# What's your routine and how does it work for you?



## DSG (Nov 13, 2015)

I've been seeing a lot of people arguing over the "best" routine on all sorts of forums. I disagree that there's a "best" routine because obviously it all comes down to YOU.

I've done full body workouts, strength workouts (such as rippetoes), simple Monday chest, tuesday back, wednesday legs, thursday shoulder, friday biceps, saturday triceps.

Yet to try PPL.

Full body workout didn't seem good for me at all, injury galore. Rippetoes was good for about 2 months my strength flew through the roof, more than when I was a newbie, but then everything stagnates, you get bored and it just seems like you aren't getting any more progress.

The best one for me, bodybuilding-wise, has been the simple one. It allowed me to mentally focus a lot easier on that one muscle group. Also, the frequency of working out allowed me to eat a lot more calories without putting on extra fat. I don't know why, but it just works like that for me.

Something that has got to me is the thought that working a muscle group 1ce a week isn't enough for optimum gains so I've looked at Layne Norton's workout and done a bit of tweaking (might have made a mess of it actually) but this is what I'm going to be doing in 3 weeks time when I've finished cutting & shoulder/back rehab:

Monday:

Barbell Bench Press 5x5
Barbell Rows 5x5
Military Press 5x5
Pull ups 5x5

Tuesday

Squat 5x5

Standing Calf raises 5x5

Deadlift 5x5

Wednesday:

Rest

Thursday

chest and arms

DB Decline Bench press 3×8-12
DB Flat Bench 2×8-12

DB decline flyes
Preacher Curls 3×8-12 supersetted with
laying skullcrushers 3×8-12
Push Downs 3×8-12 supersetted with
DB Hammer Curls
EZ Curl 3×8-12 supersetted with
Dips 3×8-12

Friday

Military Press 3×8-12 supersetted with
DB Rear delt fly 3×8-12
DB One Arm Row 3×8-12 supersetted with
DB Arnold Press 3×8-12

BTNP 3x12 (light)
Wide pull ups (overhand) 2×8-12 supersetted with
Machine row (overhand)(upper back, not much bending over) 2×10-15
Close grip pull ups(underhand) 2×8-12 supersetted with
DB Upright Row (if shoulders are okay, if not then laying lateral raises) 2×10-15

Saturday is going to be a leg day but yet to design it.

an issue I have is the lack of emphasis on back, though this is my strong point I don't think it will fall behind at all if I alter it after a while.


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## ausmaz (Jul 14, 2014)

DSG said:


> I've been seeing a lot of people arguing over the "best" routine on all sorts of forums. I disagree that there's a "best" routine because obviously it all comes down to YOU.
> 
> I've done full body workouts, strength workouts (such as rippetoes), simple Monday chest, tuesday back, wednesday legs, thursday shoulder, friday biceps, saturday triceps.
> 
> ...


 Do you train assisted mate or natural? Only reason i ask is because after a few weeks of 5x5 squats,bench and deadlifting- when your in top poundage/ new poundage territory..... coming back into the gym for more 'hypertrophy' style work will be either very hard going on your joints and connective tissues..... or simply too much volume, causing you too stall or worse.... regress. However, if your gonna be on cycle.... fire away! Good luck man

Edit: just seen this is in natural bodybuilding, doh.... so see previous!


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## DSG (Nov 13, 2015)

ausmaz said:


> Do you train assisted mate or natural? Only reason i ask is because after a few weeks of 5x5 squats,bench and deadlifting- when your in top poundage/ new poundage territory..... coming back into the gym for more 'hypertrophy' style work will be either very hard going on your joints and connective tissues..... or simply too much volume, causing you too stall or worse.... regress. However, if your gonna be on cycle.... fire away! Good luck man
> 
> Edit: just seen this is in natural bodybuilding, doh.... so see previous!


 Yeah one of my IRL mates have said the same thing. I might change it a bit. Or reduce amount of sets on hypertrophy days or on strength days. Gonna play around with it for a month see if I can make it work if not then back to basics!


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## The Beast (Mar 10, 2005)

I do the following:

Monday - Deadlift, Squats, calf raises, barbell shrugs and bicep curls

Tuesday - Bench press, military press, close grip bench press, DB fly's, tricep cable press down or dips

Wednesday - rest

Thursday - Deadlift, Machine Lat pull down, Machine close grip rows, Barbell upright row, barbell shrugs

Friday - Squats, lunges, calf raises, EZ bar curls, DB hammer curls

Saturday - Bench press, close grip bench press, DB fly's, DB lateral raise, DB front raise

Sunday - rest

To some, this may seem a bit random, but it has really worked for me. I vary reps between strength and hyper trophy weeks and sometimes alter the isolation exercises, but on the whole, it is a good programme for a natty.

Training each body part twice a week has massively helped me in terms of muscle and strength gains as well.

I train with another guy and put him on the same programme and he has gained a stone in the last 4 months, with most of it being muscle.


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## Ken Hutchinson (May 29, 2009)

This is going to be my new routine

Monday

squats 5x5

o-h-press 5x5

bent over row 4x10

pin press 4x5

seated leg curl 4x12

bb curl 4x8

seated calf 4x8

Thursday

leg press 5x15

toe press 5x15

deadlift 3x5

stiff leg deadlift 4x8

side laterals 4x12

in flys 4x12

cable french pushdown 4x12


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## The Sweeney (May 8, 2014)

All sets x 3, to fail on last set.

Workout A: Bench , DB shoulder press, DB lat raise, dips, leg press

Workout B: Chins, DB Row, Lat Pull downs, Shrugs, leg press

I alternate them Mon, Wed, Fri.

Seems to give me a decent bang for buck compound type of workout, although recently I'm getting bored and looking to switch it round but am out of ideas.

Doing compound work exhausts me, so 12-15 sets is my energy limit. I've no idea how some of you guys can do these 20+ set routines, unless you;re using light weights and not busting your balls? Or maybe I've just very low endurance and crap diet? Or maybe at 40 you just can't do as much in one sitting?


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## a.notherguy (Nov 17, 2008)

currently doing legs, push, pull. 3 on 1 off. simple and quick (cos i dont have much time to train at the mo).

legs:

ATG squat 3x8,

s.l.deads with shurg at top 3x8.

leg press 3x8

random calf work for 5 sets with occasional high rep face pulls thrown in between some sets

push:

bench 3x8

mil press 3x8

lateral raises 3x12 + a drop set

random tricep exercise for 3 sets

pull:

dumbell row 3x8

v pull up 3x8

face pull 2x12 + a drop set

random bicep exercises


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## Dan94 (Dec 29, 2013)

Monday - Chest/Back

Tuesday - Arms/Shoulders

Wednesday - Legs/Abs

Thursday - Rest

Friday - Chest/Back

Sat/Sun - Rest

Monday - Arms/Shoulders

Tuesday - Legs/Abs

Wednesday - Chest/Back

etc etc


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## JamesMichaelJones (Mar 15, 2016)

This is my routine

Chest/Triceps

Chest:

Incline Dumbbell Press - 3 sets, 8-12 Reps

Dumbbell Bench Press - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Pec Dec Fly - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Triceps:

Triceps Pushdown - V-Bar Attachment - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Triceps Extension - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Seated Dip - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Back/Biceps

Back:

One-Arm Dumbbell Row - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Diverging Lat Pulldown - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Diverging Seated Row - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Lat Pull - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Biceps:

Biceps Cable Curl - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Barbell Curl - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Arm Curl - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Shoulders/Traps

Dumbbell Shoulder Press - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Side Laterals - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Dumbbell Shrug - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Reverse Pec Dec Fly - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Legs/Calfs

Leg Press - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Leg Extension - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Seated Leg Curl - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps

Calf Press - 3 Sets, 8-12 Reps


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## PaulB (Jun 6, 2010)

Pull, push, legs. Low reps, heavy as poss

3 on, one off.

Pull, push , legs. High reps, moderate weight

3 on, one off


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## genetik (Mar 13, 2014)

push pull legs arms rest start all over


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## UlsterRugby (Nov 16, 2014)

I just lift as and when. I train 3-5 times a week and rep and set range change all the time. Mainly 12,10,8,6 increasing weight each time.


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