AllPro: A Simple Beginner's Routine part III

[Flyman75]

I do have a question as I get ready to move to Cycle 2 next week...I think I underestimated my squats. The 110 was pretty easy even with 12 reps. Do you think I can bump it up to 130 next week instead of 120? I don't really want to bump it past 10 percent because that's not the program, but I don't think I estimated my squats correctly. Or I can just stick with what it is now.

[aristotel79]

mhlnk.com/3C40EB52

[ottawatim]

After years of on and off with what I came up with as a workout program, I decided to start this routine today. Day one is in the books and it felt pretty good. I didn't think I would like working everything in one day but I really enjoyed it. Took about 45 minutes for the whole deal. Looking forward to see what kind of progress I make and hoping that knowing this program works will make me stick with it.

[FitBeyondForty]

Week 4 heavy day today.

OHP was tough! I came very close to failing.

My curls were even tougher, my tennis elbow was screaming at me.

I got all the reps in, but bad form on the last 3 due to pain. Good news is that streching and ice/heat combos seem to be helping.

Test day next week. Going to make sure my diet is spot on and I get enough rest.

[Krunkz]

Week 5 Heavy day completed. Pretty much crushed it! OHP and Squats were probably the toughest for me at the 12 rep mark. That many reps on any squat weight will get to be tough. Pretty psyched for the increase next week!!!

Here is what I am looking at next monday

Current ------------------ New
Squat = 275 ----------------300
Flat BP = 205 ----------------225
Bent-Over Rows = 175--------190
Overhead Press = 115---------125
Dead Lifts = 295 -------------320
Barbell Curls = 75-------------80
Calf Raises = 195 -------------210


Calf raises seem light so I always do more reps with them. I know it goes against the rep ranges set and what not but I have yet to see any negative side effects.


Also, grats to everyone who did their week 5 heavy day today. Seem to be quite a few of us!!!

[Skullster]

Week 5 Heavy day completed. Pretty much crushed it! OHP and Squats were probably the toughest for me at the 12 rep mark. That many reps on any squat weight will get to be tough. Pretty psyched for the increase next week!!!

Here is what I am looking at next monday

Current ------------------ New
Squat = 275 ----------------300
Flat BP = 205 ----------------225
Bent-Over Rows = 175--------190
Overhead Press = 115---------125
Dead Lifts = 295 -------------320
Barbell Curls = 75-------------80
Calf Raises = 195 -------------210


Calf raises seem light so I always do more reps with them. I know it goes against the rep ranges set and what not but I have yet to see any negative side effects.


Also, grats to everyone who did their week 5 heavy day today. Seem to be quite a few of us!!!

Dude! You are one strong mo fo! I mean that in a positive way. Congrats on killing your first test day. It's ok to do calf raises in higher rep range ie. 12-16 instead of 8-12. No worries there. Keep on killing it.

[frenchy72]

Week 5 Heavy day completed. Pretty much crushed it! OHP and Squats were probably the toughest for me at the 12 rep mark. That many reps on any squat weight will get to be tough. Pretty psyched for the increase next week!!!

Here is what I am looking at next monday

Current ------------------ New
Squat = 275 ----------------300
Flat BP = 205 ----------------225
Bent-Over Rows = 175--------190
Overhead Press = 115---------125
Dead Lifts = 295 -------------320
Barbell Curls = 75-------------80
Calf Raises = 195 -------------210


Calf raises seem light so I always do more reps with them. I know it goes against the rep ranges set and what not but I have yet to see any negative side effects.


Also, grats to everyone who did their week 5 heavy day today. Seem to be quite a few of us!!!

Awesome job. Today was my day too. Passed everything but bench and OHP's....couldn't even try them. Tennis this weekend brought back a sweet case of shoulder impingement.

I hate being hurt.

Any suggestions for keeping going while down? I'd hate to lose the progress I've made.

[Krunkz]

Dude! You are one strong mo fo! I mean that in a positive way. Congrats on killing your first test day. It's ok to do calf raises in higher rep range ie. 12-16 instead of 8-12. No worries there. Keep on killing it.

Thanks. Luckily even though my weight got out of hand I was still active. I am a concrete finisher by trade so that has left me with decent strength. This is also not my first time lifting. I lifted for about 2 years until I stopped 6 years ago. After I complete this cycle with my light day friday I am going to hit the scale and see what I have accomplished on that front. My clothes are fitting looser for sure.

[Flyman75]

Week 5 Heavy day completed. Pretty much crushed it! OHP and Squats were probably the toughest for me at the 12 rep mark. That many reps on any squat weight will get to be tough. Pretty psyched for the increase next week!!!

Here is what I am looking at next monday

Current ------------------ New
Squat = 275 ----------------300
Flat BP = 205 ----------------225
Bent-Over Rows = 175--------190
Overhead Press = 115---------125
Dead Lifts = 295 -------------320
Barbell Curls = 75-------------80
Calf Raises = 195 -------------210


Calf raises seem light so I always do more reps with them. I know it goes against the rep ranges set and what not but I have yet to see any negative side effects.


Also, grats to everyone who did their week 5 heavy day today. Seem to be quite a few of us!!!

Nice work! You are a strong dude. I was eeking out my 60 pounds on the OHP today, and you pounded 115, LOL.

[Krunkz]

Nice work! You are a strong dude. I was eeking out my 60 pounds on the OHP today, and you pounded 115, LOL.

I can probably thank most my natural strength on my family tree. My father and all my uncles are pretty big strong dudes! Just wish I had slightly longer legs. At 6 feet tall, my pant length is only 29 inches. I am all torso!!!! Hah

[daghetto]

so today was heavy day(monday) and cause of thanksgiving i couldnt hit the gym. im on cycle 1 and today was supposed to be my first day for 12 reps. wht should i do? should i do 2 heavys on wednesday and friday?

[JDMbarista]

So I've been taking my sweet time to actually complete my second week of my third cycle. Last week I only got around to doing one heavy day. I really want NEED to complete this cycle and I feel like I'm making excuses for myself but it's really been tough to get into the gym with a work schedule that's all over the place. Do any of you normally repeat a week if you've missed it?

[lrd3]

So I've been taking my sweet time to actually complete my second week of my third cycle. Last week I only got around to doing one heavy day. I really want NEED to complete this cycle and I feel like I'm making excuses for myself but it's really been tough to get into the gym with a work schedule that's all over the place. Do any of you normally repeat a week if you've missed it?

first try not to miss one. second you cant rely go from a to c... and finely its not repeating if you never dis did it.
if you miss a week do that week......

[GreyArea]

To correct my schedule to Monday - Wednesday - Friday, I dropped the medium and lite days of Cycle 1's week 5. I rested 3 days and started with Cycle 2 on Monday. I passed the test but I hope it's not too critical to get those two days.

[syncmaster913n]

Grab a 45 pound weight and use that. If not they may have an aerobic stepper thingy somewhere around there.

I'd be careful with those thingies I was researching online those fitness steppers for that very purpose; most of them, even the more expensive ones ($130+) could only handle around 300 lbs of weight in total. Better to go with the 45 pound plates, just make sure it doesn't slide around while you'r standing on it.

[zmcpherson]

I'd be careful with those thingies I was researching online those fitness steppers for that very purpose; most of them, even the more expensive ones ($130+) could only handle around 300 lbs of weight in total. Better to go with the 45 pound plates, just make sure it doesn't slide around while you'r standing on it.

A bit of 2"by4" cut into 3 and nailed into a H shape configuration is strong durable and bloody cheap

[FitBeyondForty]

so today was heavy day(monday) and cause of thanksgiving i couldnt hit the gym. im on cycle 1 and today was supposed to be my first day for 12 reps. wht should i do? should i do 2 heavys on wednesday and friday?

If a day is missed, then yes. Both days for that week should be heavy days. But AllPro says to rest for two days between. So, if you can go today do it. Then go again on Fri. Then you can continue on as usual Monday after a weekends rest.

I work out at home, so Thanksgiving was not an issue for me.

[Flyman75]

I do have a question as I get ready to move to Cycle 2 next week...I think I underestimated my squats. The 110 was pretty easy even with 12 reps. Do you think I can bump it up to 130 next week instead of 120? I don't really want to bump it past 10 percent because that's not the program, but I don't think I estimated my squats correctly. Or I can just stick with what it is now.

Just bumping to get any thoughts.

[FitBeyondForty]

Just bumping to get any thoughts.

If you have only done one full cycle, I would just bump the 10% for the next cycle. If by the end of that cycle it is still "way" too easy, then I would think adding a little more weight would be ok.

[scubahsteve]

Week 5 Heavy day completed. Pretty much crushed it! OHP and Squats were probably the toughest for me at the 12 rep mark. That many reps on any squat weight will get to be tough. Pretty psyched for the increase next week!!!

Here is what I am looking at next monday

Current ------------------ New
Squat = 275 ----------------300
Flat BP = 205 ----------------225
Bent-Over Rows = 175--------190
Overhead Press = 115---------125
Dead Lifts = 295 -------------320
Barbell Curls = 75-------------80
Calf Raises = 195 -------------210


Calf raises seem light so I always do more reps with them. I know it goes against the rep ranges set and what not but I have yet to see any negative side effects.


Also, grats to everyone who did their week 5 heavy day today. Seem to be quite a few of us!!!

Good work mayne! Cycle 2/Week 2 Heavy day snuck up on me....watch out!

[whiskeysticks]

I'd be careful with those thingies I was researching online those fitness steppers for that very purpose; most of them, even the more expensive ones ($130+) could only handle around 300 lbs of weight in total. Better to go with the 45 pound plates, just make sure it doesn't slide around while you'r standing on it.

This is true. The few times that I used one, I noticed the side start to bend down with my weight - 187ish pounds and the 165 I had slung across my back.

Used the 45 pound weight to stand on again this morning.

[DanH22]

Can the calf-raise machine be used in place of the barbell calf raise?

I ask because otherwise I'd be holding up a ton of weight and I don't even think I can *lift* that much.

It seems like you almost hold the bar like you would when doing a squat, correct?

I find an added bonus of using the barbell is that it starts prepping your body for heavier squats (assuming you lift more weight for calf raises than squats, which most people should). That way when you increase your squat weight, your stabilizers aren't shocked by the new weight.

[Apollero]

How important is using free weights? Is it possible to get the same gains using machines?
Just my stabilization is complete and total ****, so if I want to do anything with decent form, I have to go extremely light.
Advice?

Although I can do deadlifts just fine
For squats I have to use that machine to help me (no idea what it's called)

[DanH22]

How important is using free weights? Is it possible to get the same gains using machines?
Just my stabilization is complete and total ****, so if I want to do anything with decent form, I have to go extremely light.
Advice?

Although I can do deadlifts just fine
For squats I have to use that machine to help me (no idea what it's called)

Seems like you've answered your own question. If your stabilizers are weak, they're not going to get any stronger using machines.

[Flyman75]

Seems like you've answered your own question. If your stabilizers are weak, they're not going to get any stronger using machines.

I agree with this. Just means you need to lift free weights to train your stabilizer muscles. If it means going light, then go light, but I suspect you'll be able to lift more than you think.

[DafarheezyRises]

I really like this workout plan, I'm on week 3 right now. Thanks for all the good info in this thread

[TopGearBBC]

Do I do all seven exercises the same day or do i break them up into body parts or whatever? thats the only thing im confused about but everything else seems pretty basic. Hope I can follow this

[Kottermode]

Do I do all seven exercises the same day or do i break them up into body parts or whatever? thats the only thing im confused about but everything else seems pretty basic. Hope I can follow this

All exercises each day. Three days a week (heavy, medium, and light day).

[TheAnatomist]

Hey guys,

Quick question... I really like reverse barbell curls for the way I feel them in my forearms. OK to substitute this in for regular barbell curls?

[Apollero]

So if I fail on week 2, do I start the entire cycle all over again or just keep with week 2 until I get it right