Opinions On My Routine

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Alright… I’m not new to weight lifting, though it has been a couple of years since last lifting regularly. The last couple of years have just been boxing/grappling, and keeping my weight down. I’m 5’9, 145lbs, 22 years old.

Well, I’m sick of being a toothpick. I miss those days on the beach haha. This is what I’m doing right now…

CHEST/TRIS

  • Flat bench (db or bb)

  • Incline bench (db or bb)

  • Decline bench (db or bb)

  • Dumbell flies and/or peck deck

  • Close grip bench press

  • suicide curls

  • dips

  • Cable pull downs

BACK/BIS

  • Bent over rows (db/bb)

  • Wide grip pull ups

  • Usually close grip cable rows

  • Bent over dumbell flies

  • Regular db curls

  • db preacher curls

  • bent bb curls (the bar is bent)

  • 1 handed cable curls

LEGS/FOREARMS

  • Squats

  • Deadlifts

  • Hamstring curls

  • Calf raises

  • Grab the weight tied to a stick with rope, wind it up and down until I can’t.

  • Sometimes some wrist curls

SHOULDERS/TRAPS

  • db shoulder press

  • Not sure what it’s called. Grab two dumbells, and raise arms slightly bent straight out infront of me

  • Bent over cable rows? Not sure if that’s what it’s called… for rear delts

  • Standing up flies

  • bb shrugs

  • bb shrugs behind back

  • db shrugs

  • I generally do one light set per exercise, followed by 2-3 sets aiming to get down to 4-6 reps

  • I usually do 2 days on, 1 day rest. If my body is feeling tired, I’ll take 2 days straight if necessary.

*For supplements, I take Surge, MD Complete, German Creatine, Multi Vitamin, Fish oil.

*My goals is to get bigger and stronger, without too much fat gain. I’d like to still be athletic. A good end result for me would be 160-165lbs of lean muscle

Should I cut the light first set and go hard from the get-go?

Do I have my days broken down okay?

Should I be reaching hypertrophy on each set? Just the last set? Not at all?

What problems do you see? Anything I’m doing right?

Thanks!

2

[quote]JFG12 wrote:

CHEST/TRIS

  • Flat bench (db or bb)

  • Incline bench (db or bb)

  • Decline bench (db or bb)

  • Dumbell flies and/or peck deck

  • Close grip bench press

  • suicide curls

  • dips

  • Cable pull downs[/quote]

Use a barbell for incline bench. I’d get rid of Decline Bench and substitute it with Cable Flyes, if possible. You do want hypertrophy, after all. I have no idea what suicide curls are, but I would replace them with SkullCrushers. Make sure you do both bench dips and vertical dips, and make sure you use various grips for the pressdowns to hit all heads of the triceps.

[quote]BACK/BIS

  • Bent over rows (db/bb)

  • Wide grip pull ups

  • Usually close grip cable rows

  • Bent Over DB Rows

  • Regular db curls

  • db preacher curls

  • bent bb curls (the bar is bent)

  • 1 handed cable curls[/quote]

I suppose the first exercise is one-arm BORs. Wide grip pullups are excellent lat width builders-good choice. I would add only one more exercise-the lat pulldown; make sure you execute it correctly. Too many do not know how to do lat pulldowns CORRECTLY. For biceps, use an EZ curl bar for Preacher curls for better isolation. The Incline Curls should be used with DBs (I suggest doing ten reps on one arm, hold the DB from dropping, do ten reps on the next arm, hold the db, count to ten, let the first arm’s DB drop, count to ten, drop the other DB). Try adding EZ Curls at the end (21s maybe?).

[quote]LEGS/FOREARMS

  • Squats

  • Deadlifts

  • Hamstring curls

  • Calf raises

  • Wrist Roller**

  • Sometimes some wrist curls[/quote]

Try doing a pyramid for squats, where the weight increases and the reps decrease. Start at 20 reps, then 15,10,8,6,4,2. I would another four sets of squats somewhere in there, but with a different rep scheme and weight. Make sure you only do up to 8 reps with hamstring curls, and get your deadlift form down. Add Zottmann Curls for your forearms.

[quote]SHOULDERS/TRAPS

  • db shoulder press

  • Not sure what it’s called. Grab two dumbells, and raise arms slightly bent straight out infront of me

  • Bent over cable rows? Not sure if that’s what it’s called… for rear delts

  • Standing up flies

  • bb shrugs

  • bb shrugs behind back

  • db shrugs[/quote]

I would get rid of this whole section. I suggest doing seated Military Press followed by Standing DB Lateral Raises, various cable lateral raises (seated and standing), seated bent-over lateral raises, and then end with Arnold Presses.

[quote]* I generally do one light set per exercise, followed by 2-3 sets aiming to get down to 4-6 reps

  • I usually do 2 days on, 1 day rest. If my body is feeling tired, I’ll take 2 days straight if necessary.

*For supplements, I take Surge, MD Complete, German Creatine, Multi Vitamin, Fish oil.

*My goals is to get bigger and stronger, without too much fat gain. I’d like to still be athletic. A good end result for me would be 160-165lbs of lean muscle

Should I cut the light first set and go hard from the get-go?

Do I have my days broken down okay?

Should I be reaching hypertrophy on each set? Just the last set? Not at all?

What problems do you see? Anything I’m doing right?

Thanks![/quote]

Make sure you do at least 4 sets, and do five sets if you think you got it in you. HOWEVER, use moderate to heavy weights. You should never do below 6 reps, except for maybe Bench Press and Deadlift (which would be no lower than five reps). Stay in the 8-10 rep range. On the last set of your exercises, you should have trouble pumping out the ninth and tenth rep. If not, increase weight.

Eat like a mother fucker. Seriously. Act like if you don’t eat, you’ll lose your dick. Make sure you eat at least 1.5 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight. Enjoy, and lift like your life depends on it.

3

Eat like a mofo true, but watch what you eat too! You dont want most of that going to your belly! and stay off the alcohol!

4

hmmm chicken breastssss