Kelei Routines/Advice

[SXElifter]

I only do it with the v-bar attachment, less elbow strain and I can go a bit heavier.

Regarding pressdowns, since you said you use it with the v-bar obviously you use two hands at the same time, have you maxed out on the weight yet? What is the heaviest weight your cable machine has?

I'm asking because the obvious solution when you've maxed out the stack is to go single-hand, but I just don't feel it as much.

[dojsygo]

Regarding pressdowns, since you said you use it with the v-bar obviously you use two hands at the same time, have you maxed out on the weight yet? What is the heaviest weight your cable machine has?

I'm asking because the obvious solution when you've maxed out the stack is to go single-hand, but I just don't feel it as much.

I have maxed out pressdowns, and as you say 1 hand doesn't feel right so im just adding more reps, now up to 16 first set

[klaximilian]

I have maxed out pressdowns, and as you say 1 hand doesn't feel right so im just adding more reps, now up to 16 first set

What a problem to have

I think I'm up to 150 on the pushdowns, so I have about 5 more plates to go. Won't expect that any time soon.

[dojsygo]

What a problem to have

I think I'm up to 150 on the pushdowns, so I have about 5 more plates to go. Won't expect that any time soon.

It can vary very much from different equipment's. 150lbs on your pressdown machine is probably not the same as on mine.
When i try out a new gym i never know what weights i should start with :\ my goes up to 200.

Im thinking about replacing pressdowns with dips instead. My arms is probably what have grown most on Kelies routine

[ThatOneLurker]

Regarding pressdowns, since you said you use it with the v-bar obviously you use two hands at the same time, have you maxed out on the weight yet? What is the heaviest weight your cable machine has?

I'm asking because the obvious solution when you've maxed out the stack is to go single-hand, but I just don't feel it as much.

Maybe 5-6 more notches from maxing it out. I'm at 72.5lbs on it

I'll end up doing sets of 12 when I do max it out, no biggie.

[klaximilian]

It can vary very much from different equipment's. 150lbs on your pressdown machine is probably not the same as on mine.
When i try out a new gym i never know what weights i should start with :\ my goes up to 200.

Im thinking about replacing pressdowns with dips instead. My arms is probably what have grown most on Kelies routine

Indeed. When I was at my previous gym, the stacks felt twice as heavy and I was lifting at most 80 lbs. Not sure where exactly it's different, but I guess now I'm repping 150.

[agent2421]

So has anyone made an excel sheet to track progress by any chance? I know a few sheets have been made for All Pro's Routine. It'd be great to have something to enter your numbers in after every workout to keep track.

[Alyion]

Maybe 5-6 more notches from maxing it out. I'm at 72.5lbs on it

I'll end up doing sets of 12 when I do max it out, no biggie.

Im like that on leg extensions, the machine only goes to 100kg so i've started doing sets across - tbh i'll probably move onto sets across with most exercises once I hit certain strength levels (but i'm talking like 3 plates on the incline, 4 on the front squat etc) - my rep endurance seems to suck and i'll start focusing a bit on strength across sets once i'm crazy strong enough

[dojsygo]

Im like that on leg extensions, the machine only goes to 100kg so i've started doing sets across - tbh i'll probably move onto sets across with most exercises once I hit certain strength levels (but i'm talking like 3 plates on the incline, 4 on the front squat etc) - my rep endurance seems to suck and i'll start focusing a bit on strength across sets once i'm crazy strong enough

Have you tried single leg extensions? i get pretty good muscle contact with them as well.

[Alyion]

Yea, first thing I tried - I have to use one of those crappy ones that attach on the end of the bench (as opposed to a cam on a cable) doing them with one leg just makes the thing tip to the side and just cause sheer stress across the support post - it doesn't evenly lift up and down.

If i end up taking the piss and doing something like 10 sets of 20 i'll probably do back squats instead, but tbh i'm kinda enjoying the pump I get

Thanks for the suggestion though - some people may just not think of doing them single legged.

[dojsygo]

Indeed. When I was at my previous gym, the stacks felt twice as heavy and I was lifting at most 80 lbs. Not sure where exactly it's different, but I guess now I'm repping 150.

Im not sure but if you are preforming pushdowns in the cable-cross i think that some cablecross machines is calculated by both sides (so its actually half the weight you think you are doing). That could explain the big difference between your old gym and new gym?

I think the same goes for my gym, there is no way that its actually 200lbs for 16 reps, then i would've lift myself like a muscle-up instead of pressing the bar down

[Effrum]

So has anyone made an excel sheet to track progress by any chance? I know a few sheets have been made for All Pro's Routine. It'd be great to have something to enter your numbers in after every workout to keep track.

I use JeFit on my phone to keep track of my 1st set (the weight I did and the # of reps) so I know when to go up.

Im not sure but if you are preforming pushdowns in the cable-cross i think that some cablecross machines is calculated by both sides (so its actually half the weight you think you are doing). That could explain the big difference between your old gym and new gym?

I think the same goes for my gym, there is no way that its actually 200lbs for 16 reps, then i would've lift myself like a muscle-up instead of pressing the bar down

I honestly have no idea, but this makes sense. I always assumed it was just varying degrees of "assistance" from pulley to pulley on cable machines. My gym has 2 different cable cross machines and I can do a lot more weight for crossovers on 1 than the other. Same for seated rows (except there's like 3 of them). Would be interesting to know why.

[RGA8]

Im thinking about replacing pressdowns with dips instead. My arms is probably what have grown most on Kelies routine

Funny you say that. I just replaced pressdowns with dips like a week or two ago. Feels good man. For me it is a much more natural feeling movement.

I always found that pressdowns were hard to go really heavy on just because of the mechanics of the lift. So far dips are much better.

[dojsygo]

Funny you say that. I just replaced pressdowns with dips like a week or two ago. Feels good man. For me it is a much more natural feeling movement.

I always found that pressdowns were hard to go really heavy on just because of the mechanics of the lift. So far dips are much better.

Yeah same here, how are you preforming your dips, up straight body or leaning forward?

[RGA8]

Yeah same here, how are you preforming your dips, up straight body or leaning forward?

I'm performing them with a very slight forward lean using a dip machine. Hnnnnggg at the contraction bro. Feels amazin.

[Niuzki]

Anyone have any love towards Leg presses instead of front squats? Just curious on feedback. I love both, but I feel like the Leg press works me better.

For someone in the beginner numbers how fast should I expect to make progress? I initially found that I was jumping up 2.5-5lbs almost every workout. Now after 1 month it's stalled off towards +2.5-5lbs every 3-4 workouts (except my bench... that damn thing is the bane of me)

[klaximilian]

I need more dips in my life.

I gave them up about 6 months ago when I started to have some shoulder issues. It literally came out of nowhere…bummed me the fuk out.

I set up the other day for both tricep/chest dips +45lbs (50% my 10RM) and it felt fine. So I upped it to 70lbs and pumped out a few more and I could feel it straining a little but not screaming.

I think I'll just try dips at a lower weight to avoid ripping my arm out of it's socket, or at least that's what it felt like.

[jmmainvi]

Anyone have any love towards Leg presses instead of front squats? Just curious on feedback. I love both, but I feel like the Leg press works me better.

For someone in the beginner numbers how fast should I expect to make progress? I initially found that I was jumping up 2.5-5lbs almost every workout. Now after 1 month it's stalled off towards +2.5-5lbs every 3-4 workouts (except my bench... that damn thing is the bane of me)

I'm moving my compounds about that quickly on an intermediate routine. Still sounds like progress to me. How often are your workouts? If you're only going 3 days a week I can see how that might be frustrating.

Leg presses might work your quads a little better, but they're nowhere near as good for the rest of you as front squats.

It took me quite a longtime to make a break through on front squats, and they're probably most of the reason I left the routine in the first place. For a long time I felt like I was going to die after the third rep of the first set, and I couldn't do my rest pauses fast enough to make them count, nor could I get any serious weight on the bar. They were mostly giving me a core and a breathing workout. Keep at them though. I now find myself getting to that 8th or 10th or even 12th rep before I start to think I really can't do another one.

Different front squat forms are going to affect where you feel the strain. Also make sure you're pushing yourself to get back under the bar as fast as possible. It's way to easy to sit there for two minutes and not feel any better between sets, and then you're not getting the intended effect.

[RGA8]

Anyone have any love towards Leg presses instead of front squats? Just curious on feedback. I love both, but I feel like the Leg press works me better.

For someone in the beginner numbers how fast should I expect to make progress? I initially found that I was jumping up 2.5-5lbs almost every workout. Now after 1 month it's stalled off towards +2.5-5lbs every 3-4 workouts (except my bench... that damn thing is the bane of me)

Progress will slow down a bit after the first few months. It is normal to stall on an exercises for a few weeks, even a couple months. As long as your lifts are going up in the long term you will be fine. Keep in mind, if you haven't gained a rep for several workouts in a row doesn't mean you haven't gained some strength. Maybe you recruit 10 more motor units each workout but you can't complete the 11th rep until you recruit 40 more. Make sense?

I've been doing leg press instead of front squats for quite a while now. My quads have grown fine. This pic was taken just less than 1 year on Kelei's routine.

[ThatOneLurker]

I think I'm going to recomp now. I don't like the way my waist is looking in proportion to everything else.


I can always get to 205lbs next Autumn.

[64509chvl]

Haven't been very active on here lately but still plugging away for now. My shoulder has been buggin me more & more lately...had dye injected followed by an MRI & my cartilage is all tore up. I'm scheduling surgery in the next 3-4 months, super bummed! I'm in the best shape of my life, lol! I knew this was coming though. On a side note we have a little girl in the oven ! Hope everyone is still goin at it here!

[klaximilian]

On a side note we have a little girl in the oven ! Hope everyone is still goin at it here!

Congrats man. First?

[64509chvl]

Congrats man. First?

2nd...our son is 7, lol! Finally decided we weren't done yet.

[ThatOneLurker]

2nd...our son is 7, lol! Finally decided we weren't done yet.

Time to teach him front squats

[64509chvl]

Time to teach him front squats

Ha ha...I don't push nothin on him & he always wanted to go in the garage with me, until I started lifting at 4am. I still let him do a little here & there when I get home from work, he can do 4 pull ups & yes, he likes to squat with Dumbbells

[ThatOneLurker]

Ha ha...I don't push nothin on him & he always wanted to go in the garage with me, until I started lifting at 4am. I still let him do a little here & there when I get home from work, he can do 4 pull ups & yes, he likes to squat with Dumbbells

Inb4 shredded by 12 years old

[Effrum]

Inb4 shredded by 12 years old

I'd be jelly

[RGA8]

Haven't been very active on here lately but still plugging away for now. My shoulder has been buggin me more & more lately...had dye injected followed by an MRI & my cartilage is all tore up. I'm scheduling surgery in the next 3-4 months, super bummed! I'm in the best shape of my life, lol! I knew this was coming though. On a side note we have a little girl in the oven ! Hope everyone is still goin at it here!

Congrats bro! Good to know you're still plugging away.

I've been training harder than ever. On the advanced routine at 50 reps. My goal is to compete in physique next year!

[klaximilian]

Congrats bro! Good to know you're still plugging away.

I've been training harder than ever. On the advanced routine at 50 reps. My goal is to compete in physique next year!

Nice! Stay hungry man. I remember when I was conditioned enough to put down 50 reps no problem. Those were some of the greatest workouts. Enjoy the nasty pump.

I took a couple weeks off and am just "lifting" to stay in shape instead of training towards a goal right now. It's kind of a break for me, but I can't do nearly as much weight/reps as I could a few months ago. It's a little depressing.

[64509chvl]

Congrats bro! Good to know you're still plugging away.

I've been training harder than ever. On the advanced routine at 50 reps. My goal is to compete in physique next year!

Thanks dude. Keep hittin it hard man, you're doin great & I wish you the best in your goals!