Please Critique My Workout Routine for Mass

Forkit · October 29, 2009, 10:56pm

MONDAY: LEGS

A1: Leg Press - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
A2: Squats - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively

B1: Leg extensions - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
B2: Leg curls - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively

C1: Lunges - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
C2: Calf raises - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively

TUESDAY: CHEST

A1: Barbell Bench Press - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
A2: Dumbbell Bench Press - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively

B1: Incline Barbell Press - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
B2: Lying Dumbbell Flyes - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively

C1: Machine Incline Press - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
C2: Incline Dumbbell Flyes - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively

WEDNESDAY: BACK

A1: Deadlifts - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
A2: Rows - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively

B1: Cable Pull downs - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
B2: Bent Over T-Bar rows - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively

THURSDAY: SHOULDER AND ABDOMINAL

A1: Sitting Military Press - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
A2: Side Lateral Raise - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively

B1: Arnold Dumbbell Press - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
B2: Front Dumbbell Raise - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively

C1: Dumbbell Shrugs - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
C2: Upright Barbell Row - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively

FRIDAY: BICEPS, TRICEPS, and FOREARMS

A1: Dumbbell Biceps Curl - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
A2: Cable Pull Downs - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively

B1: Chin Ups - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
B2: Dips - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively

C1: Preacher Curls - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
C2: Lying hammer extensions - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively

D1: Alternate Hammer Curls - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
D2: Push Ups - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively

E1: Reverse Barbell Wrist Curls - 3 sets

Program consists of supersets

Does this look like a solid program for mass? How should I change it? Constructive advice will be highly appreciated

mr_popular · October 29, 2009, 11:54pm

Supersetting probably isn’t the best idea if you’re trying to build muscle.

Also, chin ups and push ups aren’t arm exercises.

ACTrain · October 30, 2009, 12:52am

I don’t like the following Supersets

Legs
A
C

Chest
A
B
C

Back
A

Shoulders & Abs
A
B

There are alot of options when you can train 5 days a week.
Upper/Lower Split or all sorts of bodypart splits.
I think there are too many exercises on most of the days.
Don’t really like the same set/rep scheme for every exercise.
Read up on Ramping in CT’s forum so instead of:
Squats - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
You would do:
Squats - ramping with sets of 6 reps.

gspmirkoice · October 29, 2009, 10:01pm

A few pieces of information would be helpful:

How old are you?
How tall and heavy are you?
What are you eating?
How much and what quality of rest are you getting?
With what are you supplementing?

But, even without this information, a few things stand out. If you are young and thin, I’d be of the opinion that you’ve too much volume here, unless your schedule allows for a ridiculous amount of rest and nearly constant, high quality food intake.

If I were you (and I was at one time, if you’re young and thin), I’d go with one of the simple, time-tested approaches (e.g., Bill Starr 5x5). Spend your time and energy on big compound movements with heavy weights and a disciplined rep execution. Focus on adding weight or reps every workout and on every exercise. Don’t accept plateaus for any reason.

Build each workout around one major movement and minimize single joint movements. Focus on being able to bench 1.5x your bw; strict bent row 1.25x your bw, squat and deadlift 2-2.5 your bw, and weighted chins and dips with 1x your bw. Once you can do that with good form, you’ll be significantly bigger.

To get big you’re going to need to use serious weight - the kind of weight that’ll kill you if you’re trying to superset deadlifts and rows or squats and leg presses. Five sets of five (full) squats with twice your body weight on your back is nearly a whole workout by itself; leg presses would be overkill, let alone all that other stuff.

Try this: Workout every other day. On day one: Squat, DB bench, and bent row (5x5 or 4x6). On day three: Deadlift, weighted dip, and weighted chin (4x6). On day five: Squat, Incline DB bench, bent rows (5x5), with a couple sets of heavy curls (x8), skull crushers (x12), and planks (x60 secs) thrown in for good measure. Take the weekend off. Eat like a pig but cut down on carbs starting in the middle of the afternoon. Make sure that you’re getting good protein and a carb in during and after your workout (e.g., protein shake). Eat tons of high quality protein daily. Avoid booze. Sleep nine hours a night. If you can nap shortly after your workout, do it.

Jeez, sorry for the lecture . . . but you asked.

Forkit · November 1, 2009, 3:58am

[quote]ACTrain wrote:
I don’t like the following Supersets

Legs
A
C

Chest
A
B
C

Back
A

Shoulders & Abs
A
B

There are alot of options when you can train 5 days a week.
Upper/Lower Split or all sorts of bodypart splits.
I think there are too many exercises on most of the days.
Don’t really like the same set/rep scheme for every exercise.
Read up on Ramping in CT’s forum so instead of:
Squats - 4 sets with 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps respectively
You would do:
Squats - ramping with sets of 6 reps.[/quote]

Yeah I do realize that there are too many exercises being involved for each day. Can you refer me to a program I can start with?

Also, can anybody explain why supersets arent good for muscle mass?? Thanks!

Forkit · November 1, 2009, 4:03am

[quote]gspmirkoice wrote:
A few pieces of information would be helpful:

How old are you?
How tall and heavy are you?
What are you eating?
How much and what quality of rest are you getting?
With what are you supplementing?

But, even without this information, a few things stand out. If you are young and thin, I’d be of the opinion that you’ve too much volume here, unless your schedule allows for a ridiculous amount of rest and nearly constant, high quality food intake.

If I were you (and I was at one time, if you’re young and thin), I’d go with one of the simple, time-tested approaches (e.g., Bill Starr 5x5). Spend your time and energy on big compound movements with heavy weights and a disciplined rep execution. Focus on adding weight or reps every workout and on every exercise. Don’t accept plateaus for any reason.

Build each workout around one major movement and minimize single joint movements. Focus on being able to bench 1.5x your bw; strict bent row 1.25x your bw, squat and deadlift 2-2.5 your bw, and weighted chins and dips with 1x your bw. Once you can do that with good form, you’ll be significantly bigger.

To get big you’re going to need to use serious weight - the kind of weight that’ll kill you if you’re trying to superset deadlifts and rows or squats and leg presses. Five sets of five (full) squats with twice your body weight on your back is nearly a whole workout by itself; leg presses would be overkill, let alone all that other stuff.

Try this: Workout every other day. On day one: Squat, DB bench, and bent row (5x5 or 4x6). On day three: Deadlift, weighted dip, and weighted chin (4x6). On day five: Squat, Incline DB bench, bent rows (5x5), with a couple sets of heavy curls (x8), skull crushers (x12), and planks (x60 secs) thrown in for good measure.

Take the weekend off. Eat like a pig but cut down on carbs starting in the middle of the afternoon. Make sure that you’re getting good protein and a carb in during and after your workout (e.g., protein shake). Eat tons of high quality protein daily. Avoid booze. Sleep nine hours a night. If you can nap shortly after your workout, do it.

Jeez, sorry for the lecture . . . but you asked.

[/quote]

I’m 5 ft 6, 145 pounds, about 16% bf. I am following the Anabolic Diet (55-60% Fat, 40-45%, protein, and less than 30g carbs). I currently have no supplements but I plan on using NanoVapor and Superpump 250.

Isnt Ripptoe’s program aimed primarilly for stength rather than size. I also thought the ideal reps per set for mass is 10-12, insead of 5.

Thanks for your detailed advice!

gspmirkoice · November 3, 2009, 3:02am

I guess I’d pass along some of the things that brought me around to a different approach to training. For years, I followed the 3-4 x 10-12 model, as I had repeatedly heard the same thing: “It’s the ideal for size.” And I tried to hit every possible body part with multiple exercises for fear of missing something. Unfortunately for me, I had limited results with that approach, despite very high intensity in my training.

Then, someone pointed out that you don’t ever see extremely strong skinny guys. I’m not talking about thin guys who can chin themselves thirty times or do a hundred push ups; I’m talking about STRONG – squatting and deadlifting and benching with enough weight that the bar bends and the calluses on their hands tear. Cranking out pullups and dips with half or more of their body weight hanging around their waists. Picking up the back ends of cars and lifting kegs to their shoulders. Those guys, almost inevitably, look as powerful as they are.

Now, I’ve heard the whole “sample bias” argument (i.e., that guys who have a natural proclivity to build muscle tend to gravitate toward lifting heavy) and the steroid accusations (i.e., “he’s just juicing”), but common sense would dictate that if you pick up heavier and heavier stuff over a long period of time, and give your body the fuel and rest to build itself, it’ll compensate by getting bigger and more dense. It may take time, and certainly requires great discipline in terms of diet and rest, but if everything is done correctly, your body ABSOLUTELY WILL Grow!

The problem that I experienced with the volume that you described for your workout is that I couldn’t live a normal life and recover adequately. At some point of frequency and volume, you simply overmatch your body’s capacity for recovery. If this happens, progress slows to a crawl and little mass is gained.

I’d suggest making up your mind that you’re going to give it a good, disciplined six months, set goals to meet body-weight multiples for major lifts (e.g., 2xbodyweight squat, 1.5xBW bench, 2xBW deadlift, 1.25xBW bent row, etc), and go for it. If you stick to the anabolic diet, get good rest and supplementation, and somehow achieve the goals without gaining weight, well . . . I don’t know. I just can’t imagine that. I’d bet the farm that you’ll look dramatically different, both in terms of body mass and body composition (i.e., high percentage of lean mass, lower perentage body fat). And you’ll be pretty damn strong.

Whatever you do, best of luck.