Workout routine too aggressive?
FrnkLft
Posts: 1,821 Member
So I've been considering stepping up my routine to be a bit more aggressive. I understand that overtraining could be a problem though, would I be overtraining if I tried this:
Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Calves
Day 2: Legs, Back, Arms
Day 3: Chest, Shoulders, Calves
Day 4: Legs, Back, Arms
Day 5: Chest, Shoulders, Calves
Day 6: Rest, Cardio
Day 7: Rest, Cardio
My current plan is as follows... each group once a week just seems a little lax but I recognize that more might not be better:
Day 1: Chest
Day 2: Back
Day 3: Shoulders
Day 4: Legs
Day 5: Arms
Day 6: Forearms/Calves + Cardio
Day 7: Rest, Cardio
I do between 3-4 exercises each day, 4-6 reps, 3 sets, 2 min rests + about 7 min warmup at the start. Overall each day it takes about 45 min to get through my routine. I would be stretching it to about 1 hr 15 min if I grouped things because I would remove some of the isolation work due to the higher load.
I want to do legs twice a week, and maybe chest 3 times a week (non consecutive)
Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Calves
Day 2: Legs, Back, Arms
Day 3: Chest, Shoulders, Calves
Day 4: Legs, Back, Arms
Day 5: Chest, Shoulders, Calves
Day 6: Rest, Cardio
Day 7: Rest, Cardio
My current plan is as follows... each group once a week just seems a little lax but I recognize that more might not be better:
Day 1: Chest
Day 2: Back
Day 3: Shoulders
Day 4: Legs
Day 5: Arms
Day 6: Forearms/Calves + Cardio
Day 7: Rest, Cardio
I do between 3-4 exercises each day, 4-6 reps, 3 sets, 2 min rests + about 7 min warmup at the start. Overall each day it takes about 45 min to get through my routine. I would be stretching it to about 1 hr 15 min if I grouped things because I would remove some of the isolation work due to the higher load.
I want to do legs twice a week, and maybe chest 3 times a week (non consecutive)
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Replies
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Nothing wrong with hitting everything twice a week. i would however put your rest days at different times in the week. Day 3 you should rest and day 5 you should rest. If you're hitting arms every day before your second and third chest workouts you're not going to get the quality of workout you're looking for because your secondary muscle groups are going to be too taxed. Also see you're doing chest/shoulders three times a week. IMO i think this is a bit much not so much for your chest but your shoulders are going to be fried. Keep in mind your shoulders aid greatly in every chest pressing exercise. I would do chest/shoulders workouts twice a week at the most, maybe even do shoulders another day. I would re-configure this a bit.0
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The routine you are considering has flaws. Your tris will be getting worked every day your are lifting. When you do any kind of pressing movement your triceps are involved. Flat bench and inclines hit tris pretty hard. Why not train calves with legs. I would just do an upper/lower split or push/pull with legs.0
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If you want to hit everything that frequently I would get a little more focused on what your're specifically doing. Checkout these two articles that basically cover what you would like to do I think.
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/6_weeks_to_superhero_how_i_build_muscle_and_strip_off_fat_fast&cr=
or this
For this link and within the article there's actually a link to an upper body and lower body workout but the following link is an overview of the program itself.
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/look_like_a_bodybuilder_perform_like_an_athlete0 -
Doesnt seem too ridiculous to me. I try to hit one (if smashing it) or two body parts per session tho, with maybe throwing in calves at the end of the workout so that i hit them three or four times a week.
I dont schedule rest days because i dont want to NOT go to the gym when i'm feeling fresh and be all like "I know its rest day but damn i wish i'd gone to the gym today!" .. but i do rest when i've hit the gym like maybe 3 or 4 days on the bounce and my body is pretty much telling me to.
Good to see youre giving legs the attention they deserve tho mate!!0 -
Yeah I'm the same way, I would go to the gym every day if I could.
Hows this:
Day: 1 Chest Legs Calves
Day: 2 Back Shoulders Biceps
Day: 3 Chest Legs Calves
Day: 4 Back Shoulders Biceps
Day: 5 Chest Legs Calves
Day: 6 Rest Cardio
Day: 7 Rest Cardio
I push it pretty hard on the chest and shoulders, my triceps probably don't need isolation. other than that my biceps only get worked a little with back, so some isolation couldn't hurt. I want to keep my working days straight though, so I would rest at the end of the week.0 -
Yeah I'm the same way, I would go to the gym every day if I could.
Hows this:
Day: 1 Chest Legs Calves
Day: 2 Back Shoulders Biceps
Day: 3 Chest Legs Calves
Day: 4 Back Shoulders Biceps
Day: 5 Chest Legs Calves
Day: 6 Rest Cardio
Day: 7 Rest Cardio
I think not only is the split important but what are you doing with the split. For example, what is a Day 1 Chest workout versus a Day 2 Chest workout? Also, what are your goals? You say you use 4-6 reps for all your exercises, so is each workout just compound movements basically?0 -
calves 3 times a week ???
If i did mine to "usual failure" 3 times a week i d be walking like a cripple all week instead of just 2 days they take to recover...(84kg / 171/2 inch calf.)0 -
Yeah I'm the same way, I would go to the gym every day if I could.
Hows this:
Day: 1 Chest Legs Calves
Day: 2 Back Shoulders Biceps
Day: 3 Chest Legs Calves
Day: 4 Back Shoulders Biceps
Day: 5 Chest Legs Calves
Day: 6 Rest Cardio
Day: 7 Rest Cardio
Problem with the above split is your shoulders are getting worked every day. Flat bench, incline benches, dips not only hit your chest and tris but your shoulders are getting worked and a lot as well.0 -
Take a look at the routine listed here
http://www.simplyshredded.com/mega-feature-layne-norton-training-series-full-powerhypertrophy-routine-updated-2011.html0 -
Take a look at the routine listed here
http://www.simplyshredded.com/mega-feature-layne-norton-training-series-full-powerhypertrophy-routine-updated-2011.html0 -
I started a similar routine today!
I plan to go heavy on the first workout and light medium on the second workout of the week. There's nothing wrong w/ hitting it twice a week.0 -
I'm not sure if you're really asking the right question. What are your goals right now? You've listed a possible split, but not the goals that are driving your program choice.
Edit - "Overtraining" gets thrown around a lot more than it should. I wouldn't worry about overtraining, I would be more concerned with ensuring your program design doesn't have an imbalance in it.0 -
Im not overly concerned with your triceps getting worked every day, they are small and can recover fast. However your shoulders will take a serious beating, basically any press movement will hit them, then you hit them again the next day. Its a recipe for over use injuries.
You may want to look into PHAT as stated or a P/P/L routine.0 -
Well my goals are first hypertrophy, then strength. From what I understand they go hand in hand however, though I've read here and there that some differentiate between hypertrophy and power... no idea why. Maybe it's the way the muscle is used (pure power over explosiveness).
BTW I'm looking for permanent "Myofibril hypertrophy", solid mass, rather than "Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy" which just amounts to lasting pump.0 -
Ok, how about this:
Day: 1 Chest Shoulders Triceps
Day: 2 Back Biceps
Day: 3 Legs Calves
Day: 4 Chest Shoulders Triceps
Day: 5 Back Biceps
Day: 6 Legs Calves
Day: 7 Rest Cardio
I see legs as a rest day for upper body, and on day 7 there is a day of full rest (maybe spinning/cycling).0 -
Hypertrophy and Absolute (maximal) strength do not go hand-in-hand by any means. Bodybuilders are typically far more massive than most powerlifters, however; they are surely not stronger than them.
I would seriously consider one of the two links I sent you because they, especially the 6-Weeks to Superhero, seem to be in-line with what you want to accomplish. It doesn't sound like your 100% sure of how to get there, so try something that is already built, do it, learn from it, and adjust as needed.0 -
Yeah I'm the same way, I would go to the gym every day if I could.
Hows this:
Day: 1 Chest Legs Calves
Day: 2 Back Shoulders Biceps
Day: 3 Chest Legs Calves
Day: 4 Back Shoulders Biceps
Day: 5 Chest Legs Calves
Day: 6 Rest Cardio
Day: 7 Rest Cardio
I think not only is the split important but what are you doing with the split. For example, what is a Day 1 Chest workout versus a Day 2 Chest workout? Also, what are your goals? You say you use 4-6 reps for all your exercises, so is each workout just compound movements basically?
couldn't agree more.0 -
I've got some limitations due to my lower back and neck/shoulders. For instance I really can't deadlift or do barbell rows.
So for chest I do bench, shoulders I do raises and military press, biceps just curls, triceps just extensions, and back is lat pulldowns cable pulls and cable hyperextensions for lower. I avoid isolation as much as I can, but that's not always possible.0 -
So this is what it would look like I guess:
Day 1:
Flat Chest Press
Incline Press
Decline Press
Military Press
Front Raises
Lateral Raises
Skull Crushers
Day 2:
Lat Pulldown
Seated Cable Pull
Cable Hyperextensions - Lower Back
Hammer Curls
Barbell Curls
Day 3:
Barbell Split Squat (doesn't hurt my back)
Leg Curls
Machine Leg Press (need back support)
Calf Raises0 -
Well my goals are first hypertrophy, then strength. From what I understand they go hand in hand however, though I've read here and there that some differentiate between hypertrophy and power... no idea why. Maybe it's the way the muscle is used (pure power over explosiveness).
BTW I'm looking for permanent "Myofibril hypertrophy", solid mass, rather than "Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy" which just amounts to lasting pump.
No one ever had a solid chest benching 135. Improve your strength and so you can rep out heavier weight.0
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