What's your routine in the gym?

Hey monkeys, Wanted to know what your workout routine is and where you have seen the most strength gains.

Me personally, I'm at a plateau now. I saw some gains using the all-pro beginners routine: but looking to switch it out and try something new.

I've dabbled with SS 5x5 before I moved on to all-pro...

What are you doing now in the gym?

Make all kinds of gains monkeys!

 

I bet 20 silver bananas that this thread is going to turn into a debate of people calling each other losers for following certain routines. So many polarized opinions on these casual threads...

Anyways I do a 3-day split and work out 6 times a week.

**How is my grammar? Drop me a note with any errors you see!**
 

way to be diligent about going to the gym is going in the morning. as for gaining muscle, just make sure that you eat a lot. protein especially. chicken, fish, shakes, whatever it takes.

as for not looking like a pussy at the gym, dont really worry about it. everyone has to start somewhere. although you need to lift heavy weight, fewer reps to put on mass (or try supersets), make sure you have your form straight beforehand. also make sure you lift legs. doing squats and lunges will help you put on muscle a lot

goodluck

 

First off, its never impossible for someone to gain weight through food intake only. I guarantee you that if you moderate your calorie intake for a week and then start eating 1-2k calories above that, you will gain weight. Second, its a gym, people are there to work out and get in shape so you shouldn't be embarrassed, even if you're not in shape.

Find a beginner split routine on the web, make sure you're getting the right types of carbs and before and after you work out (and eating consistently throughout the day), and stick with your routine. You can keep the cardio, but don't overdo it.

Bill
 

Too much cardio could impact muscle gains, if you are a hard gainer. That being said, at least some cardio is good for overall health, so you' be wise to do something.

And just go out and find a beginner's lifting routine. Stick to it for a few months, then evaluate what is working and what isn't. Don't worry about being embarassed; everyone starts out somewhere.

 

Diet: -up your calorie and protein intake, but spread the protein intake out; your body can only process so much protein per hour and the rest is crapped out. -Stop/limit your crap food and alcohol intake, increase your water intake, and cut back on the sugar beverage intake. -take a good multivitamin and a high quality protein shake as a supplement.

Workout: -work out two muscle groups per day (ex. chest & abs on Monday, back & traps on tues, etc). -perform three intense exercises per muscle group with three sets and pyramid reps (10 reps 1st set, then 8 reps, 2nd set, then 6 reps, 3rd set). -concentrate on proper technique, powerful controlled movements. -make sure you have someone to spot you and motivate. -don't rest longer than 1 minute between sets. -don't lift too hard when you begin, work on proper technique and routine at first, and then work out like a maniac.

 

-more specifically try not take in more than 70 grams of protein every 90 min. In real terms that will be hard to do but pretty much become aware of protein values of different servings.

-you HAVE to start pumping in the whey. 2 scoops (~40 grams) about 60-90 min. before lifting and 2 scoops 30-60 min. after. You also need to add in some carbs post-workout b/c otherwise your insulin level goes crazy.

-drink a shitload of water. This is important for several reasons related to lifting which I won't get into. I drink about a gallon a day when I'm lifting; pretty much if you're not peeing clear, drink more water.

-start creatine. People think it just puts more water into your muscles but it also gives you significantly more energy as well through ATP synthesis. Don't follow the standard loading phase bullshit that they write on the bottle; just take 5g a day, every day, even when you don't lift and cycle off about 10-1.5 (10 weeks on, 1.5 weeks off).

-start keeping track of what you eat; I am about 210 and I track to about 280-300 grams of protein a day (again when I'm lifting). Since my work schedule is so erratic I do the best I can but it simply is not possible sometimes to sneak off and eat a quick chicken breast. The best non-whey source of protein is tuna; 1 2 oz can is about 20 grams and it's small and portable, just have some mints.

-as far as lifting, there are enough websites out there to show you proper form, lifts etc. In general go heavy (6-8 reps) and absolutely make sure your form is 100% right. Whoever above said to do squats is absolutely correct; if you can't do squats, do leg press. Just move big weights around, that will show you big gains in other areas. Also stick with the basics for the first 3-4 months before you move into the fancy stuff. Do coordinated muscle groups together and if you work hard enough, you shouldn't need to work more than once a week.

Sample workout would be:

Mon- Bench 3x8 Flys 3x8 Military press 3x8 Skull crushers 3x7 Abs

Wed- Leg press 4x8 Donkey kicks 10x10 (calves are a weird muscle, you need to do the 10 sets within about 30 sec - 1 min. of each other) Ham curls- 3x8 Leg extns 3x8 Abs

Fri- Lat pulldowns 3x8 cable rows 3x8 barbell curls 3x6 preacher curls 3x8 barbell forearm pulls 3x6 Abs

Just try to hit everything hard; oh and absolutely no cardio if you are a hardgainer. If you are young, lifting weights is enough for cholesterol/fat/etc. Yes it's true for general health cardio is good, but cut out the cardio for 6 months and see what happens.

Hope this helps.

 

Alright... same question but for a woman. I'm pretty lean, but I'm trying to add definition in the arms/abs etc. How do I do that without doing sit-ups? I hate situps :-) Is there a way to cheat?

 
aadpepsi:
Alright... same question but for a woman. I'm pretty lean, but I'm trying to add definition in the arms/abs etc. How do I do that without doing sit-ups? I hate situps :-) Is there a way to cheat?

You should probably do circut training with low weight/high reps; focus on a full range of movement. Unfortunately it's very difficult to target fat in one specific area of the body, so to combat the fat problem really requires a full body exercise.

As for your abs, use the tricept push-down rope at the gym; ask someone to show you how to do this. Another excellent exercise is laying on your back on a flat bench (butt partially hanging over), extend your legs out (parallel to the floor), then bring your knees to your chest...repeat.

 

just make sure to run or swim a lot. having abs is just about having very low body fat %. although nice long runs are great, try interval training (hard sprints followed by easy recovery). that should really get your metabolism up. for arms, just do a bunch of curls (lots of reps) with lightweight to tone up.

 
gusthebus:
try interval training (hard sprints followed by easy recovery

Simple english please, I'm workout challenged... Ok, what are hard sprints? What do you mean by easy recovery?

I'm naturally pretty slender, I just need toning. My exercise routine is pretty much speed walking to/from work each day, racing to get lunch during crunch time, using 8 lb. weights at home and the occasional swim at the club on the weekends. Sad :-(

Summer is coming and I have 2 months to tone up... he he

A-

 

Interval training is key.

Unless you start eating healthy you won't see much change in body fat. In fact, eating healthy would be an easier way to lose weight than training. 5-6 meals per day versus the normal 3. Oh and scrap the Starbucks.

 

Thanks for all the help. I really appreciate it. Could anyone give me an example of daily food they eat? What constitutes "good" food? Is something like a falafel bad? What about meaty pizza, hamburgers, etc?

About the stats:

I'm 6 2 and about 155 lbs.

 

155lbs for a 6'2" guy is skinny. What you have to do is increase your calorie intake. To figure your intake, take your weight x 15. So for you it would be 155 x 15 = 2325. I would suggest eating around 2500-2600 calories a day. Good foods are fruits, vegetables, nuts & avocado (don't worry about the fats in these), peanut butter, wheat bread, brown rice, skim milk, protein supplement, egg whites, beef jerky, cottage cheese etc

Stay away from juice, fried foods, fast food, anything high in saturated fat.

 

also make a habit out of going to the gym and coming back instead of doing it at the beginning or end of your day. (some might disagree for work purposes) but this seems to be the best way to make sure you get the workout in.

if you plan on going every night at say 9pm and be back at the desk by 10 or 10:15 you will be at the office an extra hour or so over what you would have been but you got your workout in. if you tried to do it at the end of the night you would probably be like fuck it im out of here and just leave for sleep. obviously this wont work if you have enough work to keep you busy until next week without sleep.

 

nice troll.

Director of Finance and Corporate Development: 2020 - Present Manager of FP&A and Corporate Development: 2019 - 2020 Corporate Finance, Strategy and Development: 2011 - 2019 "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." - Benjamin Franklin
 

I started going hard about 4 months ago with Wendlers 5 3 1 program. Noticeable strength gain and I put on about 25 pounds during this period. I have to say the change in diet had a significant impact on this as I went to high calories high protein diet. Now I'm hitting a wall I think partly due to the fact that I'm not going as hard as before. Time to get back on the track.

 

I love how unrelated the tags are to the question being asked.

- Bulls make money. Bears make money. Pigs get slaughtered. - The harder you work, the luckier you become. - I believe in the "Golden Rule": the man with the gold rules.
 

Muscle Milk LOL. I would just work out in my suit. Has 2 advantages, one you save time at the gym by not changing, and two it allows you to burn more callories by increasing body temp.

Follow the shit your fellow monkeys say @shitWSOsays Life is hard, it's even harder when you're stupid - John Wayne
 
Edmundo Braverman:
Just do what I do: Make a shitload of money and quit so you can wear sweats all day.

As usual, Eddie wins.

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 
southernstunna:
It is way more frat to just work out in ur suit. Bonus points if you can keep your hair still slicked back like Gekko's while cranking out 315 pound squats.

Thanks - I've tried the whole "work out in a suit" thing but the issue is that I'm so huge that when I'm benching, my pecs literally rip through my custom-made, custom-paid dress shirts.

However, I have seen others successfully pull off the suit-workout routine, so I don't know maybe I need to switch back to oversized Men's Wearhouse shirts...

 

Drink a beer and eat some pizza. Seriously though, as long as you have a decent looking face and are well dressed, girls don't really notice what's underneath your shirt, until it's too late.

Men are so simple and so much inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions. -Niccolo Machiavelli
 
Edmundo Braverman:
Chugging along. The only thing holding me up is how often I have to stop to laugh my ass off at some stuff.

Yeah, you stop and shake your head and wonder how you aren't dead/crippled/imprisoned/etc.? LOL.

Regards

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so." - Ronald Reagan
 

Superman pushup 15 to 30 min of high rep calisthenics daily, max 1 day/ week carb overload, palio with high turkey content diet, high dose and consistent vitamin intake. High rep is key, buy rubber cables and a pullup bar othr than that it's handstand pushups, v-ups...anything to keep you off balance and maximize tension

If u dont know what im talking about with superman pushups google it, it is the highest result and hardest pushup to do

 
DurbanDiMangus:
Superman pushup 15 to 30 min of high rep calisthenics daily, max 1 day/ week carb overload, palio with high turkey content diet, high dose and consistent vitamin intake. High rep is key, buy rubber cables and a pullup bar othr than that it's handstand pushups, v-ups...anything to keep you off balance and maximize tension

If u dont know what im talking about with superman pushups google it, it is the highest result and hardest pushup to do

I apologize in advance for the lack of input, but holy shit, I just youtube'd superman pushups. That is insane.

 

DMMSY - i really gotta watch diet. probably gained 10lbs from going nuts on seamless last summer

Durban - wow @ the superman pushups. do you suggest calisthenics over high reps squats/bench press/overhead press and other compound exercises?

if you work out for an hour a day, i was thinking of lifting 4x a week monday, wed, friday, sat/sunday (cardio or rest on other days) and doing something like

bench 3x15 squats 3x15 deadlift 3x15 overhead press 3x15

to be honest i'm not that familiar with building routines, i just did a ton of cardio and lost a lot of weight, but also a lot of muscle.

 

I don't see why you wouldn't lift for size. For the majority of my first year, I rarely did cardio, but maintained a steady lifting routine while eating right and was able to eke out some decent gains (given the hours / lack of sleep) while staying lean.

You literally need 5 lifts for 3 sets of 8-12 reps 3x a week and you'll be fine: squat, deadlift, bench, military press and rows/weighted pullups. You can of course add other stuff if you want to do more specialized lifts instead of whole-body, but there's really nothing too complex to it. Push yourself at the gym and eat right and you'll develop a good body.

Cheating on the diet is fine, but only if you do it occasionally. Also, keep in mind that drinking will fuck you up (moreso than just getting you wasted) pretty bad. If you take 10 straight shots throughout a night, that's 800-1000 calories of pretty much all carbs. People don't usually stop there... customary slice or two after (McDonald's is my personal drunk food of choice) and usually the liquor is accompanied by some other high-sugar drink. That's a solid 1500-2000 calories right there, or half a pound. You can see how that can add up pretty quickly...

 

I am going to take a slightly different approach here. I would suggest running 3-4x a week and lifting after. Calorie burn is a function of heart rate and body mass, and unless you have great swimming/cycling technique, running will be your best bet to maintain a constantly elevated heart rate for 30-60 minutes. Its also an incredibly time efficient process. If you are already in decent shape hill repeats will go a long way to making you lean as well (developing strength in the legs and core particularly). Running 8-10 miles in about an hour is worth roughly 1000 calories for a normal sized man. Following that with a good lift to build or maintain any muscle mass you want can be a good way to go.

 

Do compound exercises to tabita timing. For example, max rep squat for 30 seconds, rest for 15 seconds, then immediately go to rows, deadlifts, presses, etc with the same timing. Do a circuit like that 5 times and you got yourself a crazy workout in under 30 minutes. Or you can try a 5 exercise circuit and do as many sets as you can in 20 minutes.

I've been doing crossfit, and we do stuff like this all the time. I guarantee you'll be exhausted after these workouts. And of course, diet is 70% of the game

yellow t-shirt
 
LancelotLink:
Do compound exercises to tabita timing. For example, max rep squat for 30 seconds, rest for 15 seconds, then immediately go to rows, deadlifts, presses, etc with the same timing. Do a circuit like that 5 times and you got yourself a crazy workout in under 30 minutes. Or you can try a 5 exercise circuit and do as many sets as you can in 20 minutes.

I've been doing crossfit, and we do stuff like this all the time. I guarantee you'll be exhausted after these workouts. And of course, diet is 70% of the game

Do you recommend Crossfit? I've been thinking about trying it out but don't know anyone whose done it.

 

I have been doing crossfit for the last year of college, and its great if you can truly follow all the routines --but if you are on a time or equipment constraint you may not be able to swim laps, row, box jump, or do the other various exercises of the day

I would also recommend p90x, especially if you have decided if you aren't going to get a gym membership. You can do everything in your living room and just need to buy a few items - pullup bar, bands, yoga mat, etc. There is a great variety of it and the stretching and yoga i think is very underrated, especially since you get so stiff sitting all day in the office

 

CrossFit + Paleo/proper nutrition + rest.

It may be a lifestyle change but remain committed, give it 6 months and you will see results. 80% of what you look like is diet. Nutrition is your key component.

Good luck.

 

I did p90x before I started crossfit. It's a great system and you really see results after 2 weeks of following it (even if you don't follow the diet). The only things I didn't like about it is a) you have to block off an hour everyday for working out, which might be difficult if you're in banking and b) the workouts get repetitive and a little boring after 90 days. I've found myself quoting Tony Horton in normal conversation...

One of the things I really like about crossfit is the group environment. At my gym, I go through the workouts with at least 5 other people which provides a team and competitive atmosphere. Being a 1-upper, I love pushing myself to finish the workouts first or pump out the most sets. But I agree with Schmoozer about the equipment. To get the full benefit of crossfit, I think you need to find a gym that has the program (search for your area on www.crossfit.com). Some workouts involve rope climbs, rowing, tire flips (flipping the giant tires), etc. It's definitely hard to get that stuff on your own.

I'd definitely like to try the paleo diet too. Basically all meat and vegetables. I just love pizza to damn much...

yellow t-shirt
 
gekko2:
i really want to try crossfit now. rope climbs, rowing, tire flips etc. sounds fun and would break up the monotony of a regular lifting program.

checked out one of the NYC affiliates. seems pretty pricey at $200 a month, anyone a part of it?

I checked out crossfit in jersey and it's about the same price wise which is a bummer. they also have a visitor fee, I guess if you only want to go once a week and then steal their workouts from their blogs which is $20 per visit.

 

Staying lean is totally about your diet as a couple guys have previously mentioned. Best thing you can do with regards to that is to figure out your caloric needs and start counting calories. When you really see what you're putting in, you can make informed choices about how to move forward.

If you really want to get serious about your fitness, this board isn't the place to look for information.

bodybuilding.com musculardevelopment.com simplyshredded.com

get to getting

 
manbearpig:
westside for skinny bastards.

you're welcome.

2nd this. defrancostraining.com for more info.

But really, it's all just personal preference, equipment/time constraints, current physical condition etc. Everyone is different, find what works for you.

"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen."
 

This advice would be geared more towards people that already have a muscular build and are just looking to maintain and perhaps just become more cut....hot yoga, I cannot stress it enough. It is a lot easier on your joints than running and I find it more enjoyable. You are done after 60 or 90 minutes depending on the studio and you will be sweating like you have never sweated before (burn anywhere from 700-1,000 calories in one class). An added bonus is that most guys (uninformed) think it is not manly so most classes are 90% women (in spandex and sports bras). If you combine 2 days of lifting and 3 days of yoga, you'll be in great shape.

Also, a good diet, which should be obvious.

 

The Wall Street "fitness gurus" emerge from the shadows, only to prove themselves nothing more than slaves to the garbage doled out by Men's Health, P90X, CrossFit and other strains of "metcon" and "muscle confusion" dumbfuckery.

That wasn't directed at all of you. A few good recommendations were made.

Get two books, Starting Strength and Practical Programming, by Mark Rippetoe. Check out West Side for Skinny Bastards.

If you use cables, machines, gloves, or a bosu ball, I'd recommend cleaning out your vag.

 

"Lean" workout is all about diet and cardio. Keep lifting as you normally would (focus more on the larger compound exercises and cut out some smaller shit if you're current workout would be too "long" for the analyst lifestyle), but just make sure you keep cardio in there and eat right - lots of protein, lots of veggies and cut out white carbs. Also, to stay lean, don't be on a mass-building diet. Don't pound 5 protein shakes a day and eat a shit ton and you won't get fat. I lift regularly and consume a normal amount of healthy calories and I've been able to lose 8 pounds net in 3 months while adding some good muscle and definition. If I ate more, would I probably be able to lift a little heavier and put on more muscle? Sure. But I'd also put on more fat with that and right now it's important for me to stay lean.

 
swagon:
Everyone should look into the Tub Girl program for their girlfriends. I found the tapes, nutrition guide, etc. for free on google. It's like a P90X designed specifically for chicks.

It'll make you vom everytime.... disguisting... you'll def lose weight on that program

 

I don't really have a routine. I go to the gym 4-6 times a week, mostly to avoid showing up late to work and if i dont, i get into a weird funk. Try to do low weight/impact exercises because I have had some old man issues as of late. If it weighs more than me, I wont touch it.

I am curious how people get and stay motivated .. Since I am no longer involved in competitor sports and have never struggled with weight issues, it has been hard to stick to any program

 

getting motivated is about making habits. do you have a habit of going to the gym at the same time on the days that you go? if you do, then you won't schedule over top of it so it's easier to do. also, how easy is it for you to go to the gym? do you pack all of your stuff the night before (the old sleep in your gym clothes bit), or do you have to go home, then change, then go to the gym? you want as little resistance as possible to getting to the gym. myself? I'm an after work kinda guy, so I bring my gym bag to work and it stares me in the face all the time. I've gotten to the point where I feel embarrassed skipping the gym and walking to my car with a bag full of clean gym clothes.

next, get a buddy or two to lift with. you will hold each other accountable. I went through a funk when I lived by myself and just tried to go to the gym on sheer willpower but without making it easy for myself, it's very hard if not impossible. if you don't have friends in your city, maybe consider something like F3, crossfit, etc., something that's group oriented.

another thing that was a huge difference maker for me was music. wireless beats headphones were a game changer, combined with a playlist I like. I'll listen to this playlist in the car on the way to the gym and it gets me hyped up. perhaps if you're a morning exerciser, turn it on after your alarm goes off, it will get you going. in addition to this, new workout clothes can help a lot too. if you look good, you'll feel good and excited to break a sweat. doesn't mean you have to go and drop $1k at lulu, but maybe throw away those new balance 574s and get yourself some nice cross trainers.

finally, and I cannot stress this enough, find what works for you exercise wise. I love lifting and swimming, not everyone likes to lift, few people like to swim. I hate basketball, yet I know plenty of people who'll do a tough mudder style total body workout and then go ball for 30 minutes. they'll never be super muscular, but that's not their goal. I know people who love running, I hate running. if you like running but want something else, check out XPT's daily routines. this guy brian mackenzie does a lot with breathing, running, but also owns a crossfit box so he gives daily workouts that are crossfit esque but are total body. hell, if you hate the gym but just like playing pickup soccer, that's a good workout (just not total body). bottom line, whatever you enjoy doing, don't stray from that or feel like you have to exercise a certain way. as long as you're moving, you're doing something right, don't let someone shame you because you don't lift/run/crossfit/box/shake weight/whatever.

 

This is what I've observed over the years.

Start work: fairly healthy, quite fit - fairly buff 6 months in: noticeable pot belly developing due to long nights and less than healthy take out options. 12 - 18 months: getting ridiculous now - notice extra chin in all recent photos, recently found old (2 years ago) photo of yourself looking much slimmer (and out with people you used to know, but you don't know since you tend to just go out with other analysts) which sparked off a cycle of depression.

Quit - head to school, pick up sports get it back

or

Direct promote. Unhealthiness contines, but gradually attempts to order healthy options/ grab the chance to go running are on the rise.

Fast forward: VP/ Director level and above: most bankers now crazy health obsessed gym nuts who disappear for hours just when their analyst is looking for them to comment on that pitchbook that's being presented at 9am the next morning. There are still one or two heart attacks waiting to happen in the office, but most seem to go through the cycle.

 

First off, gaining 34 pounds of muscle will not make you a freak. Freaks go from 5'10" 140, 32 waist to 220 32 waist. Secondly, you will not gain 34 pounds of muscle in 4 weeks, even if you've never picked up a weight in your life and you are juiced to the max. 34 pounds is reasonable for a beginner but it will take about a year and 2 months with dedication.

 

I think it comes down to genetics and where you are fitness-wise. I doubt the guy that posted that was lying, but that's no guarantee that anyone who tries will gain 34 pounds in four weeks. I think that the point is, if you follow that plan closely, you'll make gains. I'm sure how big those gains are are dependent on your current level of fitness and genetics.

 

Yes, he is indeed lying. NOBODY, absoluetly NOBODY on this earth can gain 34 pounds of muscle in 4 weeks. That is a fact. I don't care what doses of steroids they are on or how much HgH they are taking, it is impossible. Can you gain 34 lbs. of muscle, fat, and water? Maybe. But at most it will gain 7 or so lbs. of muscle. And chances are you are using a lot of gear.

 

I just did the first day of the stronglifts.com 5x5 program, which is very similar to Rippetoe. Before that I did lots of compound lifts but with a lot of randomness in reps/sets/daily lineup of exercises (all intentional, to work my muscles in many different ways). I've gotten tired of coming up with new routines every day though and wanted to see if a simpler program could work for me. I liked the first workout, but my "tweaking" urges have already kicked in - I'm thinking of doing two days a week (instead of the recommended three) so I can add in a cleanup day for abs, grip work (weak point on my deadlift), and some explosive/sprint/circuit work.

 

i did back today beastly workout that started off with 5 sets (10 reps each) wide grip pull ups with 45lb plate chained to my waist felt like a monster and my arms looked massive and swole as hell after those sets.

......how hot was Nicole Kidman in eyes wide shut!!!! id rank her as an elite milf

 
dipset1011:
i did back today beastly workout that started off with 5 sets (10 reps each) wide grip pull ups with 45lb plate chained to my waist felt like a monster and my arms looked massive and swole as hell after those sets.

......how hot was Nicole Kidman in eyes wide shut!!!! id rank her as an elite milf

You got some huge e-muscles!

 

Modified GZCL for a while b/c I have a short attention span and wanted the opportunity to retest on a semi-regular basis and try to take full advantage of noob gainz.

Now, working hypertrophic rep schemes w/ a 4-day split (dead, squat, bench, and OHP), just trying to get fucking huge. Hitting back on deadlift day.

We get the world we deserve.
 

I've been doing Jim Stoppani's 'Shortcut to Size,' about halfway through and have been making good strength gains. It's a 4-day split which is great. Five or more days can be pretty grueling, especially with a busy work schedule. I'd say the #1 thing is diet, however. Pretty damn hard to out-train a bad diet.

 

On the chest/tri and back/bi days I'm in there for 90 minutes to 2 hours (partially depending on if it's a 3-5 rep day or 12-15 rep day). I usually need the full 3-4 minutes between sets to recover to get back into the proper rep range. So yes, it is a time commitment when you're in there, but it's a 4-day split as opposed to many other programs which are 5 or 6 days a week.

 

I love working out - definitely #1 hobby for me, and I know that could sound douchey - I don't care. I do lower body on Mondays and Thursdays, upper body on Tuesdays and Fridays, cardio on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and yoga on Sundays.

For lower body, it's mostly weights - several different varieties of squats and deadlifts. If anyone is at a plateau in their squats and deadlifts, the best advice I could give is to focus on tempo and work in isometrics. Count to 4 seconds on your way down in squats, hold at the bottom for 4 secs (and even work in some deep squats...they are hard on the knees but they work) - I added roughly 30lbs to my squat in a month a few summers ago focusing on these, and I would consider myself a seasoned weight lifter. For deadlifts - hold at the bottom, but don't let the weights touch the ground obviously. Should strengthen your lower back quite well. Of course I work in some box jumps, snatches, and other accessory lifts.

Upper body is mostly bodyweight exercises for me. I do incline and decline bench presses and some weighted rows, but a just about every upper body workout involves some weighted pullup variation, weighted dips, variety of pushups and handstand pushups, rings, etc.

I hate steady-state cardio, so most of my cardio sessions are HIIT. I've been big on weighted sled work, farmers walks, tabata burpees or snatches, sprints, etc. I'll work in a 2-4 mile run here and there.

Yoga may sound feminine, but I think people perceive it as some lame-ass workout that only chicks do. It's essentially stretching, and it carries over to workouts quite well. I just do 20-40 minutes on Sundays, and I feel awesome after it's done.

I'm also very interested in any tips people have (such as the paused squats above) that would help increase the weight in lifts.

As a side note, I'm sure some of you have seen the Comedy Central show, Nathan for You. Laughed my ass off when he said he saw some people talking about Dumb Starbucks on a "straight bodybuilding forum" (referring to bodybuilding.com. Funny as hell that he had to add "straight."

 

I assure you that I do. I questioned myself when writing that because I know the lift can be very dangerous and a lot of people arch their back....that's definitely not the goal, and if you do that you will Fuck yourself up.

Again, variety of deadliest...not like there is one set way of doing thing (standard, sumo, Romanian, etc)

 

Whatever routine you decide to go with, I highly recommend you learn 100% perfect Form (not fucking bodybuilding constant tension bullshit) on the big 3 lifts (bench squat dead) and OHP/military press. When you do these 4 lifts 100% perfect (takes a lot of practice) you barely have to do any boring ass isolation exercises.

I might do bench then hit some flys/DB incline to shape the muscle after or just simple full ROM lateral raises for shoulders. I hit the gym 3-4x a week usually max for an hour each and I am actually getting to the point where I want to LOSE size - and I've NEVER taken any PEDs and I have a solid 6pack (my back is getting too big lol).

Anyways, here's my split:

Day 1: Chest- bench, incline DB, flys. I always go lighter on isolations to up the volume because I rarely go over 7-8 reps on the compound movements. I'll also throw 2-3 Tri exercises in which are almost exclusively isolations on the cable machines. FULL ROM ON TRIs too!!!!

Day 2: back- bent over BB rows (again, 100% perfect text book form, fuck that bodybuilding tension shit), pull-ups, and maybe a cable row or some shit light. Bi's are simple curl variations I.e DB, ez curl etc. 2-3 exercises, 3 sets. Sometimes I do even less

Day 3 (note: sometimes i combine day 3&4 since these tend to be shorter workouts and day 1&2): shoulders - OHP, and lateral raises, both 3 sets of 3. Shoulders should be Gucci now if you actually have good form

Day 4: deadlifts, squats, and maybe a leg extension or leg curl for hypertrophy.

Das it mane. Seriously for all you nattys out there, size comes from 10000% perfect bio mechanics and doing the big lifts. Feel free to DM

 

Smolov squat program-13 week program but last time I did it I put 85 pounds on my squat in that period.

& gymnastics strength training-exaxtly what it sounds like. I HIGHLY recommend this.

For context, I'm 6'2" 190lbs, max bench 315, squat 405, can comfortably dunk a basketball.

 

I've heard a lot of good things about Smolov and have thought about training it, but given that it's multiple days of legs, I just thought my time in the gym would be too much if you try to fit in upper body stuff as well. What specific gymnastic strength training? I suck with balance and don't have all the core strength in the world, but am actively working on that, so definitely spending a lot of time on rings.

As for upper body exercises, I honestly think weights are overrated. Even if you're a "bro" looking for a pump, I get a much better pump from some push ups, and I think bodyweight exercises require more strength usually as well. If you aren't challenged with your own bodyweight, there are so many variations to exercises that make them challenging, so you likely aren't being creative enough if something is too easy.

 

I would definitely give smolov a chance if I were you. I usually get my squats done in 10-20 minutes, so I believe you would have plenty of time if you are efficient.

As far as GST goes, a lot of variation here. I use the gym as my playground and just go fuck around honestly. This makes working out a lot less tedious than it was previously for me. For instance today in addition to squats; L-sit holds 3x15 seconds (do not under estimate the L-sit, it's a beast), 50 pull ups--10 at each handle position without getting down, 2x15 handstand push ups on a wall, 4 weighted jefferson curls, thoracic bridge stretch, windshield wipers x25 both directions and a few single leg pistol squats on a bosu ball.

Obviously, hard to start there though. Stretching is the best place to begin (YOGA), pm me if you are interested in something more tailor made.

To your last point; outside of real lifts (back squat, front squat, deadlift, cleans, jerks, snatches) I say fuck weights. They destroy your joints from my experience despite having D1 strength and conditioning coaches making sure the movements were done properly.

 

Starting Strength. Do the program.

(I know you said you dabbled with "SS 5x5," which isn't a real thing, so that makes me think you've not actually tried the program.)

There was a similar thread a while back where I was pleased to see the conversation immediately turn toward SS, 531, and other progressive compound-movement heavy lifting programs. I see this thread has immediately devolved into a swirling shitpile of broscience and silly garbage.

6-day upper/lower splits? What are you guys, 19? Going to the frat party later tonight? Jesus, lift weights like an adult. Get some weightlifting shoes, drink your milk, and get under the damn bar and get strong.

"Son, life is hard. But it's harder if you're stupid." - my dad
 

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26 Broadway where's your sense of humor?
 

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You're not really a born and bred, traditional aristocrat if you work hard enough to get into Harvard.- Prospie
 

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"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw
 

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