AllPro: A Simple Beginner's Routine part IIII

[Jonmurgie]

i'm gonna test my 10 rep maxes on friday..can I go to the gym on monday to do the heavy work out or there would be not enough time for rest?

That will be fine, you'll only be doing 8 reps of your 10 rep max on Monday anyhow.

[EGN123]

Cool thanks, I best get used to taking weights off and on the bar then

Yep faster you can do that the better

[Jonmurgie]

Don't know if this has already been discussed but I have been doing calf raises on the leg press machine at my gym. They don't have a standing calf raise machine.

Is this ok or should I find an alternative

Appreciated

You might have already seen other answers to similar calf raises question but if no calf machine then use the barbell on your shoulders and either a plate, wooden block or aerobic step for a platform if possible. All better options than the leg press machine.

[k1ngoftheranch]

well sick or not couldn't not workout today lol...just worked out in my basement...despite feeling bad i actually nailed everything except last two reps of last set of squats (4 sets of 7)

[EGN123]

Just started C1W2 yesterday really enjoying the program. Only problem is im going on holidays at easter for a week and will be unable to work out and it happens to be on week 5 what should i do? I was thinking I could do week 4 before i go, repeat week 4 the week after and then go onto week 5 then so it would be 2 weeks late. Would this be okay or should i try to do week 5 straight after coming back?

[nightanole]

Just started C1W2 yesterday really enjoying the program. Only problem is im going on holidays at easter for a week and will be unable to work out and it happens to be on week 5 what should i do? I was thinking I could do week 4 before i go, repeat week 4 the week after and then go onto week 5 then so it would be 2 weeks late. Would this be okay or should i try to do week 5 straight after coming back?

Bare min you cant break up weeks 3-5. Your choices are: skip week 4 light day, and replace it with week 5 heavy test day, and do it 2 days after medium day, or start again at week 2-3 when you get back. If you take a break or repeat a week it will give you a false test day.

[nightanole]

!!!!OK GUYS HELP ME OUT WITH A STICKY REQUEST!!!!

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...1&p=1223900421

This thread only has about 2 weeks of posts left before it auto locks.
Please move all chatter to the new thread


PS: since its been a year, does anyone have better youtube videos or anything they want me to add to the FAQ?

[LuizLeandroG]

PS: since its been a year, does anyone have better youtube videos or anything they want me to add to the FAQ?

What's wrong with the videos in the exercises part of bodybuilding website?

[95tomw]

All the info I've found on testing your ten rep max just says pick a random weight but I have no idea about weights I was thinking about doing 33kg (half my body weight) for each exercise... does that sound right?

[EGN123]

Bare min you cant break up weeks 3-5. Your choices are: skip week 4 light day, and replace it with week 5 heavy test day, and do it 2 days after medium day, or start again at week 2-3 when you get back. If you take a break or repeat a week it will give you a false test day.

Ok well i might start back on week 3, i would like to replace the week 4 light day with test day but i am just worried i wont be able to increase my weight(even for lower reps) after the week off

[Dontgiveup2014]

All the info I've found on testing your ten rep max just says pick a random weight but I have no idea about weights I was thinking about doing 33kg (half my body weight) for each exercise... does that sound right?

Hi mate

I am new here so you might want to wait for a more qualified response but i will try my best.

First of all dont stress it too much as its really quite easy.

Pick a weight that you can do over 5 reps but no more than 15 and then all you do is enter the weights into this calculator on the first page of this thread, i tried to paste it for you but i cant as i have under 50 posts

So with that calculator it really is so easy,pick a weight and then if you cant even do 5 reps then decrease the weight and if you do well over 15 just increase it.

hope this helps

[Dontgiveup2014]

Hi All

Finished my first ever session yesterday and i bloody loved it.

I was dreading the squats but after the first session i really feel like i have the hang of them and now i can't wait to do them again.

Just have 2 questions i hope someone could help with.

1 - the barbell calf squats , i am doing them while standing on a weight plate and i was under the impression at first that you should lift off but then when you lower back down just go to level, but after watching another video on this website i noticed that he lifts right off and then when he lowers back down his heel goes below the block he is standing on and actually touches the floor. I tried it this way and could really feel my calfs burning

So should your heel be coming below the platform and touching the floor after every rep?

2 - I know some people on here are cutting and some people are bulking, i was originally thinking of cutting but now i think i want to bulk

Just wondered if anyone on here could give some advice ( i was just gonna try and eat like a mad man and make sure i get plenty of protein)

[russiantorpedo]

bang

[Jonmurgie]

Hi All

Finished my first ever session yesterday and i bloody loved it.

I was dreading the squats but after the first session i really feel like i have the hang of them and now i can't wait to do them again.

Just have 2 questions i hope someone could help with.

1 - the barbell calf squats , i am doing them while standing on a weight plate and i was under the impression at first that you should lift off but then when you lower back down just go to level, but after watching another video on this website i noticed that he lifts right off and then when he lowers back down his heel goes below the block he is standing on and actually touches the floor. I tried it this way and could really feel my calfs burning

So should your heel be coming below the platform and touching the floor after every rep?

2 - I know some people on here are cutting and some people are bulking, i was originally thinking of cutting but now i think i want to bulk

Just wondered if anyone on here could give some advice ( i was just gonna try and eat like a mad man and make sure i get plenty of protein)

Congrats on your first session!

To have a stab at answering your questions:

1. The reason to do calf rises on some form of platform is for the exact reason to get your heel lower than your toe. So yes, your heel should touch the floor (depending on how high your platform is, on a step this might prove impossible or just dangerous!) on each rep.

2. Not sure what height you are but at 250lbs I'd have thought you should either maintain or cut (what's your BF at?). It's actually recommended that you just maintain for the first 2 cycles of this routine anyhow. Have you calculated your maintenance intake etc.? If not then just get over to the nutrition section of the forum and read through the first post in most of the stickies and that should get you going.

Hope that helps a bit but great that you're enjoying the routine so far.

[Dontgiveup2014]

Hi mate

I am 6 foot and Dont know why it says 250lbs I need to change that I am only 172 and apart from a bit of a tiny belly would say I am fairly skinny

[Jonmurgie]

Hi mate

I am 6 foot and Dont know why it says 250lbs I need to change that I am only 172 and apart from a bit of a tiny belly would say I am fairly skinny

Thanks for the clarification. I'd still say to maintain for the first 2 cycles then start a lean bulk. As I say, nutrition section will give you all the necessary info and links needed :-)

[Dontgiveup2014]

Ok cheers mate , I think like you say I gonna stay eating how I am for now and see what happens

[Mainer215]

Thanks for the clarification. I'd still say to maintain for the first 2 cycles then start a lean bulk. As I say, nutrition section will give you all the necessary info and links needed :-)

Dontgiveup,

I agree with this. ^^^^^

Get your maintenance macros locked in and in a couple of months slowly begin raising calories until you are gaining approximately 2 lbs/month.

Good luck on your bulk.

[Dontgiveup2014]

Thanks for all the replies guys , really appreciate it.

Would you recommend I start counting calories and try and stick to a figure every day and then see if I lose or put any on.

I mean I guessing I gonna start losing some as I have cut out all fizzy drinks and junk food and now I'm doing this program as well.

[jimt91]

If you miss a rep on your heavy day of let's say, week 3... do you redo week 3 or the entire cycle starting at 8 reps(week 1)? Would you redo just that exercise you missed a rep on or all of the exercises (so basically at all times will you be doing the same amount of reps for everything)? In the FAQ about OHP, if you missed 1 rep on week 5 it says you have to redo that weight for the next cycle does this mean you add 10% to all of the exercises you completed, except for (in this case) OHP? Or would you redo all of the exercises and basically just restart the cycle with the same weight on everything?

Also I had a problem, I just started this routine, Friday was my initial 10 rep max test day. I was able to do 9 reps of 175, probably could have gotten 10, but I lost my balance(my legs are weak from surgery, but I'm good to go with lifting again so no worries there). It felt hard, but possible so I figured I'd start out my cycle at 165lbs. Today was my first day of doing the actual routine, but my legs were still slightly sore from Fridays 10 rep max test, but I felt I could still squat so I squatted and was winded after about 5 reps with no energy.. dropped the weight to 155lb and only got about 7 more reps out of that. Was pretty disappointed, but was thinking maybe since my legs are still a little sore and I'm on a cut, I just wasn't 100% ready to do my squats, so I put it behind me and went on... Bench press went for a pretty easy 170lb 2x8, then got to rows, at this point was pretty winded, but was able to do them without breaking form... On my final rep of rows though I got a sharp pain in my side and a tingling sensation throughout my body, didn't feel like a cramp or the lightheadedness you'll get from not breathing properly. It was like my whole body went numb and there was a hole in me or something hard to explain... Anyway I felt completely drained and somewhat nervous from that because I've never felt like that before and so I called it a day. At this point I was covered head to toe in sweat, looked like water was dumped on me. Overall I felt like I worked really hard, but my routine didn't play out how I wanted it to at all and I didn't finish everything. I have to lift tues/thurs/sat due to a schedule change this week, but every week other than this I have to do MWF. Since the next time I'll lift will be thursday, and I got to start back up Monday, should I just do my medium day with the weight I was planning on doing with everything before or should I reattempt my "heavy" day? Basically how should I finish out my week productively?

Thanks

[Zealex]

Hey I got a question regarding barbell chest press.

I'm on the first week and today I did my second day (4-8 with 10% lighter than 10 rep max). My back, shoulders, triceps, legs, calves are all sore except for my chest. I'm pretty sure my form for bench press is correct, but I can only bench 90 for 10 reps max. I feel like I should be able to go heavier, considering before this program I did dumbbell press and was on 50's ready to go to 55's...and people say you barbell bench more so am I doing something wrong? Not having a sore chest makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong.

Thanks

[hopla]

you guys need to go to the new thread..part v this one is done

[SeanM4]

Hello, looking to get back to lifting after a couple of years off, and this seemed like the best beginner routine. I do have a quick question though, for anyone who may know the answer. My lower back has a herniated disk - would it be recommended I modify the routine, and if so, how?

Thanks.

[cowboyhaze]

this or babylovers SS?


http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=135564721

[Jonmurgie]

If you miss a rep on your heavy day of let's say, week 3... do you redo week 3 or the entire cycle starting at 8 reps(week 1)? Would you redo just that exercise you missed a rep on or all of the exercises (so basically at all times will you be doing the same amount of reps for everything)? In the FAQ about OHP, if you missed 1 rep on week 5 it says you have to redo that weight for the next cycle does this mean you add 10% to all of the exercises you completed, except for (in this case) OHP? Or would you redo all of the exercises and basically just restart the cycle with the same weight on everything?

You can fail any rep on any day on any cycle EXCEPT the teat day which is Week 5 heavy, you don't redo any week at all. If you fail an exercise then they weight stays the same for THAT exercise only for the next cycle, every exercise you pass you put the weight up 10%.

Also I had a problem, I just started this routine, Friday was my initial 10 rep max test day. I was able to do 9 reps of 175, probably could have gotten 10, but I lost my balance(my legs are weak from surgery, but I'm good to go with lifting again so no worries there). It felt hard, but possible so I figured I'd start out my cycle at 165lbs. Today was my first day of doing the actual routine, but my legs were still slightly sore from Fridays 10 rep max test, but I felt I could still squat so I squatted and was winded after about 5 reps with no energy.. dropped the weight to 155lb and only got about 7 more reps out of that. Was pretty disappointed, but was thinking maybe since my legs are still a little sore and I'm on a cut, I just wasn't 100% ready to do my squats, so I put it behind me and went on... Bench press went for a pretty easy 170lb 2x8, then got to rows, at this point was pretty winded, but was able to do them without breaking form... On my final rep of rows though I got a sharp pain in my side and a tingling sensation throughout my body, didn't feel like a cramp or the lightheadedness you'll get from not breathing properly. It was like my whole body went numb and there was a hole in me or something hard to explain... Anyway I felt completely drained and somewhat nervous from that because I've never felt like that before and so I called it a day. At this point I was covered head to toe in sweat, looked like water was dumped on me. Overall I felt like I worked really hard, but my routine didn't play out how I wanted it to at all and I didn't finish everything. I have to lift tues/thurs/sat due to a schedule change this week, but every week other than this I have to do MWF. Since the next time I'll lift will be thursday, and I got to start back up Monday, should I just do my medium day with the weight I was planning on doing with everything before or should I reattempt my "heavy" day? Basically how should I finish out my week productively?

Thanks

Hmmm, sounds like you've starters too heavy IMO. The first cycle 2 weeks of a cycle should be fairly easy to complete as they are deload weeks (you're only do 8/9 reps of your 10 rep max). I'd drop all the weights and carry on with the routine, you can increase more than 10% if you feel they are too light come the end of the cycle but try not to keep messing with the weights durning a cycle. What days you train is fine, just ensure you have 2 days rest before the heavy day.

Hope that helps a little, keep going and good luck.

[Jonmurgie]

you guys need to go to the new thread..part v this one is done

Not really, until this thread is locked and the other becomes a sticky...

[Jonmurgie]

Hey I got a question regarding barbell chest press.

I'm on the first week and today I did my second day (4-8 with 10% lighter than 10 rep max). My back, shoulders, triceps, legs, calves are all sore except for my chest. I'm pretty sure my form for bench press is correct, but I can only bench 90 for 10 reps max. I feel like I should be able to go heavier, considering before this program I did dumbbell press and was on 50's ready to go to 55's...and people say you barbell bench more so am I doing something wrong? Not having a sore chest makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong.

Thanks

Don't confuse soreness for correct form. Read a few posts back and you'll see the soreness question asked and answered a few times. Also don't worry about what the actual weight is you're lifting, if it's based on your 10 rep max then it's correct and I will increase with time.

Seems to me you're doing fine but over worrying things that you don't need to. Stick to the plan and just ensure your form is spot on.

When I started the routine I was sore for a bit, but only as it was my first ever lifting so body was getting used to what I was making it so, now 9 weeks in I don't get sore after a workout but know I'm putting in 100% to every exercise with decent form (maybe save for OHP) and enjoy the fact I'm not sore after :-)

[Mainer215]

If you miss a rep on your heavy day of let's say, week 3... do you redo week 3 or the entire cycle starting at 8 reps(week 1)? Would you redo just that exercise you missed a rep on or all of the exercises (so basically at all times will you be doing the same amount of reps for everything)? In the FAQ about OHP, if you missed 1 rep on week 5 it says you have to redo that weight for the next cycle does this mean you add 10% to all of the exercises you completed, except for (in this case) OHP? Or would you redo all of the exercises and basically just restart the cycle with the same weight on everything?

Also I had a problem, I just started this routine, Friday was my initial 10 rep max test day. I was able to do 9 reps of 175, probably could have gotten 10, but I lost my balance(my legs are weak from surgery, but I'm good to go with lifting again so no worries there). It felt hard, but possible so I figured I'd start out my cycle at 165lbs. Today was my first day of doing the actual routine, but my legs were still slightly sore from Fridays 10 rep max test, but I felt I could still squat so I squatted and was winded after about 5 reps with no energy.. dropped the weight to 155lb and only got about 7 more reps out of that. Was pretty disappointed, but was thinking maybe since my legs are still a little sore and I'm on a cut, I just wasn't 100% ready to do my squats, so I put it behind me and went on... Bench press went for a pretty easy 170lb 2x8, then got to rows, at this point was pretty winded, but was able to do them without breaking form... On my final rep of rows though I got a sharp pain in my side and a tingling sensation throughout my body, didn't feel like a cramp or the lightheadedness you'll get from not breathing properly. It was like my whole body went numb and there was a hole in me or something hard to explain... Anyway I felt completely drained and somewhat nervous from that because I've never felt like that before and so I called it a day. At this point I was covered head to toe in sweat, looked like water was dumped on me. Overall I felt like I worked really hard, but my routine didn't play out how I wanted it to at all and I didn't finish everything. I have to lift tues/thurs/sat due to a schedule change this week, but every week other than this I have to do MWF. Since the next time I'll lift will be thursday, and I got to start back up Monday, should I just do my medium day with the weight I was planning on doing with everything before or should I reattempt my "heavy" day? Basically how should I finish out my week productively?

Thanks

Jim,

You can miss any rep of the program except for the reps on test day. If you fail test day you stay the same for next cycle.


Based on the information that you provided you have started way to heavy for your fitness level. This program works on two things, strength and endurance. It is always better for people to start this program on the light side as endurance can be an issue. I would do another 8 rep day on Thursday, doing the complete program but reduce your squat to 150 lbs, bench to 160 lbs, reduce BOR by 10%, and the rest of your weights by 10%. If everything goes well on Thursday then I would start new on Monday. This program is very friendly on a cut so don't stress about that. I would also advise that during your cut you only raise weight by 5% per cycle.

This is all based on my experiences with the program.

Good luck and keep at it.

[Mainer215]

Hey I got a question regarding barbell chest press.

I'm on the first week and today I did my second day (4-8 with 10% lighter than 10 rep max). My back, shoulders, triceps, legs, calves are all sore except for my chest. I'm pretty sure my form for bench press is correct, but I can only bench 90 for 10 reps max. I feel like I should be able to go heavier, considering before this program I did dumbbell press and was on 50's ready to go to 55's...and people say you barbell bench more so am I doing something wrong? Not having a sore chest makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong.

Thanks

I would continue on with cycle 1 as started and if you fly through test day on your bench with no issues then maybe bump it up by 15 % instead of 10%. It is really deceiving for the most part on day 1 of cycle 1 as we get numerous questions asking if they can go heavy, heavy, heavy instead of heavy, medium, light. Give it a full cycle and then make your adjustment at the end if you pass.

You are not doing anything wrong and as others above have said, soreness has nothing to do with it.

Good luck.

[Mainer215]

Hello, looking to get back to lifting after a couple of years off, and this seemed like the best beginner routine. I do have a quick question though, for anyone who may know the answer. My lower back has a herniated disk - would it be recommended I modify the routine, and if so, how?

Thanks.

Not knowing the extent of your injury a will not even attempt to give you advice on how to modify the program for your injury. This really should only be answered by a medical professional or physical therapist of which I am NOT.

Good luck.