YAWT - What's a good routine for lifting?

[TheNinja]

Routine A:
Ok, so I have usually just done in the past like 3-4 times lifting per week probably lifting an hour or so. on a 3 day cycle with maybe 2 days off in between
day1: chest/tri
day2: back/bi
day3: legs/shoulders
This routine allows each group to get hit about 1x every 6 days or so for a decent duration.

Routine B:
I'm thinking about doing 30-40 minutes routines with less reps and going 5x a week using the same split as above. This way I'd hit each muscle group more often during a week but would give up the number of reps per session.

Routine C:
And finally, I'm thinking about doing 30-40 minutes 5x a week but doing
day1: chest
day2: back
day3: shoulders
day4: legs
day5: arms
This routine would focus harder on each group but would only allow each muscle group to be hit 1x a week.


So which Routine should I go with?
My goals are to bulk up now for 2-3 months, then cut some before summer.

Thanks

 

[shortspanishguy]

What does your diet look like?

 

[purbeast0]

Routine A definitely. You have a good plan in there as A. When you say you do chest/tri and back/bi, you are doing it correct in that you are doing your chest first, which uses triceps secondary, and then you finish the workout by working triceps in the 2nd half of your workout. Same goes for back/bicep day.

With B, you say "arms" on one day. Many people think "arms" is good to do in one day. It's not. Your arms are complex. Your arms include shoulders, biceps, and triceps. However you also use those muscles when doing other groups - chest and back.

Resting is just as important as working out too. Having 3-4 days off a week instead of just 2 will benefit you much more.

You knowing a plan such as plan A also shows that you have some knowledge in working out. If you think you are in a rut or just stuck, change up some of the exercises you do for particular muscles.

Definitely do A, but also throw in abs on whichever of those 3 workout days is the shortest.

 

[Rogodin2]

Routine-Starting 4 set x 6 rep routine 80% perrepmax



Monday-Shoulders/Triceps
1.Kickbacks
2.Skull Crushers
3.Tricep Extensions
4.Close Grip Bench Press
5.Seated barbell military press
6.Seated dumbbell shoulder press
7.Lateral dumbbell raises
8.Front dumbbell raises



Tuesday-Quads/Hams/Calves
1.Back squats
2.Front squats
3.Bulgarian split squats
4.Dead lifts
5.Romanian dead lifts
6.Good mornings
7.Standing calve raise



Thursday-Back/Rear Delts
1.Cable rows
2.Chest-supported rows
3.T-bar rows
4.Bent over lateral raise
5.Face pulls
6.Lateral raise on incline bench



Friday-Chest/Biceps
1.Push press
2.Military press
3.Bench press
4.Incline press
5.Barbell curls
6.Isolation curls
7.21s


With the overlay exercises just do one.

I'm on a 40-40-20 diet. You may want to go 30-50-20 if you're going to life heavy.

Rogo

 

[Koing]

What have you been doing for the past 3-6months? What were your reps and sets scheme?

Do something different that you have not been doing.

Most people do the same thing over and over again without changing their reps and sets scheme. This plays a VERY IMPORTANT part in ones training. Please change it every 4-6-8-10-12 week cycles depending on what your doing!

Koing

 

[jersiq]

Originally posted by: Koing
What have you been doing for the past 3-6months? What were your reps and sets scheme?

Do something different that you have not been doing.

Most people do the same thing over and over again without changing their reps and sets scheme. This plays a VERY IMPORTANT part in ones training. Please change it every 4-6-8-10-12 week cycles depending on what your doing!

Koing

I couldn't agree more. I made great gains using a particular program, then "rutted" out of lifting for two years. Sometimes change up your schedule completely for a few weeks. For example, take 4 weeks and do a total-body workout split. Or change your rep scheme, there are literally tons of different ways you can do reps: hi-lo, 3% 1rm, forced reps, etc...

Another way is to change the order of exercises, and the order of body parts. You can do chest/tri's next time to tri's/chest.

I have to disagree with purbeast0 stance that you "have" to lift a particular way. We each develop differently, that's the great thing about lifting weights, you learn a lot about your self.

Sorry 'bout that philisophical part at the end.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: jersiq

Originally posted by: Koing
What have you been doing for the past 3-6months? What were your reps and sets scheme?

Do something different that you have not been doing.

Most people do the same thing over and over again without changing their reps and sets scheme. This plays a VERY IMPORTANT part in ones training. Please change it every 4-6-8-10-12 week cycles depending on what your doing!

Koing

I couldn't agree more. I made great gains using a particular program, then "rutted" out of lifting for two years. Sometimes change up your schedule completely for a few weeks. For example, take 4 weeks and do a total-body workout split. Or change your rep scheme, there are literally tons of different ways you can do reps: hi-lo, 3% 1rm, forced reps, etc...

Another way is to change the order of exercises, and the order of body parts. You can do chest/tri's next time to tri's/chest.

I have to disagree with purbeast0 stance that you "have" to lift a particular way. We each develop differently, that's the great thing about lifting weights, you learn a lot about your self.

Sorry 'bout that philisophical part at the end.

Indeed. These are guidelines and it is up to you to see how your body responds to it.

Some guidelines work better for 'more' people then other training schemes. But if your not in a rush try them all out or cycle them so you do each of them in turn for 6 weeks at a time. No use pushing the same thing for 3months on end unless your doing it for a very specific goal, or your a beginner.

Koing

 

[thegimp03]

I took on a routine that looked something like your routine C about 3 years ago and stopped after a year and a half of doing it, took on a heavy cardio routine and burned about 35 lbs off because I was starting work and didn't have time to work out every single day.

Recently, I've taken on something similar to your A because I figured out the skinnier look wasn't for me with medium/large bone structure and I want to strengthen and tone. It allows you to work out less often and hit more muscle groups. So far, it's been working well for me with my schedule. Day 1 - weightlifting, Day 2 - 20-30 minutes cardio, day 3 - weightlifting, day 4 - 20-30 minutes cardio, day 5 - weightlifting, day 6/7 - pick one for rest and the other for cardio.

Then again, you could just hit the weightlifting routine 6 days a week, 1 day of rest. Bulk up, and then take on a HIIT/cardio routine to cut. Muscle loss will be imminent with heavy amounts of cardio so it's why I recommended HIIT (google it, there are good articles on it). In short, it stands for high intensity interval training and it forces you to run harder and faster for shorter periods of time. The general consensus is that jogging for 30 minutes will lead to muscle burn and you won't want to do that (obviously, there are not that many buff cross country runners).

I'd take routine B out of the equation...I think that would overwork your muscles, and typically, with a good workout, a muscle group needs more time to recover. Routine B might also lead to exhaustion and you'll give up faster.

Good luck. Check out the bodybuilding forums too. Tons of stuff like this...

 

[TheNinja]

Thanks for all the great input guys. I've been lifting on and off for about 5 years, but was just looking for good new ideas and suggestions on what to do. Maybe I'll sort of rotate the routines or at least vary the exercises every 8 weeks or so. :thumbsup:

 

[Rogodin2]

Just don't get stuck and bored on a routine, as you said, switch it out.

Goodluck m8!

Rogo

 

[Nutdotnet]

Originally posted by: Rogodin2
Routine-Starting 4 set x 6 rep routine 80% perrepmax



Monday-Shoulders/Triceps
1.Kickbacks
2.Skull Crushers
3.Tricep Extensions
4.Close Grip Bench Press
5.Seated barbell military press
6.Seated dumbbell shoulder press
7.Lateral dumbbell raises
8.Front dumbbell raises



Tuesday-Quads/Hams/Calves
1.Back squats
2.Front squats
3.Bulgarian split squats
4.Dead lifts
5.Romanian dead lifts
6.Good mornings
7.Standing calve raise



Thursday-Back/Rear Delts
1.Cable rows
2.Chest-supported rows
3.T-bar rows
4.Bent over lateral raise
5.Face pulls
6.Lateral raise on incline bench



Friday-Chest/Biceps
1.Push press
2.Military press
3.Bench press
4.Incline press
5.Barbell curls
6.Isolation curls
7.21s


With the overlay exercises just do one.

I'm on a 40-40-20 diet. You may want to go 30-50-20 if you're going to life heavy.

Rogo

I'm not trying to be overly critical here but since this is an open forum I feel comfortable with offering advice and suggestions.

Your routine, in my opinion, is working your shoulders way too much. You have your own shoulder day on Monday and then you target the deltoids again on Friday with the Military press. Not to mention that all bench-press exercises work the shoulders.

Finally, I'll probably get debated on this but Deadlifts should really be done on the "back" day. Doing deads on the same day you do squats is cheating yourself of be able to do the best you can on both exercises...which are really the two most important exercises someone can do.