Just Pick a Damn Routine Already

Bigger Stronger Leaner
21

Duly noted, hence my reply.

I foresee you coming back in a couple of months asking about Starting Strength or Stronglifts.

1 Like
22

I have been training for 3 years and don’t seem to respond well to lower rep and 5x5. I have good mmc on most body parts. I just always question the total volume to use

23

Like these bros have said, you’re all over the place.

To calculate the volume, you have to consider the weights you are lifting. Squatting 3x10 with the bar is not enough. Squatting 85% for 3x10 is way too much. Then you have to think about how much to increase the volume between sessions (Progression). If you add too much, you’ll kill your progress.

A structured routine will teach you how to monitor and control the volume on your main lifts. Once you run through a couple cycles of the routine, you should get a feeling for how the program “works.”

In my opinion, a lot of dudes lift too heavy, for too few reps on the main lifts. Then they try to add too much weight too fast. Many of the best programs limit how much you do on the “big” lifts. This saves your lower back, shoulders, knees and hips.

Also, it leaves more energy to work on your back,quads, traps, hamstrings, triceps and hips. Areas with big muscles that can take a lot of work

Taking “volume” into consideration, I would do more reps, at a lower weight, on your assistance work. I have been loving the “total reps” approach. Say after benching, you’re going to do 75 total reps each for upright rows, dumbbell laterals and tricep pushdowns.

Week 1, those 75 reps could take 5 sets of 15 reps.

Week 2, maybe you get 3 sets of 20, and 1 set of 15 reps.

Week 3, maybe you feel strong and hit a set of 30, 20, 25

You can do straight sets. You can super set 2 exercises, then do the 3rd by itself. You can run a giant set of all 3. You can use rest-pause and try to hit all 75 reps in 1 set. Totally flexible and fun.

Do like these guys say; get some hip extension (back raise, romanian deadlift) on squat day. Also, do shrugs on this day. Maybe some hack squats or light leg press or something.

Do some chins ups, or pulldowns or face pulls or 1 arm rows on bench day.

If your chest is lagging, keep pushups in on “Pull Day.” Pushups are easy, they’ll help you recover from benching, and let you get some blood in your chest one more time during the week.

Some pushups or light dumbbell presses on “Leg” day won’t kill you either. Just be smart.

Finally, 5-6 days a week is too much. Try 3-4. Then do some other, non-weight lifting stuff a couple times a week.

24

What do you mean by all over the place