Just finished a 5x5 program, and want to switch up (mainly because all my lifts have plateaued and the progression has stopped.
My main aim is to specifically bring up biceps thickness, back, and shoulders. I am aiming for pure hypertrophy mainly.
Was thinking of doing something like this…
Bench, 3x8
DB Bench Press 3x8
Dips 3xFailure.
Bent Over Rows, 3x8
Rack Pulls 3x8
Chins 3xFailure
Standing OHP 3x8
DB Lat Raise 3x8
Close Grip Bench 3x8
Overhead triceps ext (with EZ bar) 3x8
Standing Bar curls 3x8
DB Curl 3x8
Progression… Will be adding an extra rep every workout upto 12, which i 'll then increase the weight.
What are you thoughts on this? Is it balanced enough? Have you seen any other routines that specialise in my weaker areas? I have tried search here but couldnt find much…
Just for details i 'm 190lbs, 14ish% BF and have been lifting for a year.
[quote]LazyElemental wrote:
Height, weight, lifts, reasons for not doing any of the very good and highly recommended routines?[/quote]
What?[/quote]
How tall are you?
How much do you weight?
How much do you lift on the primary lifts?
What are you reasons for not doing any of the very good and highly recommended routines?
[quote]LazyElemental wrote:
Height, weight, lifts, reasons for not doing any of the very good and highly recommended routines?[/quote]
What?[/quote]
How tall are you?
How much do you weight?
How much do you lift on the primary lifts?
What are you reasons for not doing any of the very good and highly recommended routines?[/quote]
[quote]The3Commandments wrote:
Dude, you have been making threads about how to get your arms jacked, but you squat less than you bench.
Fail.[/quote]
So what? You don’t know me? I might have had injuries ect… If you have nothing productive to say keep off my thread. What’s the point in flaming others hiding behind your computer screen? Don’t be a twat.
Why do you bench more than you squat?
What are you reasons for not doing any of the very good and highly recommended routines?
I feel like I’m babysitting
All of these lifts will be ramped, for each bodypart. All the sets should start with a weight that is semi difficult to get 6 or 8 times so you can keep ramping.
Chest
BB Bench- 4x6
DB Incline- 3x8
DB flies or cable flies- 3x8
Back/Bi’s
Deadlift- 5,5,3,3
BB Rows- 4x6
DB Curlz- 3x8 with the TOP weight, don’t count your lighter sets in the 3x8 IMO.
EZ Bar Curlz- 3x8
Lat pulldowns- 3x8
V-Grip cable rows- 3x8
Legs
Squats- 4x6
Lunges- 3x8
Hamstring Curls- 3x8
Shoulders/Tri’s
Standing Overhead Press- 4x6
Shrugs- 4x6
EZ bar Skullcrushers- 3x8
Rope Pushdowns- 3x8 Yes, you can ramp these too.
DB or Cable Lateral raises- 3x8
Reverse Cable Flies- 3x8
There, a simple Bodybuilding 4-day split. Eat to grow and be sure to get good stimulation on ALL the sets on ALL the lifts and you’ll progress.
[quote]LazyElemental wrote:
Why do you bench more than you squat?
What are you reasons for not doing any of the very good and highly recommended routines?
I feel like I’m babysitting[/quote]
Well if they are so “highly recommended” RECOMMEND ME ONE instead of posting meaningless unhelpful rubbish on the thread. I did say i wanted something to bring up lagging parts, - Legs Back, Shoulders, Bi. Do you have a problem with this? If so why do you even bother with forums if you obviously have no interest in helping anyone. You may feel like your “babysitting”…SO? Who cares? Why not just post something helpful? TBH mate if anyone is acting like a baby its you for being so immature and disrespectful. Grow up.
RE: Why do you bench more than you squat?
Naturally I have a strong chest, and i find the squatting movement difficult.
[quote]LazyElemental wrote:
Why do you bench more than you squat?
What are you reasons for not doing any of the very good and highly recommended routines?
I feel like I’m babysitting[/quote]
Well if they are so “highly recommended” RECOMMEND ME ONE instead of posting meaningless unhelpful rubbish on the thread. I did say i wanted something to bring up lagging parts, - Legs Back, Shoulders, Bi. Do you have a problem with this? If so why do you even bother with forums if you obviously have no interest in helping anyone. You may feel like your “babysitting”…SO? Who cares? Why not just post something helpful? TBH mate if anyone is acting like a baby its you for being so immature and disrespectful. Grow up.
RE: Why do you bench more than you squat?
Naturally I have a strong chest, and i find the squatting movement difficult.
[/quote]
Lol…immature and disrespectful? More like frustrated and agitated, I mean come on, you want to be spoon fed. Do some research.
“RECOMMEND ME ONE”…how lazy are you? Maybe take a look through the website and make a decision.
Why argue with fools? if you want to bring up Bi’s getting your squat more than your bench is not going to help.
There are some decent bodybuilding routines on google if you don’t want to follow any CT’s or Ian King’s from here.
The major flaw I see in your programming is you put the areas your trying to bring up towards the end of your workouts. It possible it will help but you would be much better off putting it top of your list. They should be first muscle group trained that day if not the first.
If you’ve plateaued on the 5x5 at 315 means your close to your peak physical condition at the mental and nutritional desire you put into this. You can slowly creep up through the years or you can start to work on your weaknesses. Focus on improving your diet, looks like you may need more calories and protein. Learn about recovery, and pushing harder then you have before.
Cycling the weights on a weekly or bi-weekly basis may help you better than adding a rep (Why 5/3/1 is so successful). Adding a rep or a lbs is novice level of progression, to really break the 315 barrier you have to learn to push extra hard on days when you have the energy, and to focus on other skills or muscle groups when you don’t.
If your really more into bodybuilding then the numbers game try 3 months of a bodybuilding routines, I’m talking 5 days a week, with drop sets and pre-fatigue and circuits then go back to the 5x5.
haven’t read whole thread, sorry. This has probably been mentioned but 5/3/1 for BBing will be a great progression from 5x5.
[quote]JT111 wrote:
Just finished a 5x5 program, and want to switch up (mainly because all my lifts have plateaued and the progression has stopped.
My main aim is to specifically bring up biceps thickness, back, and shoulders. I am aiming for pure hypertrophy mainly.
Was thinking of doing something like this…
Bench, 3x8
DB Bench Press 3x8
Dips 3xFailure.
Bent Over Rows, 3x8
Rack Pulls 3x8
Chins 3xFailure
Standing OHP 3x8
DB Lat Raise 3x8
Close Grip Bench 3x8
Overhead triceps ext (with EZ bar) 3x8
Standing Bar curls 3x8
DB Curl 3x8
Progression… Will be adding an extra rep every workout upto 12, which i 'll then increase the weight.
What are you thoughts on this? Is it balanced enough? Have you seen any other routines that specialise in my weaker areas? I have tried search here but couldnt find much…
Just for details i 'm 190lbs, 14ish% BF and have been lifting for a year.[/quote]
And also remember in the strongest shall survive Bill Starr recommended rotating the 5x5 to 5x10, 5x3 and 5x5 on various exercises to stop stagnation. You can also be creative and use variations of the big exercises, so flat bench can become weighted dips, incline and barbells can be swapped for dumbbells etc. wide squats can become close squats in olympic weightlifting shoes or safety bar squats, belt squats, front squats etc etc, so with a range of exercises and rep schemes there really is plenty of scope.
This way if the system is producing results on one exercise e.g squat is moving bench isn’t, you stay with the upper body program 5x5 and swap the squat for the safety bar squat and or start varying the reps over the course of each workout, you can also add assistance work/exercises and manipulate volume, so a 5x3 day on the squat could leave you some room to supplement with KB swings, dead lifts for reps etc.
You said you want big biceps but there’s no point abandoning a routine thats working, overall size and strength is the key here, plus enough food to grow big on, adding extra sets of chins and arm curls will be a good addition.
