Lifters.. What program do you..

Rae6503

Think I might give the SL a try for a couple weeks. Lil worried about the squats though. Have had 2 knee surgeries for meniscus tears. Not sure I'm ready to squat heavy. Guess I'll have to see...

Start slow. Don't move up unless you can do the weight with PERFECT form. Keep your knees out. Go past parallel. Keep the weight over the middle of your foot, and your knees behind your toes.

Ripken818836701

Here is my program /split, in my opinion its the perfect split for tearing down and resting each muscle group. I dont change my program but do switch up particular exercises and the order I do them often.
Just got done cutting and weigh 204 lbs (my profile pic. is at 213 lbs) and my goal is to weigh 220 lbs and remain at my current BF.%
I use the tape measure and adding weight as my measure of progress.

Monday: Legs = 20 sets, (including squats) Calves = 8 sets
Tuesday: Back= 23 sets, Bi's= 16 sets
Wednesday: Cardio= Insanity, Abs= 8 sets
Thursday: Chest= 20 sets, Tri's: 16 sets
Friday: Cardio= Insanity Abs= 8 sets
Saturday: Shoudlers+ 20 sets, Traps= 8 sets, Deadlifts= 4 sets
Sunday: Off

ninerbuff

I change my program every month, but some I use are

Pyramid- increase weight, reduce reps (12 reps, then 10, 8,6)

8x8 method (volume training)

5x5

20x 3 (muscle endurance, but I usually only do this for 2 weeks max)

Rest pause method (lift a weight, rack it and lift it again)

Interval lifting


There are so many different programs out there.


A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ChrisGoldn

I'm currently doing Jim Stoppani's 12 week Shortcut to Size...

I've been lifting for 2 years and have done a few cycles of workouts..

This one is so far kicking my *kitten* and leaving me feeling great Definitely feeling stronger too


Here's the link

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/shortcut-to-size-phase-1-week-1-day-4.html

jenniejengin

Bump

Punktorian

A friend and I did Animal Hellraiser Training for 10 weeks and both of us gained a fair amount of muscle on it. It's a bodybuilding focused program. I also saw a log of strength gains on this program. A lot of that can be attributed to getting my form back and just getting back into free weights though.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hrt-animal-hellraiser-trainer-series-overview.html

Planning on doing Bill Starr's Advanced 5x5 starting up soon for some strength gains.

http://www.muscleandbrawn.com/bill-starr-advanced-5x5-workout.html

StartingAnewDay

A friend and I did Animal Hellraiser Training for 10 weeks and both of us gained a fair amount of muscle on it. It's a bodybuilding focused program. I also saw a log of strength gains on this program. A lot of that can be attributed to getting my form back and just getting back into free weights though.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hrt-animal-hellraiser-trainer-series-overview.html

Planning on doing Bill Starr's Advanced 5x5 starting up soon for some strength gains.

http://www.muscleandbrawn.com/bill-starr-advanced-5x5-workout.html

Is one 5x5 better than another?

meshashesha2012

i've done strong lifts 5x5 and am currently doing NROL4W. i love them both because i hate isolation exercises and hate spending unnecessary time in the gym. Once I finish NR (probably in 6 months), I'll either go back to strong lifts or will start crossfit

Nopedotjpeg

i've done strong lifts 5x5 and am currently doing NROL4W. i love them both because i hate isolation exercises and hate spending unnecessary time in the gym. Once I finish NR (probably in 6 months), I'll either go back to strong lifts or will start crossfit

Have you taken a look at Starting Strength or some of the more advanced routines on the SL website (I believe Madcow is one of them)?

meshashesha2012

i've done strong lifts 5x5 and am currently doing NROL4W. i love them both because i hate isolation exercises and hate spending unnecessary time in the gym. Once I finish NR (probably in 6 months), I'll either go back to strong lifts or will start crossfit

Have you taken a look at Starting Strength or some of the more advanced routines on the SL website (I believe Madcow is one of them)?

i'm not too familiar with the starting strength program, but i have watched several of rippetoe's vids on youtubes ( mainly deadlifts and squats). i'll have to check out the other routines on the SL website.

oh yeah the other option after NROL4W was complexes
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/screw_cardio_four_complexes_for_a_shredded_physique

i tried the tumminello complex and thought it was fun (yeah i'm a workout masochist :laugh: ) but i made the mistake of doing it on the same day i lifted with NR and well, that wasnt such a great idea :laugh:

taso42

Do? there are so many out there, NROWL, 5x5, pyramid, superset, full body, split days.. the list goes on...How did you decide which one was for you?

I started with Body For Life, which is an upper/lower split with individual isolation exercises. Did that for a while. After doing more research, and committing to the idea of getting a barbell, power rack, etc, I moved to Starting Strength. It was a whole new world in terms of using time efficiently, feeling productive, and making real strength gains.

So far I've done 3 rounds of the beginner program. The first 2 rounds were abbreviated, but I hit every session of the 3rd round.

Now I will be starting Wendler's 5/3/1. Similar methodology - the heavy compounding lifts and assistance work, but different programming with various weeks being heavier and lighters, and a deload every 4th week built in. That seems more sensible to me at this point.

No regrets whatsoever about SS. I think it's an ideal program to get from Step "0" to Step "now I know how to squat".

Do you ever mix programs?

Not really, except in the last handful of sessions of SS, I started doing some hybrid 5/3/1 thing, where my working sets were more "inspired by" 5/3/1 rather than the regular 3x5.

What are your lifting goals? Increased strength? Endurance? Tone/Fat burn?

Brute Strength, muscles. But I'm willing to compromise some strength for a nice physique. In other words, going on cut cycles to lean out, as opposed to just eating and eating and eating.

How do you judge progress?

By how much weight was just lifted. Whether I succeeded or failed at completing my planed working sets. Whether I am on track with the lifting goals.

Also, the mirror.

juliekaiser1988

Bill Phillips... Body for Life

taso42

A friend and I did Animal Hellraiser Training for 10 weeks and both of us gained a fair amount of muscle on it. It's a bodybuilding focused program. I also saw a log of strength gains on this program. A lot of that can be attributed to getting my form back and just getting back into free weights though.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hrt-animal-hellraiser-trainer-series-overview.html

Planning on doing Bill Starr's Advanced 5x5 starting up soon for some strength gains.

http://www.muscleandbrawn.com/bill-starr-advanced-5x5-workout.html

Is one 5x5 better than another?

I think Bill Starr's is the original. All the others are pretty much derivative. As a beginner, I think any of these programs will pretty much do. After one has progressed, then he or she can look at changing up the programming.

What's important - getting form right. Learning the movements. Making steady progress. That trumps the specific such-and-such program being followed.