Yet Another Change in Routine

[CowPimp]

I changed my routine around about 6 week ago, and I am ready to do it again already. Initially, I was missing a lot of muscles in training. All the new muscles I hit in my latest training program are growing extra fast. I plan on broadening my workout a little more and tweaking the number of sets and different exercises..

I think I'm going to focus on strength and go for 4-6 repititions per set. However, I think I will go for 8-12 reps 1 out of every 3 weeks or so to give muscle more varied stimuli. Here is my new routine:

Monday - Chest, Shoulders, & Abs:

Dumbell Press x 3
Incline Press x 3
Decline Fly x 2

Military Press x 3
Upright Row x 3
Perpindicular Dumbell Row x 2

Bicycle Crunch x 3
Veritcal Leg Crunch x 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday - Back, Traps, & Abs:

Deadlift x 3
Bent-over Row x 3
Chin-up x 3
Dumbell Row x 3

Shrug x 3

Long Arm Crunch x 3
Reverse Crunch x 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday - Biceps, Triceps, Forearms, & Abs:

Barbell Curl x 2
Preacher Curl x 2
Hammer Curl x 2

Close-grip Benchpress x 3
Skull Crusher x 2
One-arm Dumbell Extension x 2

Wrist Curl x 2
Reverse Wrist Curl x 2

Hover x 3
Heel Push Crunch x 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday - Legs & Abs:

Squats x 3
One-legged Quadricep Extension x 3
Straight-legged Deadlift x 3
Hamstring Curl x 3
One-legged Dumbell Calf Raise x 3
One-legged Reverse Dumbell Calf Raise x 2

Double Crunch x 3
Leg Lift x 3

Much appreacted: Questions, comments, suggestions, etc...

 

[squanto]

stimuli? diction.

 

[CowPimp]

Originally posted by squanto
stimuli? diction.

I should've known that you would bust up in here calling diction on me...

 

[CowPimp]

I reworked the routine just a little bit. After more research I have realized that it is a better idea to keep my workouts to a certain length beceause hormone levels will begin to drop. I have reduced the number of sets on various exercises. Every workout now contains 14 non-ab sets and 6 ab sets. This way, I should be able to keep each session to an hour or less not including warmup and stretching.

I'm considering doing supersets with the ab exercises. My abs seem to respond best from burning them out, but I will probably mix it up and do some standard-style consecutive sets in addition to super sets.

Again, any questions, comments, suggestions, etc. are all appreciated...

Monday - Chest, Shoulders, & Abs:

Dumbell Press x 3
Incline Press x 3
Decline Fly x 2

Military Press x 2
Upright Row x 2
Perpindicular Dumbell Row x 2

Bicycle Crunch x 3
Veritcal Leg Crunch x 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday - Back, Traps, & Abs:

Deadlift x 3
Bent-over Row x 3
Chin-up x 3
Dumbell Row x 3

Shrug x 2

Long Arm Crunch x 3
Reverse Crunch x 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday - Biceps, Triceps, Forearms, & Abs:

Barbell Curl x 2
Preacher Curl x 2
Hammer Curl x 1

Close-grip Benchpress x 2
Skull Crusher x 2
One-arm Dumbell Extension x 1

Wrist Curl x 2
Reverse Wrist Curl x 2

Hover x 3
Heel Push Crunch x 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday - Legs & Abs:

Squats x 3
One-legged Quadricep Extension x 2
Straight-legged Deadlift x 3
Hamstring Curl x 2
One-legged Dumbell Calf Raise x 3
One-legged Reverse Dumbell Calf Raise x 1

Double Crunch x 3
Leg Lift x 3

 

[Yanick]

If you are going for strength, i would go with a lower rep range 1-4, maybe hitting 6 occasionally. Also your workouts look too complicated IMO. I would say decrease the exercises and increase the sets per exercise, take 2-3 min RI's and always think of accelerating the weight as fast as you possible can, no superslow bullshit.

For example my heavy leg day is 5 sets of squats (singles, doubles, triples whatever) and maybe some barbell hack squats or something...then its on to hams and calves. Switch up exercises every so often (i actually do it pretty much every week) and go back and retest your strength levels on the main lifts (bench, DL, squat)

EDIT: i don't really know what some of those ab exercises are but do you work on your lower back stabilizers?

 

[CowPimp]

Originally posted by Yanick
If you are going for strength, i would go with a lower rep range 1-4, maybe hitting 6 occasionally. Also your workouts look too complicated IMO. I would say decrease the exercises and increase the sets per exercise, take 2-3 min RI's and always think of accelerating the weight as fast as you possible can, no superslow bullshit.

For example my heavy leg day is 5 sets of squats (singles, doubles, triples whatever) and maybe some barbell hack squats or something...then its on to hams and calves. Switch up exercises every so often (i actually do it pretty much every week) and go back and retest your strength levels on the main lifts (bench, DL, squat)

EDIT: i don't really know what some of those ab exercises are but do you work on your lower back stabilizers?

I will definitely factor in some very low repitition training. I know that is best for strength, but I usually try to avoid it because I don't have a spotter the majority of the time. However, when I can get my brother to spot me, then I will go for some heavier lifts. As well, I will go heavy on the lifts that don't really require a spotter to ensure my safety.

My workouts may be complicated, but I am basing the routine off of GoPro's workout (In a very basic way). However, it can't hurt to try a "simpler" workout sometimes.

I always do the positive portion of my lift as fast as possible while maintaing good form. However, I do sometimes go a little slower on the negative portion of the lift. Do you also suggest that I go as fast as possible on the negative?

Unfortunately, I don't always have time to wait 3 minutes in between sets. However, I will definitely do so when it is applicable.

I used to do the ab roller, which definitely hits up the lower back, but I stopped because my abs never feel it anymore. The other parts of my body involved in the lift die before my abs. I think reverse crunches and leg lifts almost definitely hit up the lower back though...

The feedback is much appreciated.

 

[myCATpowerlifts]

never do fast negatives....you could hurt urself
and ur missing out on muscle growth
even when doing heavy you can go down real slow on the negative to promote hypertrophy.

itll also be good that way for max lifts, because the last thing you wanna do on say max BP is drop it down...bouncing off ur chest is cheating in my opinion

Oh and your joints will be screwed up

anyway everything else sounded ok

 

[CowPimp]

Originally posted by myCATpowerlifts
never do fast negatives....you could hurt urself
and ur missing out on muscle growth
even when doing heavy you can go down real slow on the negative to promote hypertrophy.

itll also be good that way for max lifts, because the last thing you wanna do on say max BP is drop it down...bouncing off ur chest is cheating in my opinion

Oh and your joints will be screwed up

anyway everything else sounded ok

I know, but is it still good to do it as fast as I possibly can while maintaining safety and good form? I would never just drop the weight. I would also never bounce the weight off my chest while benching.

 

[myCATpowerlifts]

still think of your joints
cmon someone back me up

 

[CowPimp]

Don't worry, I know what too fast of a negative is. I'm asking if the fastest negative that is feasible would be better, or to do something like a 3 second negative as some people use in their training routines: keeping in mind that my goal is strength.

I figure that 2-3 second negative and an explosive (1 second) positive would provide me with nice strength gains while still putting on some mass.

 

[P-funk]

Actually, if you are looking for power then the nagative should be as fast as you can "UNDERCONTROL". You never want to just drop the bar but you want to create enough momentum to warrent and explosive conncentric. I couldn't imagine benching heavy with a really slow negative. I lower the bar quickly but under control (to limit the TUT of the muslces) and then explosivly press as fast as I can.

 

[CowPimp]

Originally posted by P-funk
Actually, if you are looking for power then the nagative should be as fast as you can "UNDERCONTROL". You never want to just drop the bar but you want to create enough momentum to warrent and explosive conncentric. I couldn't imagine benching heavy with a really slow negative. I lower the bar quickly but under control (to limit the TUT of the muslces) and then explosivly press as fast as I can.

As I said, I know what the fastet negative that I can do under control is, don't worry about that. I lower just slow enough so that I am the one controlling the speed of the weight, not gravity. That is definitely the answer I was looking for. Thanks.

 

[myCATpowerlifts]

well i lift heavily with a 2-3 second negatively for sets of 4
Its better safe than sorry...after having a few shoulder/cuff injuries and such, i make sure never to do any movement
that i have "yank" the bar or "drop" the bar everything complete control

 

[CowPimp]

Originally posted by myCATpowerlifts
well i lift heavily with a 2-3 second negatively for sets of 4
Its better safe than sorry...after having a few shoulder/cuff injuries and such, i make sure never to do any movement
that i have "yank" the bar or "drop" the bar everything complete control

I understand this. When I say a fast negative I don't mean a drop. I don't mean a controlled drop. I mean I am in control of the weight the entire duration of the movement. However, there is a maximum speed at which anyone can do it PROPERLY. According to PFunk, that is the best way to maximize strength.

 

[Willdebeast]

Originally posted by Yanick
If you are going for strength, i would go with a lower rep range 1-4, maybe hitting 6 occasionally. Also your workouts look too complicated IMO. I would say decrease the exercises and increase the sets per exercise, take 2-3 min RI's and always think of accelerating the weight as fast as you possible can, no superslow bullshit.

For example my heavy leg day is 5 sets of squats (singles, doubles, triples whatever) and maybe some barbell hack squats or something...then its on to hams and calves. Switch up exercises every so often (i actually do it pretty much every week) and go back and retest your strength levels on the main lifts (bench, DL, squat)

EDIT: i don't really know what some of those ab exercises are but do you work on your lower back stabilizers?

i agree. you need to give more attention to your big lifts. ill do 6 sets of squats and then go on to the smaller movements. i would also try some back extensions.

 

[CowPimp]

Originally posted by Willdebeast
i agree. you need to give more attention to your big lifts. ill do 6 sets of squats and then go on to the smaller movements. i would also try some back extensions.

I do mostly very compound powerlifts...

Chest includes both incline bench and dumbell press.
Shoulders are all big compound lifts
Back day is basically all big compound lifts.
Arm day should maybe have more focus on the big compound lifts.
Legs has both squats and straight legged deadlifts.

So do you suggest that I do more barbell curls and CG benches on arm day?

 

[Willdebeast]

if your going for strength scrap the one arm extension and do some weighted dips. biceps look ok

 

[CowPimp]

Originally posted by Willdebeast
if your going for strength scrap the one arm extension and do some weighted dips. biceps look ok

I definitely would like to do dips. The problem is I workout at home and I only have dumbells, a barbell, a preacher curl pad, and a leg extension attachment at the end of the bench.