Hypertrophy/Bodybuilding Routine

[sepandee]

Anyone here uses an app to track their lifts? I'm looking for a simple, no-frills apps, something that I can easily and quickly punch my numbers in.

[Alyion]

Anyone here uses an app to track their lifts? I'm looking for a simple, no-frills apps, something that I can easily and quickly punch my numbers in.

I use FitNotes (Android)

however I have never seriously looked - I just picked the first one that was free.

[milkbar]

Anyone here uses an app to track their lifts? I'm looking for a simple, no-frills apps, something that I can easily and quickly punch my numbers in.

I use Fitness Buddy on my iPod. It does the job, but can be frustrating when it goofs up and records sets on an earlier date. I have to make sure it's on the current day before I log each set.

[mzakflip40]

Anyone here uses an app to track their lifts? I'm looking for a simple, no-frills apps, something that I can easily and quickly punch my numbers in.

I've gone through several apps and they always just end up being a hassle to use. I've recently just started using the iPhone Notes app and I like it. I made a workout folder, and just create a new note for each workout. Easy to punch in numbers, easy to look back at past workouts.

[sepandee]

I've gone through several apps and they always just end up being a hassle to use. I've recently just started using the iPhone Notes app and I like it. I made a workout folder, and just create a new note for each workout. Easy to punch in numbers, easy to look back at past workouts.

Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead with a google docs spreadsheet and compare it with one of the apps. I suspect the former will just be easier to deal with.

[CrayJay]

Anyone here uses an app to track their lifts? I'm looking for a simple, no-frills apps, something that I can easily and quickly punch my numbers in.

Multi-Year Weight Training

[0hseeper]

Just finished reading this entire thread and started training accordingly this week. Ive been running greyskull for a few months with good success, but I've been craving a routine with more volume, and an opportunity to recomp without feeling like I'm wheel spinning with a strength program that I'm starting to grow out of anyway, so here I am. Just wanted to ask a couple questions...

I'm doing a 4-5 day upper lower split with 30 reps. How do yall think I would fair with doing rack pulls on my lower day?

It would look like this:

Chins
Incline bench
Seated row
Guillotine press
Face pull
Cable fly
Pressdown
Curl
Lateral raise
Abs

Front squat
RDL
leg ex
Leg curl
Lateral raise
Rack pull
Abs

Second question:
Any recommendations to correct left/right arm imbalance using the philosophy of this program? Should I do one armed curls and pressdowns with equal weight and just do a few more reps on my weak side? Or do different weight? Or both? Or neither? I'm coming from doing mostly big compounds and my right arm is about 3/4" smaller than my left.

Thanks!

[ThatOneLurker]

perform single arm workouts, starting with your weaker arm first, limit your stronger arm to the same amount of reps.

Simply perform the same amount of reps with each arm, the weaker arm will catch up eventually.

[0hseeper]

perform single arm workouts, starting with your weaker arm first, limit your stronger arm to the same amount of reps.

Simply perform the same amount of reps with each arm, the weaker arm will catch up eventually.

Meaning use same weight and rep scheme?

[ThatOneLurker]

Meaning use same weight and rep scheme?

yes

[0hseeper]

Alright I'll give that a try. Maybe I'll bump up to 40 reps for those movements and see what happens.

Any thoughts on my lift choices, and doing upper/lower with 2.5x/week frequency at 30 reps? I did my lower yesterday and only did 20 reps on rack pull, it felt like enough. I think I will try to keep it in there but maybe only do 20 twice/week regardless if I have 3 lower days scheduled

[sepandee]

Alright I'll give that a try. Maybe I'll bump up to 40 reps for those movements and see what happens.

Any thoughts on my lift choices, and doing upper/lower with 2.5x/week frequency at 30 reps? I did my lower yesterday and only did 20 reps on rack pull, it felt like enough. I think I will try to keep it in there but maybe only do 20 twice/week regardless if I have 3 lower days scheduled

IT all depends on your goals and how advanced you are.
If you're doing it 2.5x a week, at 40 reps, you'll be doing more than 100 reps per week for one day of the lifts, but that's alright. Just be aware of the volume that you're lifting, especially because you're no longer 20

But again, it also depends on how advanced you are.

[0hseeper]

IT all depends on your goals and how advanced you are.
If you're doing it 2.5x a week, at 40 reps, you'll be doing more than 100 reps per week for one day of the lifts, but that's alright. Just be aware of the volume that you're lifting, especially because you're no longer 20

But again, it also depends on how advanced you are.

Haha well it's true I'm not 20 anymore, but I'm actually 26 not 46. And I'm only doing 30 reps for most movements with the exception of perhaps bi/tri/abs/delt/and rack pulls as mentioned. So that's only 75 reps/week for the most part. That's still twice the volume I'm used to so I expect to see progress. My lifts are 205x5 bench 310x7 squat 350x5 deadlift 155x1 mp at 5'9" ~180

[sepandee]

Haha well it's true I'm not 20 anymore, but I'm actually 26 not 46. And I'm only doing 30 reps for most movements with the exception of perhaps bi/tri/abs/delt/and rack pulls as mentioned. So that's only 75 reps/week for the most part. That's still twice the volume I'm used to so I expect to see progress. My lifts are 205x5 bench 310x7 squat 350x5 deadlift 155x1 mp at 5'9" ~180

If you're doing 310 x 7 squat proper form and below parallel, then you know what you're doing.

Don't take this the wrong way since I only ask this out of curiosity. I still don't get how people like you who lift better than 90% of people out there come here looking for advice on # of reps or whether they should add or take off a lift from their routine. Not saying anyone who lifts 310 x 7 squat is an expert at lifting, but certainly they would know the answer to some basic programming questions?

[0hseeper]

I've only been lifting consistently for a couple years. But I've always done a lot of squats and I do low bar. I'm not impressed by a 3 plate squat really. I've seen guys my size move nearly twice that. I think all it does is limit potential to give people ideas about what they're capable of.

Programming isn't really something I would say I've got figured out. I have a fraction of the knowledge many have and even less experience. I was curious what people's thoughts on rack pulls would be because traditional deadlifts are universally agreed upon as being to hard on the cns for the volume/frequency of this routine. That's something that came as obvious to me from my experience with them from starting strength and greyskull and how they're programmed in those. But rack pulls I've only just started doing and I was surprised to see them mentioned as an option for this style of training because to me they don't seem that different than deadlifts. Sure the rom is considerably shorter but you can also do a fair amount more weight.

Yes this is all simple stuff. I've always said if lifting was as complicated as we can make it meatheads wouldn't exist. But then again, why are there endless amounts of training methods and forums like this one to discuss such things? Because we're all seeking the best route to our goals. Whether or not such a thing actually exists.

Thanks for your two cents though. Maybe I should trust my body and try it out.

[chown]

Is suppose to follow the same exercices for long period for mantaine consistently results? Or can I have for example a Push A and Push B?

Push A

BB Bench Press
BB Incline Press
DB Flyes
Lateral Raises
Skull crushers

Push B

BB Bench Press
BB Close Grip BP
DB Incline Press
Lateral Raises
DB Tricep Extension

[Effrum]

Is suppose to follow the same exercices for long period for mantaine consistently results? Or can I have for example a Push A and Push B?

Push A

BB Bench Press
BB Incline Press
DB Flyes
Lateral Raises
Skull crushers

Push B

BB Bench Press
BB Close Grip BP
DB Incline Press
Lateral Raises
DB Tricep Extension

A) Your exercise selections don't work your chest the same way (ex: incline press != flys).

B) Exercise periodization is a waste of time, the only way you're going to get better at doing a bench press is to do a bench press, period. Arbitrarily changing your exercises is actually going to work against you more than it's going to help. That being said, sometimes people need to change things up to keep them from getting bored - and if you're one of those then do whatever you need to do to keep yourself consistently lifting. But the general advice is to NOT swap out exercises or have an A/B setup for the same day/muscles.

[Alyion]

Hey guys, sorry to be a bit homo here, but i've just uploaded an avi/profile pic (which ill probably remove soon) - Can I get a quick bf% estimate off it at all (I would guess 13/14%?). I've been cutting the last 6 weeks and don't know if I should keep going or start to bulk back up again followed by another mini 4 week cut before summer - while I wouldn't mind getting a bit leaner still the idea that i'm probably gaining 0 additional muscle mass/potentially losing some at a deficit puts me off.

[Rebinho]

"I recommend using an 8-15RM for most exercises, you should use your first set of each exercise as your measure of progress and add more weight once you can complete 12 reps in your first set for large exercises and 15 reps in your first set for small exercises. For calves and abs I recommend 15-30 reps."



1. Which ones are the small exercises and which are the large? And how much weight do I add on them? I assume its around 2.5kilos for the large and 1kg small ones?

2. When I test 1 rep max, let say I test 1rm wide grip bench press...... Do I then continue with my workout plan for wide grip bench press,like doing maybe 12x 4 and wait to test 1rm for the next workout? Or should I immediately after testing 1rm for wide grip, do another test for th next workout?

[chown]

A) Your exercise selections don't work your chest the same way (ex: incline press != flys).

B) Exercise periodization is a waste of time, the only way you're going to get better at doing a bench press is to do a bench press, period. Arbitrarily changing your exercises is actually going to work against you more than it's going to help. That being said, sometimes people need to change things up to keep them from getting bored - and if you're one of those then do whatever you need to do to keep yourself consistently lifting. But the general advice is to NOT swap out exercises or have an A/B setup for the same day/muscles.

Thanks. So I'll take the same exercises selections for all weeks.

[merlin1]

So Kelei says to "do as many reps as you can", ie. 30-50 per exercise. So are your reps varied every workout in that range? Or do you pick a "hard" target and stick to that? And how often do you change your target?

[davo26]

"I recommend using an 8-15RM for most exercises, you should use your first set of each exercise as your measure of progress and add more weight once you can complete 12 reps in your first set for large exercises and 15 reps in your first set for small exercises. For calves and abs I recommend 15-30 reps."



1. Which ones are the small exercises and which are the large? And how much weight do I add on them? I assume its around 2.5kilos for the large and 1kg small ones?

smallest amount possible really, but those figures seem about right. large are compound exercises that work mutliple muscles, bench, squats, deads etc, small are the isolation exercises that work one muscle, so curls, dips etc

2. When I test 1 rep max, let say I test 1rm wide grip bench press...... Do I then continue with my workout plan for wide grip bench press,like doing maybe 12x 4 and wait to test 1rm for the next workout? Or should I immediately after testing 1rm for wide grip, do another test for th next workout?

no need to test 1RM. just trial and error to get your 10RM first set, thats all you need. and next exercise same. if your second exercise is say incline bench, then ok, your 10RM will be less as a second ex than if it was your first exercise, but thats how to do it.

So Kelei says to "do as many reps as you can", ie. 30-50 per exercise. So are your reps varied every workout in that range? Or do you pick a "hard" target and stick to that? And how often do you change your target?

no, stick to whatever you choose for a while. so if you have time/inclination for 40 reps total, do 40 reps total each workout until you want to change something for whatever reason.

[Morti]

I remeber Kelei said some time ago to reduced volum by 50% when cutting.

What is your take on this? Should I keep going for 40-50 reps like I used to before I started to cut, or go like 25-30 reps?

One problem could be that I burnout at the end of the workout if I do to many reps in the beginning.

Is there any difference to doing 50 reps vs 30reps when you cut?

[atgbrahsrs]

I remeber Kelei said some time ago to reduced volum by 50% when cutting.

What is your take on this? Should I keep going for 40-50 reps like I used to before I started to cut, or go like 25-30 reps?

One problem could be that I burnout at the end of the workout if I do to many reps in the beginning.

Is there any difference to doing 50 reps vs 30reps when you cut?

as far as I know the best way to go about volume is to keep it the same until you actually feel the need to drop it

[sepandee]

I remeber Kelei said some time ago to reduced volum by 50% when cutting.

What is your take on this? Should I keep going for 40-50 reps like I used to before I started to cut, or go like 25-30 reps?

One problem could be that I burnout at the end of the workout if I do to many reps in the beginning.

Is there any difference to doing 50 reps vs 30reps when you cut?

Cutting is diet-dependent. You have to be below maintenance to cut. And once you are, it becomes difficult to do too much volume, hence why you drop the volume.

So Kelei says to "do as many reps as you can", ie. 30-50 per exercise. So are your reps varied every workout in that range? Or do you pick a "hard" target and stick to that? And how often do you change your target?

I think most people stick with a hard target, but mine has a pattern. Let's say I do 3 weeks of lifting, I hit each exercise twice in each week, and the 4th week I deload. So I'll be benching 6 times. I do 30 reps the first session, then 35, then 40, 45, 50, then 50 + drop set. Just depends on you. If you don't want to worry about the finer details, it's fine. If your goal is to bulk up, then you know you have to do close to 50 reps or higher. If it's 48 one session, then 55 the next, it's the not end of the world.

1. Which ones are the small exercises and which are the large? And how much weight do I add on them? I assume its around 2.5kilos for the large and 1kg small ones?

Read again. You add enough weight that you think you'll be able to do at least 8 reps in your first set. It's not an exact science. If you're starting out, and you can now bench 13 reps at 125lb, then you can try going up to 130lb or 135lb for your next session. If you find out you can only do 5 or 6 reps with the added weight, then you go down a bit in weight.

In general though, as a beginner, with squats, bench, RDLs, and cable rows, you might be able to add 5-10 lbs. As you become more experienced, then that range goes down.

Big exercises are the compound movements: squat, the pressing movements, pullups, RDLs, etc. They work multiple muscles, and you can lift more weight than the smaller exercises. Smaller exercises are ones that target a specific muscle, e.g. bicep, tricep, calf, lateral raises.

Hey guys, sorry to be a bit homo here...

It's 2016. Most people don't say that anymore. It's OK to be a "homo" so apologies are not needed.

[Aspenextreme03]

Has anyone done this routine with just a barbell, rings and a pull up bar?

Workout at home and dumbbells are on my short list but have a power rack, iron, pull up bar and rings.

[Alyion]

Has anyone done this routine with just a barbell, rings and a pull up bar?

Workout at home and dumbbells are on my short list but have a power rack, iron, pull up bar and rings.

It can be easily done - just use BB variations of the lifts - things like side delts can be hit with upright rows and arms can be hit with dips/cgbp/curls - sub leg extensions for another squat movement

[Aspenextreme03]

Thanks. Will have to get my lifting book out to see the variations to plot it out.

Lookig forward to this routine. If anyone already has it mapped out with bb items i would appreciate posting it for me.

If not i will do the leg work.

[Totinos]

Hey guys I've tried reading as much of this thread and this is my current routine:

Can I get some criticism/better workout substitutions and advice?



For each compound movement, I do 4x10 and for the smaller ones, I do 4x15


Also, I feel like I can add 1/2 more workouts to target my bi/tris.
Atm I'm doing tri pulldown superset after chest flies and preacher curls




Day 1
Widegrip Bench 4x10
Incline Bench 4x10
Flies/Crossovers 4x15
Superset into tri pulldown 4x15
Front Delts 4x15

Day 2
Lat pulldown 4x10
Seated Rows 4x10
Reverse Flies 4x15
Preacher Curls 4x15

Day 3
RDL 4x10
Front squat 4x10
leg curls 4x15
leg extension 4x15

[sepandee]

Hey guys I've tried reading as much of this thread and this is my current routine:

Can I get some criticism/better workout substitutions and advice?



For each compound movement, I do 4x10 and for the smaller ones, I do 4x15


Also, I feel like I can add 1/2 more workouts to target my bi/tris.
Atm I'm doing tri pulldown superset after chest flies and preacher curls




Day 1
Widegrip Bench 4x10
Incline Bench 4x10
Flies/Crossovers 4x15
Superset into tri pulldown 4x15
Front Delts 4x15

Day 2
Lat pulldown 4x10
Seated Rows 4x10
Reverse Flies 4x15
Preacher Curls 4x15

Day 3
RDL 4x10
Front squat 4x10
leg curls 4x15
leg extension 4x15

This is just the standard routine posted by Kelei on the first page. So there's nothing to critique, really. Plus, context matters: goals, experience, etc.