Thread: Homework #1 for newbies

When you figure you're at least reasonably mastered the movements, you're making good progress, and you're thinking you'd like to bring up a bodypart, increase your endurance, cut, bulk, some specific goal you figure you're in a better place to address, you can switch. Nothing wrong with sticking with that simple programme for a month or two if you're making gains, though.

What macros are you running, are you gaining, and what are your short-term (ie next three months) goals?

Originally Posted by Built

When you figure you're at least reasonably mastered the movements, you're making good progress, and you're thinking you'd like to bring up a bodypart, increase your endurance, cut, bulk, some specific goal you figure you're in a better place to address, you can switch. Nothing wrong with sticking with that simple programme for a month or two if you're making gains, though.

What macros are you running, are you gaining, and what are your short-term (ie next three months) goals?

I'm 24 years old, 5'10. Weigh around 150 pounds now, percent body fat is around 17.4%.
I believe I'm doing the exercises pretty well. My short-term goals for next three months are gaining size (bulking).
I need around 2800-3000 calories per day to gain weight (according to formulas posted here in one of the articles)
Macros approximately: 150 g proteins, 70 g fat, 390 g carbs
Am I eating too many carbs?
My main concern however is technique right now. What would be the next step after the program you posted if I'm looking to gain weight.

Instead of going by a formula, how many calories DO you eat, and are you currently gaining?

What is your 5-8 rep squat, bench and deadlift? This will give me more of an idea of where you're at right now.

Originally Posted by Built

Instead of going by a formula, how many calories DO you eat, and are you currently gaining?

What is your 5-8 rep squat, bench and deadlift? This will give me more of an idea of where you're at right now.

I eat around 2800 calories on the workout days, but the day after workout, the number reduces sometimes to around 2600 calories or so. It fluctuates basically between 2600 to 2800. I gained around 6 lbs in 7 weeks.
Squat started off with 25 pounds on each side, now at 45
Barbell Bench press started off with 25 pounds on each side, now at 40-45
Deadlift started off with 25 pounds on each side, now at 45
I do 3 sets for all the above exercises for usually around 6-7 reps

Excellent. You're ready.

Wanna look at a four-day split? Looking for advice/critique

Thanks!!

Thank YOU. You did all the right stuff, you were pro-active about your own physique goals, read the homework, did the work, and made yourself ready for the next step.

Now, this is my split, I published it on my blog and on another board (and Prince wants me to clean it up to publish here, I HAVE to get on that...) so naturally I'm biased, but do it for a bit, it's a good split, it's balanced and there's plenty of variation that you can build into it to keep it fresh for a long time. While you do that, read around, plan your next change in about two months or so, see what you like and what you don't. I use my split as "home" - I sometimes do other programmes, but tend to return to this as my base.

Have fun.

Originally Posted by Built

Thank YOU. You did all the right stuff, you were pro-active about your own physique goals, read the homework, did the work, and made yourself ready for the next step.

Now, this is my split, I published it on my blog and on another board (and Prince wants me to clean it up to publish here, I HAVE to get on that...) so naturally I'm biased, but do it for a bit, it's a good split, it's balanced and there's plenty of variation that you can build into it to keep it fresh for a long time. While you do that, read around, plan your next change in about two months or so, see what you like and what you don't. I use my split as "home" - I sometimes do other programmes, but tend to return to this as my base.

Have fun.

Allright, here's the split you posted in other thread.

Originally Posted by Built

Horizontal push pull, calves, abs
Bench Press 5x5
Incline Dumbbell Press 3x8
T-bars 5x5
/Motorcycle Rows or One Arm Dumbbell Rows 3x8
Weighted abs 3x5-8
Seated calves, 3 second pause at the bottom of each rep. 3x20

Quad dominant, ham accessory, Biceps
Back squats 5x5
Narrow stance front squats 3x8
Single-leg dumbbell RDLs 3x8 each side
Sissy squats supersetted with the top half only of leg extensions, 3 supersets of 8 reps each
Any type of bicep work you like; optional

(Day 3 - rest)

Vertical Push/Pull, calves, abs
Barbell push press 5x5
Weighted chins 5x5
Arnold press 3x8
Single-arm lat pulldowns 3x8

Weighted abs 3x5-8
Single-leg standing calves, 3 second pause at the bottom of each rep. 3x10


Ham Dominant, Quad accessory, Triceps
RDLs 5x5
Good mornings or GHRs 3x8
Barbell Split squats or walking lunges 3x8 each side
SHELC, one leg at at time if two becomes too easy

If chest is lagging at all on you, do something like dips or close-grip bench today to hit tris and pecs.

(Day 6 - rest)
(Day 7 - rest)

Can you please give me alternatives for these exercise due to lack of equipment in my building's gym.
Incline Dumbbell Press 3x8: (No dumbbells above 25Lbs in gym)
Motorcycle Rows or One Arm Dumbbell Rows 3x8 (No equipment to use either)
Arnold press 3x8: Again no dumbbells.

Narrow stance front squats 3x8: Does the bar have to be attached with the stand? (I only have the free weight bar not attached to machine/stand)
Single-leg dumbbell RDLs: (Which body part this exercise hits?)
Sissy squats supersetted with the top half only of leg extensions, 3 supersets of 8 reps each: I found a video for sissy squats, so I think I understand how it's done, but have no clue about supersetted with top half etc
Any type of bicep work you like; optional: How many sets and reps do you recommend? 2x8??
Thanks

Hey, no problem. The basic premise here is you start with a heavy compound (multi-joint) movement for the 5-rep stuff, then afterward do something a bit more concentrated for the 8-12 rep stuff with the same muscle group. If it's a leg day, you either work hams hard and quads light, or quads hard and hams light. If it's an upper day, you work antagonistically - pairing a push with a pull in either the horizontal (ie chest and back) or the vertical (shoulders and lats). Always the same format: for a given "direction", pick a 5x5, then a 3x8 and 2-3x12. You can start with a push or a pull, or alternate between the two but for a given direction, always start with the 5-rep heavy stuff before moving on.

For instance, suppose it's vertical push-pull day.

• You could do 5x5 military press, then 3x8 Olympic bar corner press, then 5x5 weighted chins, then 3-12 standing lateral raises, then 3x8 unweighted chins…

or

• You could start with the millies, head straight to the weighted chins, then the unweighed chins, then back to shoulders for the higher rep stuff…

...but any one muscle group is worked with a heavy 5x5 compound before doing higher rep work for that same muscle, if this makes sense.

The "big compounds" you'll start with for the 5x5s will remain fairly constant:

• Quad dominant: back squats
• Ham dominant: Deadlifts
• Horizontal push: bench press (flat or incline)
• Horizontal pull: heavy bent over rows
• Vertical push: shoulder press (of some sort)
• Vertical pull: chins/pullups (weighted or unweighted)

The 3x8 and the 12-rep stuff can vary a LOT.

Select movements you CAN do with your available equipment and go from there. For a horizontal push you can do flat or incline barbell press for the 5x5 work, lighter barbell presses, weighted or unweighted pushups for the 8 or 12 rep pressing.

Horizontal pulling you're looking at bent over rows and t-bar rows.

Front squats, no the bar should NOT be attached to the stand! These are free barbell squats.You'll just hold them with a clean or crossed grip in the front, rather than behind your neck and delts.

You can do regular RDLs, use the barbell. This is for hams/posterior chain. Ignore the supersetting thing, stick with low and higher rep squats and you won't go wrong. Try walking lunges holding plates in your hands. Those are INSANELY brutal and excellent for the higher rep stuff on your leg days.

Bicep work, maybe 2-3 movements with 3x8-12? I have a bicep article up in my blog, you can look at that for ideas if you like. Got Built? » Baby Got… Biceps!

got it. Thanks again!!

My pleasure. Feel free to drop me a line or post in here for any other questions you might have.

Hi. I was on and off throughout the last year for work/study reasons. Anyhow I've been working out quite regularly for past 3 months now the 4 day split posted by built. However, it gets difficult to go to gym 4 days a week most of the weeks and I end up going only 3 days. Is there any 3 day split that somebody could suggest for me? Thanks

Do that same 4-day split (ABCD), but rotate through the days

Week 1
workout ABC

Week 2
Workout DAB

Week 3
Workout CDA

Week 4
Workout BCD

Alternatively, you could do the full-body listed above with a two-day split

For example:

WO1: hams, horizontal push, horizontal pull
WO2: quads, vertical push, vertical pull
WO3: full-body

On the weeks you might make it in for a 4th day, you could do something like arms and sprint intervals.

Originally Posted by Built

Alternatively, you could do the full-body listed above with a two-day split

For example:

WO1: hams, horizontal push, horizontal pull
WO2: quads, vertical push, vertical pull
WO3: full-body

On the weeks you might make it in for a 4th day, you could do something like arms and sprint intervals.

Ok. So what about biceps/triceps?

One more question. In the past 2 months, I've gained around 10 lbs (currently at 161 lbs), but my waist has also increased from 34.5 to 35.25. Does that mean that I'm gaining more fat and less muscle? Or is that normal?

From FitDay my last month's macros have been as such:

Calories 2,979 calories
Fat 91.0g 26%
Saturated 28.6g 8%
Polyunsaturated 16.6g 5%
Monounsaturated 27.3g 8%
Carbohydrate 378.7g 49%
Protein 196.0g 25%