T Nation

Evaluate My Routine

Bodybuilding
#1

Hey guys, I wanted to know what you thought about my current lifting regimen. I’ve been bulking for a while now, and I’m thinking about switching to DC or 5x5, just for a change of scenery. However, I wanted to know what people thought of my current routine.

Mon- Chest/Shoulders
Incline barbell bench: 12, 10, 8, 6, 6
Flat barbell bench: 6, 6, 10
Decline dumbbell bench: 6, 8, 10
Cable flies: 12, 12

Seated db press: 6, 8, 10
Front db press: 10, 10
DB lateral raise: 8, 8, 10

Tues- Bi/Tri
Barbell curl: 10, 10, 8, 6, 6
Preacher curl: 6, 8, 10
Concentrated curl: 12, 12
Hammer Curl: 10, 10, 8

Close-grip bench: 10, 10, 8, 6, 6
Tricep extension: 8, 10, 10
Skullbash: 6, 8, 10
Weighted dips: 8, 8, 6

Wed- Back/Legs
Deadlift: 10, 8, 8, 6
Bent-over rows: 12, 10, 8, 6, 6
Pulldown to front: 8, 8, 10
Good morning: 10, 10

Squat: 12, 10, 8, 6, 6
Romanian Deadlift: 10, 10, 8
Leg press: 10, 12, 15
Seated/Standing calf raises: 12, 12, 12 (each)

Thurs-Chest/Shoulders
Flat DB bench: 12, 12, 10, 8
Incline DB bench: 8, 8, 12
Incline Flies: 12, 12, 12

Arnold press: 8, 10, 12
BB Mil press: 12, 10, 8, 6
DB Lateral raise: 10, 10

Fri-Bi/Tri
BB curl: 12, 12, 10, 8
Seated DB curl: 8, 10, 12
Cable Curl: 15, 15
1-arm DB preacher: 15, 15

Skullbash: 8, 10, 12
Reverse-grip pressdown: 15, 15
DB kickback: 15,15

#2

I would also like to add, I eat between 3500-4000 cals a day. I’ve also made decent gains with this routine. The reason I’ve decided to possibly change it up is because I read about others’ routines which seem to be only M/W/F, but far more intensity, and less volume. Maybe I’m a newbie, but I seem to feel bad if I don’t hit the gym 5x a week

#3

I think you work chest and shoulders and arms twice as much as everything else for no particular reason. That’s an issue and you will develop an imbalanced physique like that. Please go with the 5x5 or similar progressive plan and not DC as it’s not for you yet.

#4

[quote]Scott M wrote:
I think you work chest and shoulders and arms twice as much as everything else for no particular reason. That’s an issue and you will develop an imbalanced physique like that. Please go with the 5x5 or similar progressive plan and not DC as it’s not for you yet.

[/quote]

Aside from the “inbalanced physique”, is there anything wrong with the routine that would hinder my ability to do DC? I have read your posts in the DC thread here, and respect your opinion, but I would like an explanation as to why you think I’m not ready for DC training. Just a thought.

#5

Legs once a week and everything else twice a week?

#6

You aren’t advanced enough or knowledgeable enough for DC, as proven by your routine.

You have back/legs–The 2 most complex muscle groups, being worked together and once a week. This guarantees you are not training either of those groups as hard or effectively as you should.

Your set/rep scheme makes no sense.

Your biceps and triceps are getting double the volume of larger, more important muscle groups.

Your doing dumbell kickbacks.

Your doing Good Morning and RDL’s in the same workout even though the emphasize the same muscle groups.

To much volume, not enough balance, doubtfully using a progressive overload.

There are many, many problems.

Try 5x5 or something basic and similar for a while.

Absolutely under no circumstances should you do DC yet. It is simply unnecessary and too advanced. You can make fast strength progress on something like a 5x5.

#7

If you train DC and you are not advanced, you will get pregnant and you will die.

#8

Lol. That’s going in my sig at IM.

#9

Ok. Just as a further disclaimer, I want to reiterate the fact that by my continuing to post, I do not want to come off as disrespecting what you guys say.

Anyways, I’ve been doing this routine for a few months now, and I sometimes include 2 days of legs/back. I understand that it should always be two days, but sometimes I don’t get around to it.

Swole, you say I’m not knowledgable, can you expand on how you think you know how knowledgable I am or am not? I am capable of doing almost any lift correctly, and as I said earlier, I’ve been doing this routine only recently when I came off a cut. I’ve done different routines, and in the past, included legs/back 2x a week.

To that end, I think I will end up doing 5x5, but I still would like to know why you think I wouldn’t be able to do DC training. Do you think I physically cannot handle the load? If that’s the case, I would beg to differ. Do you think that I am not capable of doing the lifts correctly? Once again, I would beg to differ.

Anyways, sorry if that came off as a little wise-ass; I don’t mean for it to be. However, I would like to further understand why you think I am not ready for DC.

#10

How much reading have you done about DC?

If you had spent more than 20 minutes reading up on it somewhere besides bb.com (where everyone is advanced at 160 lbs), you would know the answer to your question.

BTW, knowing good form is about 5% of “being knowledgeable”.

DC training requires that the trainee have a highly efficient CNS. DC training requires that the trainee thoroughly understand their own recuperative abilities. DC is a “last resort” of sorts for people who have exhausted ALL other means of growth. With a username like “newbie11”, it is extrememly difficult for me to believe that you are one of these people. How old are you? When Dante was training people still, he wouldnt take ANYONE under 21 and it was very rare for him to take on anyone that young even.

His system was designed to take guys from 220# to 260#+. Getting to 200 and 220 are something you have to figure out for yourself and the knowledge you acquire in doing so will help you understand the how, what, and whys of DC. We are making this easy for you and telling you to work on a basic routine. WS4SB and 5x5 are almost completely idiot proof programs, now get going.

#11

That’s a clusterfuck of a routine

I recommend WS4SB or 5x5, they really are basic weight training that you can’t fuck up.

#12

Stronghold, that was a very, very good answer, pretty much what I was looking for. Thanks. I really like the 5x5, so I think I am going to go with that.

To that end, I would like to start talking about the 5x5 program then. I plan on doing the M/W/F split as follows:

Mon:
Bench, squat, Row

Wed:
Squat, deadlift, (mil press or incline bench)

Fri:
Squat, bench, row

I understand the basics on those lifts, so I’d like to ask a few things about the assistance exercises.

  1. Do the assistance exercises have to be done on the M/W/F schedule, or can they be done on T/Th?

  2. Would Barbell curl, calf raises, weighted dips, and Tricep extensions suffice as assistance exercises? (not all on the same day)

#13

Shit routine… pick a routine already made by an author on this site and stick to it

#14

What do you think about that which I just layed out?

#15

[quote]newbie11 wrote:
questions[/quote]

geocities.com/elitemadcow1/5x5_Program/Linear_5x5.htm

This has everything you need to know. Read up.

#16

Stronghold, I’ve been there, and I have the spreadsheet and everything. I’ve searched it on this site as well, and found that some people vary their assistance exercises, so I was wondering what was thought about mine.

#17

LOL stronghold I like your avatar. The X makes it pimp.

Newbie11, what are your current lifts? I would experiment more with madcow’s template. Choose the assistance exercises which you believe would benefit you most to your major 3 big lifts. For example, pull throughs with a rope will be highly beneficial for both your deadlift and squat. People experiment and find out what allows them to continue to PR on the big 3 lifts. Over time you’ll get some big poundages and a much bigger physique.

The assistance lifts should be followed as templated on Madcows. If you really believe another assistance exercise would be beneficial, test it out. Don’t worry about what people are doing. Everyone is different. Be careful not to over analyze things, it’s one of the top mistakes beginners do.

#18

Rock, I’m currently abotu 167lbs (weighed myself monday). Unfortunately, I’ve never tested my 1RM on any lift in the past year or 2. However, if you look at my ‘old’(bc im abandoning it) program, they were as follows:

BB Flat bench: did the two sets of 6 at 225lbs, set of 10 at 185-195lb.
*Note, this was also after doing 5 sets of incline bench

Squat: finished my sets at a little over 225lb, my weakest lift by far.

Deadlift: would vary week to week, but I could finish my last set of 6 at about 255lb. I once tried 275, but I only got 2-3 out before my form completely sucked.

The link that stronghold gave me, is that the Madcow version or no?

#19

If you are doing extra biceps and tricep work on t-th, and benching and rowing on m-w-f, then dont you think that thats going to be an issue? Its set up the way it is for a reason and I dont see any reason why you should need to customize the program at all.

#20

I know. I don’t wan to customize. That’s why I was making sure. Was that link you gave me Madcow or no?