Hey everyone. I havent been around for a while, but i used to be on all the time. Right now im in my first semester at college and took up lifting again like 4 months ago to kind of keep me sane. I'm happy with progress I've made, but I havent really been on a 'plan'.
Anyone have one thats good for basically 5-6 days a week about an hour total each workout?
Thanks
Doug
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Alpha Volunteer Fire Company
State College, PA
'Protecting State'
ok...looking back now i realize that its hard to help w/o knowing what im doing now.
right now i lift tuesday through sunday (have a 4 hour lab on mondays)...
tues
4 sets of DB bench
3 sets of Flies
3 sets of Overhead Extension
3 sets of Kickbacks
3 sets each of shoulders (lat raises, sides, bent sides)
and if any random machines are open i do a set or two...
wednesday
4 sets of lat pulls
3 sets of seated rows
3 sets of one arm rows
3 sets of preacher curls
3 sets of alternating curls
3 sets of shrugs
Thursday
4 sets of Leg press/Squats
3 sets of Leg Ext
3 sets of Leg curls
4 sets of Calf Raises
Just kidding. This looksl ike the typical college kid plan. I was young once too. And dumb. The height of my dumbness included lifting 6x/week and training for a half mararthon. that said,
I have been lifting for about 6 years. I started as a sophomore in college when I started cheerleading. To think back and recall that I couldnt bench 135 then. Now, after 6 years of lifting (both with and without a plan) I can bench about 265, and squat/dead lift much more.
My suggestions:
I need to know your goals...get bigger and gain mass? get stronger? get ripped/lean? Pretty much a 6 day/week training plan will be dictated by what you want to accomplish. Lifting wise you shouldnt need more than 3-4 days/week. Either 3 day total body or upper lower split or push/pull split. Depending on your goal the other 2-3 days can be Interval cardio, steady state cardio, cross training, light recovery lifting or just rest (the important part we all forget about). Before giving you specifics, let us know what you want to do.
Other suggestions. I have read and done New Rules of Lifting. THisi s a great book for someone without a plan. Also, Coach Dos has a book called Power Training and it is a perfect summary of how I have been training when I dont have a plan (the philosophy). My current plan is Eric Cressey's Maximum Strength. I am excited about this. It is a great book. I dont know if it is good for the beginner or for someone who hasnt been lifting for a while as it focuses on lifting heavy reps in some harder degree of difficulty exercises.
As for some immediate suggestions:
eliminate the accessory work you are doing (kick backs etc.) and focus on big compound lifts. Or supplement the big lifts with the small isolation moves.
More variation. Dont just repeat teh same workout 2x in a week. Try single arm/leg moves. For instance, pistol squats, 1 arm DB bench, 1 arm pull downs. Try dips, chin ups, dead lifts (!!!), RDLs, etc.
there is a little background for my goals. Right now i am about 150-160 pounds depending on the scale. i can bench 165 for a few reps, leg press about 325, lat pull 115..
Aside from having some time, i decided to start lifting because someday it could potentially save my life. i am a volunteer firefighter back home and here at school. i know that at 150 pounds, i could get in a situation where i am just not strong enough to pull myself out.
Therefore, my main goal is to get stronger. Though i would also like to get bigger and 'ripped'.
I definitely would tend to go towards the upper/lower split, just because of the layout in our gym, and the fact that i tend to lift less when i do both on the same day. I do plan on getting some type of cardio back in because as a FF endurance and cardio are very important.
I've tried a few different things in the past. did scrawny to brawny a few years ago. Worked decent, but i wasn't able to follow the diet, which caused problems, and will continue to since im at school.
I'm not really a 'beginner' though. I did use to lift all the time, i just took a big chunk of time off because i got mad when i was makig no progress at all.
Thanks again
Doug
__________________
Alpha Volunteer Fire Company
State College, PA
'Protecting State'
ok...looking back now i realize that its hard to help w/o knowing what im doing now.
right now i lift tuesday through sunday (have a 4 hour lab on mondays)...
tues
4 sets of DB bench
3 sets of Flies
3 sets of Overhead Extension
3 sets of Kickbacks
3 sets each of shoulders (lat raises, sides, bent sides)
and if any random machines are open i do a set or two...
wednesday
4 sets of lat pulls
3 sets of seated rows
3 sets of one arm rows
3 sets of preacher curls
3 sets of alternating curls
3 sets of shrugs
Thursday
4 sets of Leg press/Squats
3 sets of Leg Ext
3 sets of Leg curls
4 sets of Calf Raises
Any comments, tips or other exercises i should try?
Thanks
Doug
Here's what I see:
1) Too much isolation work
a) If you have to isolate your arms, skull crushers, db extensions, and barbell curls are good choices. Kickbacks and preacher curls, in my opinion, are worthless.
2) Your shoulders are getting hit with a total of 23 sets in 2 days. Even though you're doing push/pull on different days, your shoulders are still getting heavily worked on back-to-back days.
3) Leg extensions and leg curls can be replaced with more effective and efficient exercises.
a) Some exercise replacements for your hamstrings could be: Stiff-Legged Deadlifts, hack squats, or sumo deadlifts
b) I'd go with the squats, or deadlift variations, over leg press
Lost dog...i actually just ordered that...I plan on reading it and starting the first of the year...right now i'm just trying to get my form back on everything more or less....
Doug
__________________
Alpha Volunteer Fire Company
State College, PA
'Protecting State'
hahahaa...sounds familiar...couldnt tell ya where it even is anymore tho..one of those 'hey this is a good idea' things that i lost interest in after a while when i realized it was stupid..haha
__________________
Alpha Volunteer Fire Company
State College, PA
'Protecting State'
I wouldn't be able to have high intensity workouts if I did that much.
In my opinion, cut it down to an upper body/ lower body split, compound movements only, with a low intensity sweat and flexibility recovery on the day between
I think this will ensure your body increases in the most natural and balanced way, which will save you time in the long run, and increase coordination and neuromuscular efficiency (if you lift heavy enough) and most importantly, give your nervous system rest so you can have high intensity workouts, not just high load workouts.
the only other thing i was wondering. I have been doing DB Bench...i was making good progress, but once i go for 60 lbers to the 65's, i can lift them, as long as i can start them. Sometimes i just can't get them to move at all. And it's been a while now that this happens...one day i can, one i can't..very annoying. Any ideas on how to solve this?
__________________
Alpha Volunteer Fire Company
State College, PA
'Protecting State'
I see where you are coming from now, and you share similar goals to myself. I would like to be strong, as strong as I can be with the added benefits of being bigger and ripped. I dont have a weight goal or anything like that, but I want to know that I am healthy and able to perform in the activities I need to. For you this is Firefighting. For me, it is standing up in an operating room for hours on and/or having the strength to reduce fractures. I would recommend to you Maximum Strength at some point (like I said in a previous post).
I agree with what has been posted previously. For your goals, an upper lower split is probably ideal with the other days focused on soft tissue/mobility work and cardio (probably interval training if you would like to be ripped, and it would have carry over to firefighting, where you need to have the capacity to repeated bouts of high intensity work). Focus on the big lifts (Deadlifts, Suitcase deadlifts, Straight legged DL, RDL, Back extension, Squat, Front Squat, Lunges, Split Squats, Bench, Military press, chins, pull ups, rows etc.). Probably most important will be your set/rep scheme. Obviously you will focus on lower reps. Anything from 5x5 as a good introduction to 4x6, 10x3 etc. I would recommend Art of Waterbury as a good introduction as well. Good this article.
I hope you start to make your progress. You are young enough to probably get away with not having peak nutrition, but one thing people are never young enough to get away with is not eating enough calories. A good protein supplement or mass gainer cannot be over emphasized. Be sure to get a good amount of carbs/protein 1-2 hours before your workout and definately within 45 minutes after it.
hahahaa...sounds familiar...couldnt tell ya where it even is anymore tho..one of those 'hey this is a good idea' things that i lost interest in after a while when i realized it was stupid..haha
I thought it was pretty wicked! It had lots of weird color and fonts I think if I remember it right. You should mabey start it again!!!
Thanks Dave. I'll look into them. Your ideas sound like they should work. This spring I can start lifting at the firehouse...really nice gym...almost no one uses it, so i have basically each piece of equipment to myself....So that is when i plan on starting a new plan. Right now i guess its between the two you just gave me and built for show, which i just ordered and will read over semester break
Charlie...i honestly have no idea what the www is for that anymore...i think that was on my computer that crashed...
Doug
__________________
Alpha Volunteer Fire Company
State College, PA
'Protecting State'
Oh, and quit doing everything you have been doing and get on Nate's program.
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Working "hard," or the perception of working hard, doesn't really mean anything. Sweating, vomiting, and breathing hard could be a good workout or a tropical disease kicking in.-Dan John
Doug: Do Nate's program. I'm starting up Maximum Strength over break/next semester. We'll compare the program and results and maybe swap programs over the summer.
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"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
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