As the one how gave him this routine, I think I should explain the reasons behind the program.
First the program was inspired by the WKM-Plan. (A beginner plan that is very popular in german bb-forums)
Also here are some basic principles for this routine I told him:
- learn the proper form /technique of every exercise
- never go to failure, you should always be able to perform 2-3 more reps at the end of a set
- try to do 25-30 reps per exercise total (not counting the warm-up)
- train at least 4 times a week
- rest between sets as long as you have to perform the next set with proper form
The standard WKM-plan looks like this:
Day 1:
- Squat
- Benchpress
- Bent-over Rows
Day 2:
- Deadlift
- Chin-Ups
- Military Press
The reason why we modified the day 2, is that he has a significant dysbalance between his pulling- and pushing strength in his upper body. So I gave him the advice to replace one upper body pressing movement with an additional pulling movement. So that the modified day 2 looks like this:
mod. Day 2:
- Deadlift
- Chin-Ups
- some kind of Rowing-movement
You actually have less than one day to rest, because you’re doing one exercise and then the other the next day, and then only one rest day. Deadlifts and squats train a lot of the same muscles, being especially hard on the lower back. If you have to train both exercises several times per week, using different weights and different sets/reps would be a much better option.[/quote]
Thats correct if you train them with (relative) big weights. But he is in a beginner state and trying to learn the right technique, so he is not using much weight (something i told him) and therefore not taxing the CNS that much. You should also consider, that he is a young healthy college student, how gets enough sleep and eats well, so his regeneration shouldn’t be a problem.
Also I gave him the advice just to train, when he “feels right”,meaning that if he would be sore form the last training he shouldn’t train but if he felt over energized he could train 4 times in a row. All depending on his personal feeling.
So to answer why he trains squats /deadlifts 2 times a week, to really learn something you have to do it as often as you can.
The last thing I want to explain is why he writes that there are “must” and “bonus” exercises. The answer is simple, to give him some room to do “fun” stuff. Everyone who trains more than a year and strictly followed a programm for long period knows, that the motivation to train decreases over time. At the beginning you’re enthusiastic and go to the gym fully motivated, but every following week you are less and less interested in you routine.
So to vary the training, I gave him the possibility to do some exercises he WANT to do. Which, is up to him.
That he chose two chest exercises… yeah you all know that every man likes to train chest and arms => the mirror muscles
It’s nothing I recommended.
regards
fischfutter