Some thoughts on a new routine

[Hogg]

I've been toying with ideas for my new program and I figured I would share it with the board for those who might be looking for ideas.

Parameters-

• Increased strength
  
  Good dense mass via myofibril thickening
  
  Emphasis on developing greater overall body strength than on any specific bodypart. The intent of the program is to build upon the foundation.
  
  Diet is the see-food diet, 5k cals per day for as long as I can force myself to eat, maybe one day of lower cals to keep from getting monotonous. Mind you, I eat this much already most of the time but I get sick of food and stop eating every once in a while. the goal is just to keep stuffing the food down and that is harder than it sounds.
  
  Mentally divorce myself from the emotional pressure of bodybuilding and focus on what I love to do - lift weights and enjoy my time in the gym.
  

Exercises are listed by (H) and (L) for heavy and light respectively.

With the exception of perhaps curls, loading for all exercises is designed for the 5 rep range.

Weight is increased by a slight percentage for each given lift every 2 weeks.
The training block is 6 weeks followed by one week of deloading.

Tuesday

• Incline Bench (H) (7-10 sets total which includes warmups)
  
  Seated Military (H) (6-8 sets total includes warmups)
  
  Some kind of non-offensive tricep exercise (doesnt matter) (probably 4-5)

Wednesday

• Squat (H) (8-10 sets including warmups, 4-5 are good, the rest are working up slow to avoid injury )
  
  GM (L) (probably 5-6)
  
  BB Row (H) (6-8, at least 4 are with good weight)
  
  Barbell curl (doesnt matter) (probably 4-5)

Saturday

• Decline dumbbell bench (L) (weight will be lighter so probably 7-8 tops)
  
  Upright row (doesnt matter – medials and traps) (5-6)
  
  Close grip bench (H) (probably 6-7 since I work up slowly, 3-4 for the money)

Sunday

• Deadlift (H) (probably 8 sets with 5 good)
  
  Squat (L) (probably 8 sets)
  
  Pulldown (doesnt matter since its not going to involve erectors) (7 here, 3 working up, 4 for the money)
  
  Some other kind of curl (probably 4-5)

Comments-

• Calves every session, different exercises on 2 days.
  
  Forearms....eh, I’ll try to avoid using straps until I really have to on my back exercises.
  
  Abs.....I wouldnt train them at all but I need to keep them balanced, probably 1x per week heavy rope handle crunches
  
  Posterior deltoids – if you row well, you have good posteriors
  
  Traps – they will get enough from deadlifts, upright rows, and military press.
  
  Change exercises .....well, actually, I cant really see changing exercises much. You cant really replace the squat or deadlift effectively.
  

As you can see, I have not exerted the effort to figure out how to use the list tags to organize this better but I'm sure that the intent of the program is clear enough sans formatting.

[Bob Smith]

Looks pretty good. Nice and basic with the H and L days. Im sure your diet will be fairly clean for 5k calories. The low calorie day would give you a little break from stuffing your face the other 5-6 days. Wednesday looks like a lower back killer with the squat, GMs and rows. Just be sure to watch your recovery with that. And as you finished with (about changing movements), I think changing them is way overrated and often slows progress, or at the least gives a false idea of true progress.

[Hogg]

Originally Posted by Bob Smith

looks like a lower back killer with the squat, GMs and rows. Just be sure to watch your recovery with that.

I'm not sure how to work around it because if I move the rows to tuesday, then ....well, I guess I could the more I think about it.....OR, I could move pulldowns to tuesday but then the downside is, I'm screwed on Sunday since I would have to row on heavy dead day. I'm actually feeling GM's blast my upper hams rather than my erectors so in truth, its not like I'll be dead on wednesday unless my back loads up really bad while squatting. I totally hear you in that it looks like it might be ugly. I've yet to figure an optimum workaround for this issue.

[Hogg]

Also, without all the clutter in this routine, I'm hoping to get strong as hell on this. I'll have 2 more recovery days per week than what I am use to. I learned with the 3 on 1 off that systemically, I'm screwed on my 3rd day no matter what. My bodyweight trend is a slight decrease days 2 and 3 of each period and weight gain on day 4 (the rest day) so it tells me that my recup is about at its limit with the 3 on 1 off. This program is actually less volume than what I do presently so I plan to up intensity a little in light of the added recup time.

[Grizzly]

I agree. I'm more than happy to do the same thing for months on end.

[Bob Smith]

One option would be to substitute DB rows for the BB. The lower back is still involved in support, but at least the opposite arm bears much of the brunt. Tweaking volume/intensity as you go is about the only other option I can think of off hand. Its late, so my brain isnt firing at 100% tonight.

[Bob Smith]

BTW, your mail has arrived.

[Hogg]

Originally Posted by Bob Smith

BTW, your mail has arrived.

Good idea on the DB rows with the arm for support.....that does eliminate the erector issue as I can do them even when in dire need of a chiropractic adjustment.

Also, I'll check mail from work in the morning. Like you, my brain is gone and I am due to resume my next chapter in 'The Intelligent Investor" by Benjamin Graham.

[Bob Smith]

Is that a good book? I havent read that one. Right now Im working on a book by one of the origial members of the super-secret, super badass Delta Force.

[Grizzly]

Sounds like some boring reading, Hogg. I'd be so confused. What I should do is buy stock in Jim Beam. I could watch the value go up each weekend I left the house.