Workout Schedule Redesign

[Cyber]

Hello,
Now as the topic says I need a workout schedule redesigned. Current stats:

Height: 6'
Weight: 188 lbs
Bodyfat: 12-14%

Goal : Bulk - Size and Shape.

weak points: Chest, traps

[King]

What does your current workout look like? How much time per day/week do you have to workout?

[dangerous dan]

Bump......

[Cyber]

current workout is 6 days a week.

Monday: Chest
Bench Press
Inclined Press
Cable Flys
Cross Over

Tuesday: back
Front Pulldown
Narrow Grip front pulldown
T-bar
upright rowing ( bareball )

Wednesday: Shoulders
Shoulder Press
Front Raise
Side laterals

Thursday: Biceps + forearms
dumbbell curls
Hammer
Preacher
cable

Friday: Triceps + minor chest
Skull Crusher
Pulldown
Reverse pulldown
Dips

Saturday: Thigh + calf.
Lever Leg press
Sled hack Squat
Reverse leg press

I normally have 1 hour workout.

[King]

What type of sets and reps per exercise? How much rest time between sets? And what is your intensity level?

[Cyber]

3 sets each. 12 10 8 reps per set. ( increasing the weights)

I cant really see the rest timing. Its normally 1 min to 2 min atmost.

what exactly do you mean by intensity level ?

[King]

I mean, do you finish the set easy to moderately easy, or are you going to absolute failure on each set?

[Cyber]

till failure.

[King]

Ok, and last, how many calories do you bring in daily, how much do you sleep in a 24hr period, and are you cycling at the moment?

[Cyber]

3000+ cal is the target and normally reach over that.

My diet example would the gains from the previous cycle. 500mg test + 75mg Oxymeth. gains 31 lbs. And stayed till now 24.5 lbs.

Sleep is a bit odd. I work late night so I sleep when everyone gets up. But I still score 7 to 8 hours sleep.

No cycles at the moment. But 1 is planned in Nov.

[King]

Ok, based on the calories you take in, the sleep you get, and the fact that you are not cycling, I think you may be overtraining.
As you already know, a major part of the gains are recovery. With minimal sleep, moderate calories, and no aas, I don't think you body is able to completely recover from intense workouts 6 days a week.

[Cyber]

Originally Posted by King

Ok, based on the calories you take in, the sleep you get, and the fact that you are not cycling, I think you may be overtraining.
As you already know, a major part of the gains are recovery. With minimal sleep, moderate calories, and no aas, I don't think you body is able to completely recover from intense workouts 6 days a week.

With that workout I'm using cell-tech and Jack3D. You are right about overtraining thing. So what do you suggest ?

[King]

I would say that if you like going 6 days a week, you should change the split, so that you are doing less sets per exercise, or do the same sets per exercise but reduce the number of exercises per muscle group.

Personally, without AAS and working on 7 hours sleep a night, I would suggest a 3-5 day split, depending on the split design.
Also, if you don't really care for power, and your main goal is size and shape, its all about muscular hypertrophy.
You also have to keep in mind that the number of times your work a certain muscle in a week, or how many total times you workout in a week, will vary depending on what types of movements you are doing. For example. If you do alot of higher rep isolation movements, you can work out 5-6 days a week, and work each muscle twice a week (still depending on total volume per workout). BUT, if you do alot of heavy mass movements, like squat, bench, or deadlift, these are movements that really tax your CNS, which needs much more time to recover. So if you are taxing the hell out of your CNS each workout, you want to stick to maybe a 3 or 4 day split.

[Cyber]

I can drop it to 5 days a week.

[King]

I would suggest trying something that I know you probably don't want to try. lol
I used to work out 6-7 days a week, and I would just do set after set, rep after rep. I was doing too much. But I was so used to that type of workload, that every time I tried doing less, I would feel like it wasn't enough, and doing more again.
Eventually, I stuck with doing less. And I saw great gains. My whole goal was maximum muscular stimulation in the least amount of work. That way I knew I stimulated the muscle, and tore it down, but it gave me alot of time to rest, and my body didn't have to rebuild as much, and didn't have as much CNS exhaustion.

When my whole goal was size (without worrying about strength or power) I did this workout, and saw fantastic results.

Day one: Chest
-Wide Grip Bench Press: Warm up x 15 reps, then 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 reps
-30 degree Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 10, 8 , 6 reps
-Weighted Dips: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 reps
-Cable Crossovers: 2-3 sets of 12-25 reps
****All movements are performed with a slow and controlled negative movement, and a moderate to fast (but controlled) positive movement. Do not lock out on pressing movements to keep pressure on muscle, and not joints****

Day Two: Back
-Deadlift: Warm up x 10 reps, 4 sets of 5, 5, 3, 2 reps
-Overhand Hammerstrength Rows: 4 sets of 12, 10, 8, 6 reps
-Tbar Rows (palm to palm): 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 reps
-Dumbbell Pullovers: 3 sets of 25 reps
****Slow controlled movements on the negatives and positives. On rowing movements, do not bring elbows further back than your hips****

Day Three: Legs
-Squat (Shoulder width, ass to grass): Warm up set x 15 reps, 5 sets of 25, 20, 15, 12, 8 reps
-Hip thrusts: 5 sets of 25, 20, 15, 12, 8 reps
-Leg Extensions: 3 sets of 50, 40, 30 reps
-Outside Hip Abductors: 2 sets of 25 reps
-Inner Hip Abductors: 2 sets of 25 reps
-Calf Raises: 4 sets of 50 reps
****Legs require much higher volume to respond. Nothing will add size better than well performed, deep squats. Super High Rep isolation movements will really chissel, define, and seperate muscles****

Day Four: Shoulders
*Warm up shoulders with light, controlled, front and rear rotations
-Dumbbell Side Laterals: 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 reps
-Cable Rear Rotators SUPERSET with Cable Side Laterals: 3 sets or 15, 12, 10 reps back to back, one arm at a time
-Front Plate Raises: 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 reps
****Pressing movements for chest at the beginning of the week worked front delts secondarily, and pulling movements from back worked rear delts secondarily. This is why you did two movements for side delts but one one movement for front and rear delts. Avoild Shoulder Press, it is hard on rotator cuffs and does not add much size to shoulders, only pressing strength****

Day Five: Arms
-Overhead Extensions: 3 sets of 20, 15, 10 reps
-Incline Curls: 2 sets of 15 reps
-Skull Crushers: 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 reps
-Barbell Curls: 2 sets of 12 reps
-Cable Pressdowns: 3 sets of 25, 20, 15 reps
-Preacher Curls: 2 sets of 15 reps
-Reverse Curls: 3 sets of 15 reps

Since you are focusing on size, you need a good base of mass movements with moderate reps, and plenty of isolation for high reps to promote hypertrophy.
Research also shows that for size gains, the negative portion will yield 60% of your potential results, so always do a nice, slow, controlled negative movement.

[KP79]

Hey Cyber, if you want an alternate chest routine for buiding overall mass here is hat I do. You can check my pics to see what my results look like...

Hammer machine press for warmup
3 sets

Incline dumbells
4 sets x 8-10 reps

Incline dumbell flies
3 sets x 8-10 reps

Cablecross overs
3 sets x 1-12 reps

Decline pushups (I use a yoga ball and put my feet up on it fr the decline)
3 sets to failure

[Vanduhl]

i gotta start doing decline work....i never ever do it..

[Sigman roid]

Originally Posted by Vanduhl

i gotta start doing decline work....i never ever do it..

There has been studies to say that for over all chest growth and stimulation of white twitch fibers that decline is the best excersize to use.

[King]

Just avoid heavy decline presses, they press your shoulders up and out of the socket, and since the bench is tilted back, nothing supports the tops of your shoulders, so the chance for a rotator cuff injury is pretty good.

Light weight stuff, or anything heavy that gives more shoulder support should be good

[Vanduhl]

awesome...good shit to know...ill start my decline pushups next chest day

[King]

except ofcourse if your feet are up on something, than its not decline, its incline. Since you are facing the ground, and not up (like when you are lying on a bench) the angle refers to the area of the chest you are hitting. So even though your body is declined, since you are facing the ground, you are working your upper chest, not lower chest.

[Cyber]

Originally Posted by KP79

Hey Cyber, if you want an alternate chest routine for buiding overall mass here is hat I do. You can check my pics to see what my results look like...

Hammer machine press for warmup
3 sets

Incline dumbells
4 sets x 8-10 reps

Incline dumbell flies
3 sets x 8-10 reps

Cablecross overs
3 sets x 1-12 reps

Decline pushups (I use a yoga ball and put my feet up on it fr the decline)
3 sets to failure

I might give it a go as a test next week. thanks KP.

[KP79]

Originally Posted by SR

There has been studies to say that for over all chest growth and stimulation of white twitch fibers that decline is the best excersize to use.

Not saying that my way of thinking is right, but decline is the easiest chest exercise to do (think about it, when benching flat, you lift your hips to make it decline for easier lift)... I dont think it is essential to building the best chest, just a different angle to hit things at when training becomes norm... doing flies decline is nice

[King]

I am hesitant to give my opinions on some of the other members' advice, as i don't want to sound like I think I am smarter, better, more aware, etc.

So in the end, I guess just look at all the advice, consider what your body type is, and what works best for you, and try to make the best decision for you.

[Sigman roid]

Originally Posted by King

I am hesitant to give my opinions on some of the other members' advice, as i don't want to sound like I think I am smarter, better, more aware, etc.

So in the end, I guess just look at all the advice, consider what your body type is, and what works best for you, and try to make the best decision for you.

I agree there are many ways to train and what works for me may not for you so try different excersizes and see what works.

[Bladerunner]

You are right King.
The schedule you have given is good.
And specially not locking the movements while finishing a rep is the best one.
Locking while finishing a rep does give a joint a stress and make your muscle to go in rest for a while as well.
The motive of 10-8 reps per exercise is to keep the muscles under constant load with weight and this is where everyone misses and go not get the results.

And rest everyone is different but the basic remains the same.

Good on you King