Hi. I’m 16 years old, 6’3" ~200 pounds relatively lean (abs can be seen a little). I trained for 1.5 year. Recently I’ve been doing classic 4 days split (shoulders, triceps, traps; back, biceps; chest, biceps, traps; legs;). I’d like to try something like FBW, but without legs.
3 days upper body + legs separately. I know legs are like 60% of body mass, but trust me I definitely don’t need more than 1 day of legs a week. For example upper body days would be: 6xback, 5xchest, 4xshoulders, 3xtriceps, 3xbiceps and traps. Just one exercise per body part. I’m not sure if that would be good routine, so I want to hear what bigger, more experienced think about this.
I just want to hit things more frequently. Probably “unplanned routine” would be best for that, but currently I can’t do that. Or maybe the other option would be 5 days a week; 2xpush, 2xpull and legs.
what are you asking? Maybe its just me but i have no idea what you just asked, are you saying, hit back 6x a week, chest 5 and so on? Are those the number of exercise? the number of sets? O wait i think i get it. Are you saying 3 upper body days with 6 sets back 5 sets chest and so on? Seems kinda odd but why not try it?
and yes you do need legs. People that dont like big legs are just jelly. Or why not do something in addition to legs on leg day so u can do legs more often and other things more often? Not really advice… just kinda curious as to how you would actually lay out ur plan.
Sorry for this chaotic post. (Yes, 6xback I meant 6 sets for back per upper body day). The routine would be something like that:
Upper body
off
Upper body
off
legs
Upper body
off
Which upper body day would consist:
6 sets of back
5 sets of chest
4 sets of shoulders
3 sets of triceps
3 sets of biceps
3 sets of traps
So just one exercise per body part.
And leg day would be just a normal leg day. Squats, deadlift variations (can’t do much else, but seems like evrything makes them grow, especially the basics. As a kid I always had massive legs and skinny upper body.And they genetically grow at faster rate and one day will be definitely enough.
And I’m curious what you think about this routine?
why not just do arms with lower body for example so you can do upper/lower/off/upper/lower/off, kinda more frequency for everything and you could hit more sets for each body part this way, or do like 2 exercise for major muscles, still 1 for minors and repeat it every 6 days, so thats 2x frequecy per muscle every 6 days. Or just try it your way and see how you like it. thats the best way to test something
Also do you do anything on off days like sprints or other shit?
Personally, I like the ‘other option’. If you want to do upper body more often and minimize legs (who am I to criticize), I would do Push, Pull, Legs, Off, Push, Pull, Off. You should probably include a deadlift variation on the second pull day in order to at least get some hamstring involvement.
@bignate
I can’t do that for 2 reasons: I don’t like training anything above waist on leg day, especially small bodyparts and legs twice a week would be unnessecary, it would take more than give. I know I’m too small to neglect anything, but legs respond freaking fast, while upper body don’t. And currently I don’t do any other shit like that, I used to cycle though. One time I did 130kms in one day, this year I realized that it takes way too much energy. These two sports are just antagonistic.
@thoughts1053
I did that once between january-march, except I didn’t train legs at the time, so it was 4 days a week and my arms actually grew a little. Delts were always growing, but don’t think chest and back benefited from this routine. Maybe tat’s because I didn’t knew too much about progression at the time and I did every set to failure, so I think I was overtraining chest and back, while smaller bodyparts grew from that. Now I realized if I want bigger chest I have to get stronger on the bench etc. And if I want to get stronger at faster rate I had to train more often Maybe I will try it again with better approach, I’ll see.
Ok, so I want to hear more opinions, especially about “first option”. What do you think about full body routines overall (or rather "full upper body routines)?
That’s a good question, I forgot to mention it. I’m overall very weak. And I know I need to progress in strength. And I think more frequency will allow to do that faster. All of it is just for sets and in middle of the workout Squat is 95kgs x 8-10 bench is 62kg x 8, today I rowed 73kg x 7, db shoulder press 25kg x 6. I can db curl 20kgs in 8-10 rep range. With decent form. Just multiply it 2.2 to get in pounds.
I don’t think you should be doing ANYTHING but 5x5 right now.
More specifically, this program is what I would recommend.
You say you have trained 1.5 years,but your bench is still barely ~165 pounds if that,meaning the programs you have been running have not gotten you as far as you could have gone.Try sticking with the BASICS,and don’t say that your legs are “very developed”; it gives people the impression you are doing 3-4+ plates for easy reps when in fact your lower body strength is actually really on the same level as your upper body.
Look at the program I posted and get on it, you will experience the best strength/size gains of your beginner newb gains life if you really follow it; and hopefully other people will help you & give you advice too.
I hope this helps dude, you are 16 and can be an absolute monster if you want to be. Don’t get distracted with all these silly routines posted everywhere; do what has STOOD THE TEST OF TIME TO WORK!!!
Get your bench to 315+,squat to 405+,deadlift to 500+,press to 225+,bicep curl to 135+ for reps,etc etc. and watch yourself explode.
I was very limited with weights. i trained at home til april. i couldn’t barbell bench at all. Till september 2011 I had like 25kgs of weight, max 12kgs dumbbells. Then I bought 60kg and then barbell and ez bar.
I remember 2.5 years ago at shool gym I pushed 60kgs for 8 reps. So for barbell press I almost not progressed at all. Idk how this is even possible, get stronger on everything but flat bench. Also I’m stronger on incline than flat, due to my shoulders being almost as strong as chest. I did 85kg x 3 on incline It’s not the fault of routine, it’s just I didn’t increase weights constantly because I was limited. I never followed a written by someone routine, I did it myself and I think that was the problem as well. That’s why I posted this, for you guys to critique it.
Also strength not always come with size. My leg strength is not great at all, from calves to glutes i just put on muscle mass there much faster. While my shoulders are on higher level both in development and strength than chest. Legs are on higher level of development than upper body, but strength sucks. Now they’re pretty proportional, but that’s because I DIDN’T train them for some period of time. I have narrow clavicles, so the best thing I need are way too big legs. So I think doing less for them will be ok.
So 5x5 is full body routine? I pretty much want to do the same. Except legs separately.
So I’ve just read the exercises from this 5x5 routine, I don’t want to be wise ass, I’m the one asking questions, but in phase 1 and 2 there’s no direct arm work, nor shoulder work. in phase 3 why shoulder press is before bench press and why are there more sets for front delt than chest, no moves for lateral delt? Am I missing something there? That’s powerlifting routine. And I have no interest in powerlifting, I’m training for size. I know I need to get stronger, but not in this way.
I know I’m weak I already stated that. And I know I need much more mass, I’m skinny, my structure sucks and I need to get shitload stronger if I want to be bigger. I have no delusions. I already passed that stage. And I got pics posted: 16 Years Old - Rate My Physique Photos - Forums - T Nation
[quote]kox wrote:
I know I’m weak I already stated that. And I know I need much more mass, I’m skinny, my structure sucks and I need to get shitload stronger if I want to be bigger. I have no delusions. I already passed that stage. And I got pics posted: 16 Years Old - Rate My Physique Photos - Forums - T Nation
I’ll check that thread out. [/quote]
then i dont know what this thread is for.
props for posting pics - great structure for bodybuilding, no homo
Just for routine critique. What you think of these kinds of routine etc. But I’ve just realized that you have enough of these kind of threads.
Thanks. About my structure I think that tiny waist is just illusion of good structure. Compare hips to waist, much wider. I’m too narrow compared to hips. But really that’s nothing I can change, all I can do is put on more mass.
