What is your actual routine!? (Please critique mine you want)

[TT Eric]

I always wondered what other guys here on this forum are doing as for personal routine, it seems that people are more willingly posting about other stuff like diet, weight, etc. I think we could learn from more each other, if we were more open on the subject. So I decided to share my routine and a little background.

As I often told, I began to train in 1983 and stopped in 1991, did 2 competitions in 90s, tried many times to get back to train, but because of back problems I had to quit many time, in 2003-4, I was able to train for about a year, then got hurt again and stopped until 2011, now I went gradually for the last 1.5-2 years, had a lot of pain at first, but the more I keep going the better it is. Goal is go back on the stage (natural) one day in the master category, I'm near 42 now. I have about 10 years of training total, most of them are long ago. I was a full time trainer from 88-91, I wrote about 2000 programs in those time, mostly volume training. I had to re-learn all the new stuff I missed from the 20 years gap and I'm still learning. This forum and some people here helped me a lot.

I have no genetics like Phil or Ronnie, I'm not super strong actually (was not too bad 20 years ago) but I'm extremely disciplined, I train like a warrior, hate to leave a rep on the table. But gains always had been slow.

Best parts : legs, back, abs/oblique
Worst parts : arms, especially the triceps, in a Chinese restaurant, people grabs my arms to eat.

So here is my routine for the next 6 weeks. One part per day, 5 day on per week. Will do a deload week somewhere toward the end.

Monday
Overhead press 8,6,4,4*
DB press 4x6-8
Seated side raise* 4x12
Shrugs DB 4x10

Tuesday
A1 Standing French press 4x6-8 (no rest)
A2 Standing Curl 4x6-8 (2-3 min)
B1 California press 4x8-10 (no rest)
B2 Lying (face down) curl DB 4x6-8 (2-3 min)
C1 Palms-down DB wrist curl 3x15-20 (no rest)
C2 Palms-down low pulley wrist curl 3x15-20 (2 min)
D1 Palms-up DB wrist curls 3x15-20 (no rest)
D2 Palms-up low pulley wrist curl 3x15-20 (2min)

Wednesday
Leg curls 8,6,4,4*
Squats 4-5x 8-12
Leg press 45 4-5x 8-12
Stiff legged DL 4-5x 8-12
Standing Calf raise 4x10-12*
Core work.

Thursday Off

Friday
Bench press incline 8,6,4,4*
Bench press DB incline 3x6
Bench press DB decline 4x6-8
Pec-dec 3x12

Saturday
Chin-ups supinated 8,6,4,4*
Rowing DB incline 4x6-8
Rowing BB 4x10
DL (occasional and light, building back a capacity in my lower back) 4x10
Core work.

Sunday Off

* = Drop set at the last set.


Additional note :
- The combination of Squats and leg press 45 or Squat and Hack squat always had been very rewarding for adding mass into the legs, Squats alone, or leg press alone doesn't cut it as much for me.
- I rarely go for isolation movement, I feel I'm loosing my time
- Always like to do DB press for the chest, it seems to be a good way to add thickness on the side of the chest and not as hard on the shoulders like the BB.
- The forearms workout as been taken from CP last recommendation for arms, my ultimate weaknesses, I'm giving it a try. According to him, bigger forearms will help develop the arms. Old school FTW.

What is your routine ?

Eric

[cog]

You could be blessed with a good upper arm and not so great forearms btw.So called Indian clubs.

[natenator]

Looks like an insanely complicated routine.

Edit: sorry, looks like the complication is for arms only

[Hosehead]

Lately mine is as follows :

1)Wake up
2)drink beer and eat shit food
3)get fat
4)repeat

[O-Train]

Don't have much going in terms of routine lately but I'll play.

Dumbbell Chest Press
Supinated Hammer Strength Lat Pulldown
Rolling Dumbbell Tricep Extension
Posterior Delt Flys
Lateral Raises
(Occasionally do bodyweight dips and/or bicep curls also)

^This is basically my upper body workout and gets done every other session^

Deadlift
Supinated Hammer Strength Lat Pulldown
Standing Calf Raises

*Another Upper Body Day*

Squat
Standing Calf Raise

Sometimes I do straight sets, sometimes I finish with a rest-pause set (basically 3 sets with ~30 seconds rest done to failure). eg. 30x12+5+4.

Ideally this would be Mon/Wed/Fri. Not fancy and not great, really just designed for me to do something productive when I'm at the gym. If I can get some more consistency I will probably switch to DC or 5/3/1 or some hybrid program with elements from different places.

[TT Eric]

Looks like an insanely complicated routine.

Edit: sorry, looks like the complication is for arms only

Yes, like I said, it's something CP recommend, he says one normally increase 1/2 to 3/4'' forearms circumference in 20 sessions. So I decided to give it a try. I normally don't work much the forearms, I just rarely use straps. Only downside I see is the day after I'm doing stiff legged DL.

I usually aim for basic, simple workout, but I don't mind trying 'complicated' if it give results.

http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/730/Training_Secrets_for_Bulging_Biceps.aspx

Eric

[cog]

You might try doing pullups or chins from rings.Stiff bands are good for wrist curls.

[Sean Summers]

Rear delt work????

[TT Eric]

You might try doing pullups or chins from rings.Stiff bands are good for wrist curls.

No need extra work on the forearms, I just decided to give a try to CP's recommendation, he often write weird stuff do, it will be the first time I try one of his combination, even though I did my PICP certification.


Rear delt work????

I rarely skip the bent side raise, but since I do 2 kinds of row in the back day, I decided to give it a break for this 6 weeks period.

Eric

[TT Eric]

So what is your actual routine you guys ? Is it a secret, or your just too lazy to write is down ? :p

Eric

[fmrdh]

Sunday - Chest - Biceps + Calves
Monday - Back - Triceps + Abs
Tuesday - rest
Wednesday - Shoulders + Traps + Calves
Thursday Legs + Abs
Friday Arms + Traps
Saturday rest

[Sean Summers]

I rarely skip the bent side raise, but since I do 2 kinds of row in the back day, I decided to give it a break for this 6 weeks period.

Sure if you want to give it a break that's ok but I would rather give your front delts a break....

On your delt day you are doing 2 pressing movements = front delts
and only your chest day you are doing 3 pressing movements = chest and front delts.

Today I hit chest -

Pullovers - pyramid warmup then 3 x 10
Incline Smith - pyramid warmup then 3 x 6
Flat Bench with Chains - pyramid warmup then 3 x 6-8
Flat DB Press - 3 x 10-12
Flat Flyes - 3 x 12-15

[TT Eric]

Sure if you want to give it a break that's ok but I would rather give your front delts a break....

On your delt day you are doing 2 pressing movements = front delts
and only your chest day you are doing 3 pressing movements = chest and front delts.

Today I hit chest -

Pullovers - pyramid warmup then 3 x 10
Incline Smith - pyramid warmup then 3 x 6
Flat Bench with Chains - pyramid warmup then 3 x 6-8
Flat DB Press - 3 x 10-12
Flat Flyes - 3 x 12-15

Thanks for the insight!

Since you too are hitting the front delts 3 times on your chest day, what do you do then on delts day ?

Eric

[ironwill]

We do this schedule split 3 ways....

Basically CC and i do a chest, shoulders, triceps, with a basic heavy compound movement for each body part, and then an isolation move for each part...The basic compound movement is done rest -pause, and the isolation movement is done for around a 20 repper, or a couple of sets, either way works well...
Chest i do an incline or flat bench, which works chest, shoulders and tris really, then i do a set of flyes...

Next i do shoulders, military press, which also works upper pecs, shoulders, and tris to an extent, then i do laterals...

Then For tris, i do close grip bench, or dips weighted, which again hits all 3 parts, and then i do some overhead extensions for my isolation movement, sometimes cables or whatever...

I know i dont need to explain that compound movements work all 3 of those parts, lol, just throwing it in there for conversation sake...
Back and bis, i do 2 width exercises, and 2 thickening exercises...then 1 set of isolation exercises for width and thickness,
For example...
I do t bar rows for thickness, and then deads or something else heavy,
Then for width i do dc rack chins, wicked exercise, or bodyweight pull ups, then maybe lat pulldowns, or something else for width, then i do an isolation exercise, like standing straight arm pulldowns to front.

I just do 2 exercises for bis after this, a heavy ez curl, or straight curl on Barbells, and then hammer curls for the brachialis area, maybe one more isolation movement lighter and higher reps..

Legs, hams and quads, i do 2 exercises for each, 1 of them rest pause, and 1 widowmaker higher reps movement, same for each hammies and quads..

I go 4 times per week...mon,tues, thur,fri....
i keep cycling through 1 workout after the other, so on friday i will be doing monday work again, then on monday when i come back, i start with back as that is the next exercise in the sequenc, and then on friday im doing back again, then the following Monday ill be doing legs , and then friday, legs is done again...So everything gets it's turn being nailed 2 times per week, every 3 weeks you should be back on chest for monday...Hope this makes sense..
i find eating a lot of protein, moderate carbs and higher fats suits this trng real well, and the carbs are mostly done around workouts, ..

[TT Eric]

Nice! Indeed it seems to work well!

Eric

[Skailes]

For me it goes like this:
Mon. Delts, light arms, light one legged ext, and calves
rear delts on pec deck 5x12-15
side laterals 4x12
military press 1x20 1x15 2x8 1xhigh rep failure
press behing neck 3x15
DB side lateral 2x12
superset
DB upright row 2xfailure use the same DBs for both sides and row

preacher curl 3x20
pressdown 3x20

leg ext 4x20 or more
toe press 6x30


tues. back light one legged ext calves

reverse pull down 5x12
reverse BB row 1x20 1x15 2x8 1xfailure/reps
front pull down 4x12
one arm machine row 4x12
rear pull down 3x20
face pull 3x15-20
hyperextension 3x15-20

one leg ext 4x20

seated calf raise 6x20


wed chest abs one leg ext calves

incline cable fly 5x15
incline press smith 1x20 1x15 2x8 1xhigh rep failure
flat press 3x12
pec deck 3x15
dips 3xhigh rep failure

sit ups/cruches 3x20-30
leg lift/raise 3x20

one leg ext 4x20

toe press on legged 6x20


thurs arms single leg ext

15 sets for both biceps and triceps, reps are kept at 12-20 but the exercises change with each workout

single leg ext 4x20

fri off

sat legs

laying leg curl 5x12-20
seated leg curl 4x12
DB stiff leg 3x12

leg ext 4x20-30
leg press 5 sets....1x20@2 plates per side, 1x30@3 plates/side, 1x40@4 plates/side, 1x50@5 plates/side, 1x60@6 plates/side
leg press feet high 4x20
front squat 5x12-20

calf raise 4x30

sun off/junk day

so there ya go. I do a lot of extra work for my right leg due to an injury that still requires extra work, and arms are always changing from week to week so there's no point in saying what I'm doing right now 'cause it's always changing, but arms are always trained for the pump as the see more than enough heavy work on other upper body exercises. Legs are trained with lots of reps due in part to my leg issue, and I've done more than my fair share of low rep squatting when I was PLing and strongman.

[TT Eric]

Thanks! It's surely interesting! You must feel like crying on the leg press day! 60 reps!!!

I've tried to work with high reps for the legs at some point before a competition and it didn't worked out good for me.

Eric

[Skailes]

Thanks! It's surely interesting! You must feel like crying on the leg press day! 60 reps!!!

I've tried to work with high reps for the legs at some point before a competition and it didn't worked out good for me.

EricI learned oh so many years ago that if you want really solid quality legs then high reps are the way to go, and I used to be all about the heavy low reps when squatting etc, but my legs actually went from just being big to being big, full and with much better quality. And ya they burn like a MOFO on the 60 rep set, but it passes quickly.

[Sean Summers]

My point wasn't that you were doing too much for front delts. My point was that you weren't doing enough for your rear delts.

[cog]

I learned oh so many years ago that if you want really solid quality legs then high reps are the way to go, and I used to be all about the heavy low reps when squatting etc, but my legs actually went from just being big to being big, full and with much better quality. And ya they burn like a MOFO on the 60 rep set, but it passes quickly.

What kind of tempo are you using for 60 reps?

[Durk]

wow skailles that leg day looks brutal,

You ever have a client puke, then pass out on ya? lol

[Skailes]

wow skailles that leg day looks brutal,

You ever have a client puke, then pass out on ya? lolPuke oh hell ya male or female if you're getting ready for a show expect that I'll work you hard, and until you adapt and your conditioning improves ya you're gonna puke on leg day.....and I've worked with athletes like rowers who you would think have serious conditioning puke on leg day.....Rule of thumb NEVER EAT ANYTHING prior to a leg workout!!!

[Skailes]

What kind of tempo are you using for 60 reps?Hmmm lets see....I keep the reps tight up until I get to about 40 and then the burn starts and by 50 reps your quads are on fire so at this point it just get through 'em as fast as possible....no resting just keep going and you should have tears in your eyes by the 60th rep.....damn I love training legs.....tempo....damn people like to make things even tougher and more complicated than they need to be, just don't bounce the weight and don't lockout either but the whole 3-0-1 shit won't work when your legs are burning up....this is for beginners IMO to learn proper form.

[cog]

Haha.I kind of thought that would be way too much pain to go slow.Noticed a few of the big guys in the mags doing higher reps lately.

[Skailes]

Haha.I kind of thought that would be way too much pain to go slow.Noticed a few of the big guys in the mags doing higher reps lately.I had this higher rep leg training drilled into my head by Ron Love (IFBB pro Mr Universe) when we trained together back in the mid 80s....And Tom Platz was another who would do high reps on leg day as was Paul DeMayo etc and they all had solid legs one could say.....

[69challenger]

For me it goes like this:
Mon. Delts, light arms, light one legged ext, and calves
rear delts on pec deck 5x12-15
side laterals 4x12
military press 1x20 1x15 2x8 1xhigh rep failure
press behing neck 3x15
DB side lateral 2x12
superset
DB upright row 2xfailure use the same DBs for both sides and row

preacher curl 3x20
pressdown 3x20

leg ext 4x20 or more
toe press 6x30


tues. back light one legged ext calves

reverse pull down 5x12
reverse BB row 1x20 1x15 2x8 1xfailure/reps
front pull down 4x12
one arm machine row 4x12
rear pull down 3x20
face pull 3x15-20
hyperextension 3x15-20

one leg ext 4x20

seated calf raise 6x20


wed chest abs one leg ext calves

incline cable fly 5x15
incline press smith 1x20 1x15 2x8 1xhigh rep failure
flat press 3x12
pec deck 3x15
dips 3xhigh rep failure

sit ups/cruches 3x20-30
leg lift/raise 3x20

one leg ext 4x20

toe press on legged 6x20


thurs arms single leg ext

15 sets for both biceps and triceps, reps are kept at 12-20 but the exercises change with each workout

single leg ext 4x20

fri off

sat legs

laying leg curl 5x12-20
seated leg curl 4x12
DB stiff leg 3x12

leg ext 4x20-30
leg press 5 sets....1x20@2 plates per side, 1x30@3 plates/side, 1x40@4 plates/side, 1x50@5 plates/side, 1x60@6 plates/side
leg press feet high 4x20
front squat 5x12-20

calf raise 4x30

sun off/junk day

so there ya go. I do a lot of extra work for my right leg due to an injury that still requires extra work, and arms are always changing from week to week so there's no point in saying what I'm doing right now 'cause it's always changing, but arms are always trained for the pump as the see more than enough heavy work on other upper body exercises. Legs are trained with lots of reps due in part to my leg issue, and I've done more than my fair share of low rep squatting when I was PLing and strongman.

Just finished one full week with this routine...today was legs..holy HELL!!! Did it....wasn't pretty, but I finished!

[TT Eric]

Just finished one full week with this routine...today was legs..holy HELL!!! Did it....wasn't pretty, but I finished!

I would be sore forever with that! Just with my routine, I have 3-4 days to have difficulties walking, sitting, etc...

Eric

[Skailes]

Just finished one full week with this routine...today was legs..holy HELL!!! Did it....wasn't pretty, but I finished!Fun eh? I love hitting legs to the point where I want to cry and the great thing is that you don't need mega heavy weights either, so it's easier on your joints.

[cog]

I would be sore forever with that! Just with my routine, I have 3-4 days to have difficulties walking, sitting, etc...

Eric

You definitely have recovery issues Eric.

[69challenger]

Fun eh? I love hitting legs to the point where I want to cry and the great thing is that you don't need mega heavy weights either, so it's easier on your joints.

Fun??? ummmm.....NO! But I DID want to cry. I've been doing heavy weights, low reps for years now, so this is definatley a different kind of burn....really tough MENTALLY to keep going...but I love a challenge!!!!

[TT Eric]

You definitely have recovery issues Eric.

I dunno if it's recovery issue or me pushing too much every time, always getting the extra rep I didn't thought I was able to do, training for me usually come with a feeling of barfing. BPM are between 140-170 and as you can see I don't train high rep. In fact, particularly on legs and back days, I usually fell all stressed out (and I'm not a stressed guy at all in life) about half an hour before training, even a bit dizzy, my body stressing, knowing all the crap it gonna endure for an hour.

But what I don't understand and this is the reason why I wonder if it's a problem with recovery, is that the level of soreness is different from one muscle to another, I mean muscle like the shoulders do not get sore at all, ever. Some are 'normal' I think, like biceps, back, calves, abs... some other like triceps & chest get sore for 2-4 days. It always been like this for the 10 years or so I have train.

If anyone has an idea why I get sore like crazy in some muscles and not at all in others let me know... (Yes with the same level of hard training, volume, intensity... etc)

Eric

[Skailes]

Fun??? ummmm.....NO! But I DID want to cry. I've been doing heavy weights, low reps for years now, so this is definatley a different kind of burn....really tough MENTALLY to keep going...but I love a challenge!!!!As I have a background in PLing as well as strongman I hear ya on how difficult it is to go from heavy lower reps to ultra high reps, and the fun thing is it really doesn't get any easier other than knowing what to expect and knowing that you can push through, but otherwise from rep 50 to rep 60 you are in a whole new world of burn and pain....but it does work!

[Skailes]

I dunno if it's recovery issue or me pushing too much every time, always getting the extra rep I didn't thought I was able to do, training for me usually come with a feeling of barfing. BPM are between 140-170 and as you can see I don't train high rep. In fact, particularly on legs and back days, I usually fell all stressed out (and I'm not a stressed guy at all in life) about half an hour before training, even a bit dizzy, my body stressing, knowing all the crap it gonna endure for an hour.

But what I don't understand and this is the reason why I wonder if it's a problem with recovery, is that the level of soreness is different from one muscle to another, I mean muscle like the shoulders do not get sore at all, ever. Some are 'normal' I think, like biceps, back, calves, abs... some other like triceps & chest get sore for 2-4 days. It always been like this for the 10 years or so I have train.

If anyone has an idea why I get sore like crazy in some muscles and not at all in others let me know... (Yes with the same level of hard training, volume, intensity... etc)

EricWhen I was younger I remember getting stressed on leg day, but in time you adapt. As far as your delts not getting sore try this and see how it works for you: rear laterals 5x15 use heavier weights each set, seated side laterals 5x12-15 same weight and make sure you pull up with your elbows and let your hands trail, no resting either just a steady pumping motion using a moderate tempo, shoulder press 1x20, 1x15, 1x12, 2x8, 1x15 use the same weight you used for the set of 12, DB side laterals ss with DB upright rows 2x12 each and use the same DBs for the sides and the rows. No standing around chatting/BSing so do a set and rest 60-90 secs for all exercises and train for the burn.

One of the issues I see a lot in any gym is useless talking about anything under the sun, so who "buddy" went out with to the bar or your plans for the weekend or your workday DOES NOT MATTER in the gym you can talk about that crap anytime. You're in the gym to train...period.

[TT Eric]

I can try this on the next run, not that I seek to be sore in the shoulders, lol! But I must say I did often routine similar to this and didn't got sore.

And don't worry about ethics, I'm very very disciplined. As I said, I have 10 years of training in the bag and I have always been like this. And beside that, when I train it is such an aggression that my face tell it all, people don't bother me, I can speak before or after. Plus I don't mind other people, if I need to be lying on the ground catching my breath, I'll do it.

Eric

[#8]

So what is your actual routine you guys ? Is it a secret, or your just too lazy to write is down ? :p

Eric

My routine is so top secret, I dont even know what it is

:P

[tex]

When I was younger I remember getting stressed on leg day, i get a boner just thinkin about my lower me day ;)

[scottlove]

I learned oh so many years ago that if you want really solid quality legs then high reps are the way to go, and I used to be all about the heavy low reps when squatting etc, but my legs actually went from just being big to being big, full and with much better quality. And ya they burn like a MOFO on the 60 rep set, but it passes quickly. Hey Skailes. I've always been a low rep heavy weight squatter and a very hard gainer on legs. Part of the reason is that I'm 6' tall. It's the only time I wish I was short, just to make my legs easier to train. Having said that, my thighs are 30" cold but I feel at my height I still need another 5" to look the way I want them to. I've tried your high rep workout for the past 3 weeks and my legs are so fried when I'm done it's something I've never felt (to that extent) in my 20 years of lifting. Do you throw a heavy session in once in a while or keep on with the super high reps?

[69challenger]

^^I'd be interested to know this too! I've been doing the high reps for a month now (and learning to like the burn/pump feeling...though leg day still brings me to tears!), was actually thinking of throwing a heavy, low rep week in soon to mix it up a bit.

[tex]

skalies...you're in Nanaimo?!