Thread: programs

push/pull with quad dominant and a hamstring dominant days has been working well for me rather then just one leg day. Depends what you need to work on i supose!

upper body wise? each muscle group twice a week?

5/3/1 worked pretty good for me just started the waterbury method about three weeks ago so far i like it

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Originally Posted by 3magic

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WTF, I'm I on a web designing fourm??!!

If anyone telly you to train biceps with chest that is a red flag. That person is a moron.

High intensity low volume for me. Usually out of the gym in 20-30 minutes.

Originally Posted by ihateschoolmt

High intensity low volume for me. Usually out of the gym in 20-30 minutes.

what sort of program do you follow? ie split body parts, how many times a week etc, how many sets?

Originally Posted by GeorgeForemanRules

If anyone telly you to train biceps with chest that is a red flag. That person is a moron.

Hmmmmmmm and why is this? Dorian Yates does it that way on blood and guts? Just because its obviously different to what you believe in doesnt make it wrong does it!

any more people's successful programs?

I'm ready to do Starr's 5x5 again. Google Bill Starr. You usually get good gains for 6 weeks or so, then it's good to change it up.

Originally Posted by dteller1

what sort of program do you follow? ie split body parts, how many times a week etc, how many sets?

Right now I'm doing what someone else already mentioned. I'm doing push pull and two leg days. I do somewhere around 5-12 sets per workout depending on how I feel. Yesterday all I did was 3 sets of dead-lifts and some core work but I'm just starting to workout again. I do mostly big compound lifts with few isolation exercises. Some variations on squats, dead-lifts, pull ups, and bench press are always included in my weekly work out.

Originally Posted by davegmb

Hmmmmmmm and why is this? Dorian Yates does it that way on blood and guts? Just because its obviously different to what you believe in doesnt make it wrong does it!

#1 He is Dorian, we are not.
#2 What he did after he gained all his size has nothing to do with how he got it in the first place.


Once you are Mr Olympia, you can break some of the rules. For the rest of us sticking to logical training programs is the best way to go.

So long as a program is based around compound exercises, has a balance between upper/lower and push/pull, and has some form of progressive overload and/or periodization it will work.

Obviously, diet is the huge elephant in the room. Without nailing that you may as well be using a shake weight.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

So long as a program is based around compound exercises, has a balance between upper/lower and push/pull, and has some form of progressive overload and/or periodization it will work.

Obviously, diet is the huge elephant in the room. Without nailing that you may as well be using a shake weight.

no doubt at all this is true, but some programs must be better than others ie, if i do 1 set HIT style per week, is that really as effective as a high volume routine, or if i do one body part per week rather than each body part twice is that as effective etc etc

I have always responded best (and I think most natural lifters are this way) to a program with high training frequency, high training intensity, and less training volume. Granted, I am speaking in terms of strength and power gains and not in terms of packing on weight, but these types of programs have always been more effective for me.

I have done bodypart splits, Westside, 5x5, etc. What has helped me to gain the most strength and put on the most muscle is to do the full chain compound movements 3-4 times per week and use loads that are challenging (85-95% of a 1RM).

I am currently doing Mark Rippetoe's program for awhile to build some strength, then I'll switch to a Bulgarian-inspired training program once I've built a sufficient base of strength and work capacity.

Originally Posted by dteller1

no doubt at all this is true, but some programs must be better than others ie, if i do 1 set HIT style per week, is that really as effective as a high volume routine, or if i do one body part per week rather than each body part twice is that as effective etc etc

The most effective program is the one you're not doing right now.

You can read that in two ways - one, any change in stimulus is going to elicit new gains. Two - the grass is always greener on the other side.

So long as a program ticks a few mandatory boxes (progressive overload, balance, periodization, diet) all it boils down to is consistency, and consistency is largely determined by you yourself rather than your program.

In actual fact, the best program is simply the one you're most likely to stick to. Its no more complicated than that.

If you program hop every month looking for the holy grail you will get absolutely nowhere. Take it from somebody who's got the t-shirt. Pick a program you both like the look of and is well put together, adapt it to suit your current needs/limitations (there are no cookie cutter programs), and run it into the fucking ground.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

The most effective program is the one you're not doing right now.

You can read that in two ways - one, any change in stimulus is going to elicit new gains. Two - the grass is always greener on the other side.

So long as a program ticks a few mandatory boxes (progressive overload, balance, periodization, diet) all it boils down to is consistency, and consistency is largely determined by you yourself rather than your program.

In actual fact, the best program is simply the one you're most likely to stick to.

This is so true for beginners.

A lot of beginners want to find a "program" that gets the "best" results. This, in general, is really unnecessary.

Most novices need simply to put in hard work and to continue loading the bar with more weight. Eating excess cals also helps this of course, but novice lifters need to realize that periodization and programming is important mainly to the most advanced lifters. In general the novice/intermediate trainee just needs to perform the compound lifts often and work hard to improve at them. Everything else is frivolous.

Originally Posted by gtbmed

This is so true for beginners.

A lot of beginners want to find a "program" that gets the "best" results. This, in general, is really unnecessary.

Most novices need simply to put in hard work and to continue loading the bar with more weight. Eating excess cals also helps this of course, but novice lifters need to realize that periodization and programming is important mainly to the most advanced lifters. In general the novice/intermediate trainee just needs to perform the compound lifts often and work hard to improve at them. Everything else is frivolous.

Totally agree.

I've got my girlfriend doing a stripped back version of 5x5 in addition to her running training and she loves it. The program is based on basic linear progression and its still working 2 months into it. No frills, no complications, just compound exercises and continually putting weight on the bar.

She's losing fat, and is twice as strong at the core lifts than she was in December. Win.

It really isn't complicated.

so is something like this ok?

ive used cow pimps design thread, im thinking of doing the following feedback would be appreciated:

day 1
workout A
Squats 3 x 8
Bench 3 x 8
Military press 3 x 8
Calf raises 3 x 8
French press 3 x 8

day 2
rest

day 3
workout B
Deadlift 3 x 8
Pullup 3 x (as many as i can do)
Db bent over row 3 x 8
Hamstring curl 3 x 8
Db hammer 3 x 8

day 4 rest

day 5
Workout A

day 6
rest

day 7
workout B

etc

120 seconds rest between each set

i was either thinking of doing that or an HIT style training, the doggcrapp philosophy appeals, just going all out for one set etc but it does state you need to be quite advanced, ive been lifting for approx 6 months, no all the movements etc but am still obviously a novice in terms of lifting experience

bump

Originally Posted by dteller1

so is something like this ok?

ive used cow pimps design thread, im thinking of doing the following feedback would be appreciated:

day 1
workout A
Squats 3 x 8
Bench 3 x 8
Military press 3 x 8
Calf raises 3 x 8
French press 3 x 8

day 2
rest

day 3
workout B
Deadlift 3 x 8
Pullup 3 x (as many as i can do)
Db bent over row 3 x 8
Hamstring curl 3 x 8
Db hammer 3 x 8

day 4 rest

day 5
Workout A

day 6
rest

day 7
workout B

etc

120 seconds rest between each set

i was either thinking of doing that or an HIT style training, the doggcrapp philosophy appeals, just going all out for one set etc but it does state you need to be quite advanced, ive been lifting for approx 6 months, no all the movements etc but am still obviously a novice in terms of lifting experience

I'd change the squats and deads to 5 x 5. Also, that's a fair bit of volume with squatting and deadlifting twice a week at sub maximal loads. Not that it can't be done, but just make sure to keep an eye on your recovery. That sort of volume will tax your CNS quite a bit. However, I do like the idea of squatting and deadlifting so frequently. Like gtbmed, I also like high frequency training, particularly for squats. It allows you to train technique more often and also get used to lifting heavy regularly to eliminate any potential intimidation factor.

do you think an approach like that is better than saying doing something such as a doggcrapp/hit style program with much lower volume but probably higher intensity

Honestly the program you do doesn't matter that much. As long as you're eating right, doing compound lifts, not over training, and switching up your workout often you're going to make progress. HIT, doggcrapp and cow pimp's sticky are all fine programs and you could use any of them.

K.I.S.S. Keep it Simple. Train and eat right