keep military press but cancell arnold and upright, i am not sure why there is a day just for shoulders.

thats is my opinion based on the fact that you made gains on 5x5 routine,if you didnt gain mass the problem is in the diet, just eat more.

what are your lifting stats/weight ?

i think it looks pretty good somewhat similar to max-ot (not sure if you were going for this)
i would get rid of the 4x4-6, and change them to 3x4-6 so you could maintain the intensity
you may respond better to higher reps with smaller muscles, but if you so make sure you arent just judging by pump/lactic acid buildup because the 4-6 rep sets work just as well for strength, staying closer to 6 for size

my lifting stats are as followed

5 Rep Max for each....

Squat 310
Bench 245
Bent over Row 175
Shoulder Press 200

I weight 200 pounds and my diet is as follows

Morning Before workout Meal #1: 6 Egg whites and 2 whole eggs, protein shake, peanut butter sandwich, oatmeal

WORKOUT


Post WORKOUT: Protein Shake

Meal #2: 2 pieces of grilled chicken with baked potato


Protein Shake

MeaL #3: Grilled chicken/ steak with broccoli

Meal 4: Tuna/steak/ grilled chicken with vegetables

Before Bed: 1 scoop of casein with peanut butter sandwich


I also supplement with creatine before workout...

I wont my workout to be based around compound movements that will keep my strength because big muscles are nothing without strength. I wanted to add in some higher rep movements for hypertrophy

[QUOTE=ozbilda;374828621]ok i would
remove leg press and curl

you are doing dips so remove decline press

you are doing bent over row so why bother doing cable row? it is the same exercise again?
also cancell preachers and chin up.

keep military press but cancell arnold and upright, i am not sure why there is a day just for shoulders.

thats is my opinion based on the fact that you made gains on 5x5 routine,if you didnt gain mass the problem is in the diet, just eat more.

what are your lifting stats/weight ?[/QUOTE]

A lot of 4 day splits have a day for just shoulders and why would i want to get rid of the upright row and the arnold presses. I said i made strength gains on 5x5 not necessarily size. My diet was good but i felt i made better gains on a more hypertrophy based routine. So for this routine i wanted to combine the two. As for low cable row and bent over rows they work different back muscles so i will keep them in my routine. Also i understand that dips and decline target the same muscle and perhpas will eliminate one

I understand that diet is the most important element to gaining muscle and i can always add more food/ protein/ carbs to my diet that is not the problem. I have good size but would like to get bigger and really want to make sure i have a great workout plan to supplement my diet. I head back to college tomorrow and will begin eating like a horse so i wanted to enter college with a good routine to maintain strength and to gain muscle size

[QUOTE=zmac;374884931]A lot of 4 day splits have a day for just shoulders and why would i want to get rid of the upright row and the arnold presses. I said i made strength gains on 5x5 not necessarily size. My diet was good but i felt i made better gains on a more hypertrophy based routine. So for this routine i wanted to combine the two. As for low cable row and bent over rows they work different back muscles so i will keep them in my routine. Also i understand that dips and decline target the same muscle and perhpas will eliminate one[/QUOTE]


ok you must mean pendlay row ?, in that case do your cable row aswell.

you have got good numbers in bench and press, but row seems slightly low in comparison, maybe do some rear delt work to help prevent any future rotator cuff issues.

i was sugesting cutting down sets and volume to give you more chance to recuperate and grow, but everyone is different and if you think you will gain more on this than a 5x5 then go for it

[QUOTE=ozbilda;374894061]ok you must mean pendlay row ?, in that case do your cable row aswell.

you have got good numbers in bench and press, but row seems slightly low in comparison, maybe do some rear delt work to help prevent any future rotator cuff issues.

i was sugesting cutting down sets and volume to give you more chance to recuperate and grow, but everyone is different and if you think you will gain more on this than a 5x5 then go for it[/QUOTE]

I appreciate the help man...my bent over row is higher it is around 205-210 for a 3-5 set max sorry about that. I mean i feel like i want to combine low rep/high weight work and hig rep low weight work into my workout only because i dont want my strength to go away with a hypertrphy based routine. I feel that for the compound exercise i would like to keep that high weight low reps. (ex. squat, bench, row, deadlift, military press)...but for the other lifts to go at a slightly higer rep range. I am considering changing the major body part lifts to a pyramid type with it going 12, 10, 8, 4-6. So i would still be able to keep my strength work on my last set of each exercise. Overall i am plaining to stick on this routine for a while and then cut while back on 5x5 to increase strength gains. I am jsut hoping this is a successful program.

Legs
Squat 4 sets: 12, 10, 8, 4-6
Deadlift 4 sets: 12, 10, 8, 6
Leg Press 3 sets: 6-8
Leg Curl 2 sets: 8-10
Leg Ext 2 sets: 8-10
Calf raise 1 set: 15-20

Chest/ Triceps
Bench Press 4 sets: 12, 10, 8, 4-6
Incline Press 4 sets: 10, 8, 4-6
Decline Press 4 sets: 10, 8, 4-6
Flys 2 sets: 8-10
Skull Crusher 3 sets: 8-10
Tri pressdown 3 sets: 8-10
Weighted Dips 2 sets: Max

Back/ Biceps
Bent Over Row 4 sets: 12, 10, 8, 4-6
Weighted Pull Ups 3 sets: 5
Cable Row: 3 sets: 8,6,4
Barbell Curl 4 sets: 12, 10, 8, 4-6
Hammer Curl 3 sets: 8-10
Preacher curl 2 sets: 8-10
Chin Ups 1 set: max

Shoulders
Military Press 4 sets; 12, 10, 8, 4-6
Arnold Press 3 sets: 10, 8, 8
Upright Row: 3 sets: 10, 8, 8
Lat Raise 2 sets; 10



maybe change it to this?

run it for 6 weeks and eat like mad, see what happens

[QUOTE=zmac;374886051]I understand that diet is the most important element to gaining muscle and i can always add more food/ protein/ carbs to my diet that is not the problem. [/QUOTE]

then do it, because not eating enough is your problem

would you suggest the first routine or the second pyramized one?

Whatever you do, aim for at least 9 reps and max like 12 for optimal mass gain.

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