+ 1 Changing up the routine for "shock"
I've been doing the same routine for about 4 months. Had steady progress until this month I've seemed to stop going up on the amount of weight I can push/pull with good form. I did go from 4 sets to 5 sets avg reps at 8. Since I couldn't go up and keep form. I feel like it's about time to change my routine up anyway. My question is, Do you guys think that switching grips on press and pull is adequate for the main compound movements or should I look for new movements all together? Because I'm having a hard time programming a new routine and doing away with my flat bench and seated rows and shoulder press but I could change grip on them all. Let me know what you think please. And I'm hoping this will help me continue with progressive overload.
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You need hypertrophy. Some days I’ll do 10x10x others will be more focused on heavy weight, lower reps… other days will be lighter weight, higher reps. Tear the tissue down.
I think that mixing it up is really the way to go. It makes lifting more fun and less of a grind sometimes too
Sticking at 8 reps for each set is not going to continually get you stronger, it will at first if you are new to lifting because basically anything works in getting your strength and size to increase. I would recommend dropping your reps down to 4 for each of the sets and increasing the load on the bar, then work from there in increasing the reps you can do. Developing strength is also about the ability to develop power, so you don't have to get completely anal about your form. Yes don't be sloppy and risk injuring yourself - but don't do everything so precisely/robotically that you are limiting putting your all into it if you get me. What you will probably find at first is that your first set will be hard to increase the number of reps on, but then the second and third increase as you get the muscle more warmed up and the nervous system firing better and more in tune with the lower reps.
Yeah one of my older routines. I did no more than five reps and no more than 4 sets I got stronger doing that. But I've been reading a lot of makwa and others posts and they talk about tut being so important that's what I mean when I say form I'm making sure I burst up and slow negative down. I take 45 second rests between sets and hit 5 movements per group usually no more than 50 minutes in the gym unless it's on the weekend and I'm hanging around looking at fat bottom girls. When I designed my current routine I actually started it heavy and around 6 reps sets of 4 but then I let that tut shit get in my head and started to try to be more controlled and of course that meant lowering the weight and then after I got used to that is when I started doing sets of 8 because I felt like I wasn't getting enough and then added the extra set just 2 weeks ago. It's crazy some of the movements like pulldowns I have gotten consistent increase in while other movements it seems like some days I'm even getting weaker which is probably in my head because I want to think I'm always improving. i appreciate the advice man I may get back to the heavy weight low reps routine again.
Yeah buddy - Myself and Makwa were training at completely opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of how we lift and what we are after at the end of a session. I totally respect Mak and the methods he uses, he was a good friend of mine when he use to come on for many years. Mak didn't train for strength though really - he was all about gaining size and feeling the muscle working which did extremely well for him. But if you are after getting stronger mate then 45 second rest periods will do you no favours, you need to be resting for 3 to 5 minutes in between working sets to fully replenish your glycogen and ATP stores to enable you to lift to your proper strength potential during sets. 45 seconds wouldn't even get my breath back let alone reload my muscle with enough energy. You have to be prepared to be in the gym for longer and I would also cut down on the number of exercises you are doing as its likely you are exhausting yourself. I think mixing it up with some low rep sets and then some higher rep sets 8 to 10 would work well for you if you are still after size too. I simply cannot imagine getting a thorough workout in and leaving before 90 minutes is up, personally I train for much longer than that too but I know not everyone has that amount of time available every evening.
When I was at my strongest it was usually 3-4hrs at the gym. Warm up and sauna included. Sometimes the wifey will walk out back to see what I’m up to and say do you even lift?? I hear all this huffing and puffing but all I see you doing is walk back and forth and when I do see you lift it’s only like 3-4times lmao!! Sometimes I wish she understood but she thinks it’s crazy that I enjoy and spend so much time trying to lift heavy shit lol.
Even at half the strength I need atleast 2 hrs cuz Ill work up to my working weight then go into drop sets. The pump is insane on drop sets. Training like this does take up a lot of time. I just went from 4 days to 6 day a week and so that’s 14hrs a week not including cardio. This only works for me bc the kiddos are in their room by 6-6:30 for story time lights out by 7. So after that it’s free time. Or sometimes I’ll work out right when I get off work so the wifey and I can watch shit at night but usually when this happens I’m just tryna get it in lmao.
Ohh yeah buddy - Its pretty routine every time I won't be training any less than 3 hours as I time each session on my stopwatch so I can precisely time rest periods. Once working sets begin my rests are routinely between 8 to 10 minutes, often I can hit them again before this but I don't want to short change myself in the strength output I can put into a set each time. If I miss a planned rep then it will forever bugging me that I maybe could of got it if I waited the designated amount of time I planned to. Yeah it makes training sessions long but I enjoy it all so doesn't bother me.
This great advice. I just switched from a higher rep BB routine to something similar to what you said above and I’m loving it. It’s really fun to get in the gym and try to move some real weight.
Look up 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler. I think progressive overload would do you good.
5/3/1 is the one program I come back to again and again. It’s not the fastest or best for strength or size alone but the gains for both WILL come and you have a lot of flexibility with accessories. Basically, it just works and you’ll probably feel pretty good while you’re running it.
Yep. It’s also one I have rarely received any type of injury from as well.