Training Routine

[dragon007th]

Can you please advise of what is better for a person like me to do. I am thinking to either start the typical 5x5 as posted on top of the page or the dfht routine (over 4 days) as posted by animalmass. A few details:

I am 176cm, 69 kg (used to be 50kg). I trained over the last few months 5 times a week doing.

Monday chest/biceps. Tuesday back/triceps, Wednesday legs/shoulders, then started again. Break only Sunday (which is think was not enough). Each muscle group around 4 sets, 12-6 reps by increasing the weight.

The gains have now stopped. I therefore need to change the program. What would you suggest please? DFHT or 5x5?. My goal is to increase my body weight, mass. No powerlifiting goals but bodybuidling if you want.

Thanks a lot!!

[Neodavid]

Everyone has what works for them, so I'll just tell you what worked for me.

Decrease the max reps to 8 (if you want size).

Warm up, and get to the max weight with as few sets and reps as you can to prevent injury, and then do 3 sets of the max weight (no more than 8 reps, down to 6 is good).

Then take off maybe 20lbs and do 3 more sets, same number of reps.

For kicks, change up your routine, do back/chest arms/shoulders Legs (opposing muscles on the same day).

Take two days rest, as this will be more strenuous on your body.

Keep good form, injury usually happens when you change things and aren't careful. Don't pile on the weight til maybe the 2nd week so your body is used to the new routine.

After a few months when your gains stop, change to the 5X5.

then go back to your original program to give your body a rest for a month or two, then start all over again.

Just my personal opinion, do what feels right to you.

Originally Posted by dragon007th

Can you please advise of what is better for a person like me to do. I am thinking to either start the typical 5x5 as posted on top of the page or the dfht routine (over 4 days) as posted by animalmass. A few details:

I am 176cm, 69 kg (used to be 50kg). I trained over the last few months 5 times a week doing.

Monday chest/biceps. Tuesday back/triceps, Wednesday legs/shoulders, then started again. Break only Sunday (which is think was not enough). Each muscle group around 4 sets, 12-6 reps by increasing the weight.

The gains have now stopped. I therefore need to change the program. What would you suggest please? DFHT or 5x5?. My goal is to increase my body weight, mass. No powerlifiting goals but bodybuidling if you want.

Thanks a lot!!

[kenneth]

My Opinion--go with the 5x5, and eat ALOT
Fact--you won't be sorry.

[Neodavid]

I couldn't get away with it, maybe my age. I get injured if I jump to such a different routine so fast. 5X5 from where he's been could be rough, what do you say he doesn't go full bore for the first few weeks?

Might just be my age, I'm 46. I used to get away with murder, so maybe for a younger guy he'd be okay.

Originally Posted by kenneth

My Opinion--go with the 5x5, and eat ALOT
Fact--you won't be sorry.

[kenneth]

Originally Posted by Neodavid

I couldn't get away with it, maybe my age. I get injured if I jump to such a different routine so fast. 5X5 from where he's been could be rough, what do you say he doesn't go full bore for the first few weeks?

Might just be my age, I'm 46. I used to get away with murder, so maybe for a younger guy he'd be okay.

sorry, i didn't mean for that to look like I was insulting your advice, I definately wasn't. I was just saying that from what I've seen, if he does it right then he's pretty much guaranteed satisfaction with the 5x5. Also, as far as I know, you're not supposed to go all out the first few weeks with the 5x5 anyway,.. he can definately start out light especially for the fact of getting used to squatting 3 times per week, i think he'd pretty much kill himself if he went all out the first few week

[Neodavid]

Oh, thanks man, I didn't think you were insulting at all... I just had a bad experience because I didn't understand the idea of going at a new routine a little lighter than max. Too much test maybe, but I get so gung ho my common sense goes out the window and I get injured.

I tried the 5x5 for a while, and grew for a while. I think I overtrained, cheated instead of using good form just so I could use more weight. You know, stupidity.

Originally Posted by kenneth

sorry, i didn't mean for that to look like I was insulting your advice, I definately wasn't. I was just saying that from what I've seen, if he does it right then he's pretty much guaranteed satisfaction with the 5x5. Also, as far as I know, you're not supposed to go all out the first few weeks with the 5x5 anyway,.. he can definately start out light especially for the fact of getting used to squatting 3 times per week, i think he'd pretty much kill himself if he went all out the first few week

[kenneth]

Originally Posted by Neodavid

Oh, thanks man, I didn't think you were insulting at all... I just had a bad experience because I didn't understand the idea of going at a new routine a little lighter than max. Too much test maybe, but I get so gung ho my common sense goes out the window and I get injured.

I tried the 5x5 for a while, and grew for a while. I think I overtrained, cheated instead of using good form just so I could use more weight. You know, stupidity.

haha, I have had that problem too, but definately with the squats I had no choice but to start off light, being someone who only squatted once a week before that and even had my unfortunate eras of NOT squatting at all.

[dragon007th]

Appreciate your comments and thoughts guys!

5x5 does sound very tough and I worry for squat 3 times but alos standing military press... However, as tough as it sounds it is just strange that such a program is so much accepted by all and not just weightlifters.

In all magazines etc you always see heavy arm routines, back, etc isloting various muscle groups but nobody talks about a 5x5 routine. So I wonder or worried to have good gains everywhere/full body and not just increase the strength of my body for a weightlifting goal. My goal is bodybudilding.

[kenneth]

Originally Posted by dragon007th

Appreciate your comments and thoughts guys!

5x5 does sound very tough and I worry for squat 3 times but alos standing military press... However, as tough as it sounds it is just strange that such a program is so much accepted by all and not just weightlifters.

In all magazines etc you always see heavy arm routines, back, etc isloting various muscle groups but nobody talks about a 5x5 routine. So I wonder or worried to have good gains everywhere/full body and not just increase the strength of my body for a weightlifting goal. My goal is bodybudilding.

it's unfortunate, but most magazines are filled with nothing but horse-shit. Be happy about it, while everyone else is doing what the flex magazine tells them to do, you'll be doing what actually works.. it's your opportunity to catch up quick and get well ahead of everyone else

[Neodavid]

Your right about that, a friend even had a cover story about him on a powerlifting mag, and the routine he put in was absolute bullshit. He asked a guy that helps him train and such if he read the article, and if he laughed when he saw the routine. You can look him up on the web, he's got a site now. I think it's andyfiedler.com, but any search engine will get you there.

The routine has you gain like 50lbs on your bench in a month or something...

Originally Posted by kenneth

it's unfortunate, but most magazines are filled with nothing but horse-shit. Be happy about it, while everyone else is doing what the flex magazine tells them to do, you'll be doing what actually works.. it's your opportunity to catch up quick and get well ahead of everyone else