I guess I feel like I'm wandering right now since I've been doing this for 9 months, about 7 of those full time.

I'd like to hear some feedback and suggestions on what I should do next or if I should change anything. One warning before you nitpick, I work 12hr days and barely have time to workout like I do now. (which also probably explains my choices of food) My house suffers so that I may bulk. I'll post my info here now.

I'm 6ft, 161lbs and about 9-10% BF.

My routine:

Monday: Chest/triceps/abs
Tues: Back/Lats
Wed: off
Thurs: Delts/calves/traps
Friday: Bicep/triceps
Sat: Legs
Sun: off

Routine is done on a Powertec WB-LS except for lifts done with freeweights.

Monday:
3x10 bench press 260lbs then 250 or 230lbs depending on fatigue
3x10 incline bench press 200lbs
3x10 overhead tricep extension 80lbs
2 sets of weighted crunches or "flexed bows"

Tuesday:
3x10 seated cable rows 200lbs
3x12 bent over one-armed rows, about 75lbs
3x10 lat pulldowns 200lbs

Thurs:
3x10 shoulder press 160lbs
3x12 lateral raises 20lbs
3x12 calf raise/shrug combo 230+ lbs (leverage arm)

Friday:
4x6 EZ-curl bar 100lbs
3x10 tricep pulldowns w/ cable 110lbs

Saturday:
3x10 leg extensions 165lbs
3x10 leg curls 90lbs
3x20 squats 250lbs almost parallel, may increase weight
On other Saturdays I do deadlifts, 3x6 about 225lbs, might up that later.


My nuitrition:

Nitrix and ETS upon waking.

Breakfast:
Cereal with soymilk and flax seed, eggbeaters totalling 3 eggs.
Multivitiman and fish oil caps.

Meal 2:
Sandwich w/ multigrain bread, deli cheese, deli meat totalling 9g protein and a nice heap of baby spinach.
Banana and 1 scoop of Opticen w/ half a spoon of creatine.

Dinner:
(nitrix and fish oil 30mins before)
South Beach Diet frozen dinner (around 30g of protein) 1 or more servings of veggings. 2 Dole fruit cups.

Meal 4: Usually cashews with dried bluberries, a can of Mt. dew and reese's peanutbutter cups. Some beef jerky, 2 credit cards worth.

Meal 5:
(nitrix and fish oil caps 30mins before)
Cup of yogurt, south beach diet protein bar, 1 scoop of Opticen w/ half a spoon of creatine.

Meal 6: Either a bowl of lowfat cottage cheese, or 8oz of chicken.

Finally I get home from work, I down my N.O. xplode with the Animal Pak vitimans.

I start to workout, making sure I also pop my BCAA tabs. I sip on my Nitrean shake during my workout. After workout I eat 2 tbl spoons of Skippy Natty PB. Sit at my computer for a bit, then start on my last Meal which is..

Meal 7: probably 2 servings of oatmeal with a dash of cinnamon and some honey. or cottage cheese depending on Meal 6.

And more ETS right before bed. My stomach is usually pretty stuffed by now.

At first glance, if you want to keep a split routine, you don't have enough volume for a bulk, IMO. I don't know much about splits, but I would probably do more total sets, and also vary set lengths after a few weeks (lower reps, more sets, higher weights) with the same total volume. For example, 5x10 then 8x6 (if you plan to do 3 exercises).

If you're looking for something different, try out a Westside Barbell type routine.

At first glance, if you want to keep a split routine, you don't have enough volume for a bulk, IMO. I don't know much about splits, but I would probably do more total sets, and also vary set lengths after a few weeks (lower reps, more sets, higher weights) with the same total volume. For example, 5x10 then 8x6 (if you plan to do 3 exercises).

If you're looking for something different, try out a Westside Barbell type routine.

I was thinking the same thing about my volume, but I figured less was more and that 5 days a week would offset that a bit.

This sort of volume has worked for awhile but I agree its too low now. I'd love to reduce my routine to 3 days a week but I fear that would reduce my results as well.

Westside BB training is more for strength I thought?

I'll have to do some looking to change my routine up a bit. Thanks for the tip about volume.

I'll try to do 6x8 in each exercise, would that be better?

I did 5 sets of 10 leg ext. and 5 sets of 6-8 leg curls (got too fatiqued to do more) Then did 3 sets of 10 on squats going parallel, struggled to do 12 on last set. (not sure about doing lower reps because of leverage squat arm, its hard to get under the weight and start it up when its really heavy)

I've not done squats this low normally and that many sets on the ext/curls, so I think I'll be feeling sore for awhile. Hope that kind of volume is enough.

I'll come home tonight and do higher volume for chest/triceps. 6 sets of flat, 3 sets of incline, then to cable tricep pulldowns 3 sets, then overhead ext. 3sets. Maybe top it off with super slow pushups?

I don't know what kind of equipment that you have access to, but I would design a program around compound movements first, and accessory exercises after. I don't like split routines unless you've put on some noticeable size and strength. You seem like an intermediate, so if you've been stagnating with a split, you might enjoy a 3-day fullbody routine as well.

But if you plan to keep your split, make sure you do the compounds first and with extra emphasis. For example, on legs day, do squats and deadlifting first, followed by a unilateral exercise (like stepups or lunges), then if you have some juice, calves and maybe some curls or extensions. Same for a chest/tris day- Flat bench, dips, incline, then flys, skullcrushers, etc.

I don't know what kind of equipment that you have access to, but I would design a program around compound movements first, and accessory exercises after. I don't like split routines unless you've put on some noticeable size and strength. You seem like an intermediate, so if you've been stagnating with a split, you might enjoy a 3-day fullbody routine as well.

But if you plan to keep your split, make sure you do the compounds first and with extra emphasis. For example, on legs day, do squats and deadlifting first, followed by a unilateral exercise (like stepups or lunges), then if you have some juice, calves and maybe some curls or extensions. Same for a chest/tris day- Flat bench, dips, incline, then flys, skullcrushers, etc.


Well I have the Powertec WB-LS that I use for most of my lifts, except for biceps, deadlifts and minor stuff. I need to get me some 52.5lb dial up dumbbells because all I have is the olympic style dumbbells and that would be too much plate swapping and that I may not have small enough increments in certain weights.

That's another reason why I opted for the split routine. Because if I did fullbody I'd be spending a large amount of my time setting up and the size of my room makes moving weights a bit tedious, I think I have a way around this, I'm certainly willing to give full body a shot!

This is important to me enough that I will make some major adjustments towards my routine and I'm seriously entertaining the thought of a full body workout 3 times a week instead of split 5 times a week.

Give me an example of what a routine would look like and I will replicate it as closely as possible with what equipment I have, and then order the stuff that I don't. I don't mind spending money on my self to improve my life. :)

It looks to me like you are 'beyond' 3 sets of 10. I'd even start going heavier, say some days/weeks of 6x4.

Whatever you choose, I would definitely consider some sort of periodized training. You might also look into 'Dual factor theory'. Basically ramp up volume and/or intensity to a state of 'over-reaching', then back off for some period of time.

The increased volume doesn't have to mean more days in the gym, or even longer sessions. Perhaps just cutting the isolation stuff and doing more sets with heavier weights on compounds. When you are in the 'over-reaching' phase you should feel like you cannot maintain that level for more than a few weeks.

Anyway, just a suggestion to consider. Westside would be another option as would another system of training 2 strength qualities at a time (e.g. strength and strength endurance - like say Westside-like max effort + EDT)

A link and article:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kelly16.htm


All of these suggestion would work with a full-body type routine, or upper/lower split, push/pull/legs split etc..

It looks to me like you are 'beyond' 3 sets of 10. I'd even start going heavier, say some days/weeks of 6x4.

Whatever you choose, I would definitely consider some sort of periodized training. You might also look into 'Dual factor theory'. Basically ramp up volume and/or intensity to a state of 'over-reaching', then back off for some period of time.

The increased volume doesn't have to mean more days in the gym, or even longer sessions. Perhaps just cutting the isolation stuff and doing more sets with heavier weights on compounds. When you are in the 'over-reaching' phase you should feel like you cannot maintain that level for more than a few weeks.

Anyway, just a suggestion to consider. Westside would be another option as would another system of training 2 strength qualities at a time (e.g. strength and strength endurance - like say Westside-like max effort + EDT)

A link and article:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kelly16.htm


All of these suggestion would work with a full-body type routine, or upper/lower split, push/pull/legs split etc..

The Dual factor theory sounds interesting and I understand what it is supposed to do. Westside doesn't interest me because I'm not after functional strength as much, I already got plenty for what I do. Those boys are all about the big lifts, am I right?

I could stick to the big compounds (throw in some supplementeries for good coverage) and try to overreach for a 2-3 weeks then drop some volume for the last, simple enough! Just hope I don't pull something. ;)

Thanks a ton for the suggestions, you too tennisball! I will look at the .doc later since I'm still at work. :whistle:

One last question though, how many workouts per week on dual factor method? Would it be full body? Like squat, deads, bench 3 times a week? Ok that was 3 questions, oops!

Ok I'm getting back to where I can start lifting on a new routine after a few days off. I'm interested in doing the overreaching method but I don't know what a week of workouts would look like. I assume this is a fullbody type of workout. I've never done this kind of routine so any help would be uber!

For those of you that have done the dual factor method, how about an example of what a week of compound lifts could be like on a M-W-F schedule? If you think that there's other lifts to throw in on the respective days then please do so. I don't want to put together anything before I know what I'm doing. :read:

Bump.

There's a program given in the link you were provided: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kelly16.htm

Give it a try. There's really no magical program, just be consistent. The one provided will be sufficient. Try it out, be progressive and record your results for future reference.
simple.

"Everything works, just not forever"

There's a program given in the link you were provided: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/kelly16.htm

Give it a try. There's really no magical program, just be consistent. The one provided will be sufficient. Try it out, be progressive and record your results for future reference.
simple.

"Everything works, just not forever"

Alright, I'll give it a try. Nifty that they include printable logs, I'll need those as well. I have a pull-up bar that's been sitting around, going to ask my landlord where I can install it. :)

All those squats, my legs are gonna scream in pain... :p