Since the writing of my RRD article, my views on training have really evolved. A few of changes that I would make to the program outlined there are:
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I’d cut a lot of the minor work out. (i.e. Direct forearm and trap work)
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I’d never have anyone doing 5x5 with 4 exercises in one workout; I’d go with 2-3 and more frequent workouts.
From working working with a number of individuals, experimenting with myself, and speaking with Chad Waterbury, I’ve become a strong believer in short frequent workouts. When you leave the gym, you should feel fresh and motivated, not tired and rundown. This has become an essential part of my training philosophy. Overly long and tiring workouts slam the CNS and even when working out only 3 times weekly, you’ll lose motivation and will start to loathe the thought of having to train. When this happens, you lose. You are wasting your time in the gym if you are running on a drained CNS. Chad and I just wrote a wonderful article on this very subject (the CNS/overtraining/workout frequency). My current views are to train short, and train often. It’s a wonderful feeling leaving the gym fresh! I guarantee that if you try this approach, you’ll never go back to 60+ min workouts.
Here is the 5x5 split (you can apply this to other rep ranges besides 5x5 as well):
Day 1 (Chest and Biceps)
A1) 30-degree incline DB Bench Press
A2) Incline Bicep Curls
Day 2 (Quad Dom Legs and Calves)
A1) Narrow Stance Squat
A2) Calve Press in a Leg Press Machine
Day 3 (Back and Triceps)
A1) Pullups
A2) Dips
Day 4 (Hip Dom Legs and Shoulders)
A1) Deadlift
A2) Standing DB Military Press
Day 5 Off
Repeat the 5 day cycle back to back for the duration of your program. Also, perform abdominal training outside of the gym once to twice weekly whenever you have some spare time to “destress.”
If you are motivated, skip day 5. I’m telling you, you are going to feel so fresh that you’re just going to want to train. You’ll look forward to your training sessions, everytime. You get to train more frequently, make more progress, and feel better than ever while doing it.
Joel