Which body building program worked for you?

Ben_4
Ben_4 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
A little about me, my current program is that I have no program. I just exercise for an hour, with no real goals above and beyond maintaining health. My results have been pretty flat. Now I want to get some structure, which will hopefully lead to some gains. So my question is, what has worked for you?

Replies

  • billkansas
    billkansas Posts: 267 Member
    I hope I don't change the topic too much, but I've found body building workouts too time consuming and the goals too nebulous i.e. "put an inch on my arms". I've found strength training (Starting Strength) a bit late in life (age 47) however love it. It takes a minimal time and the goals are simple and easy to focus on. My goal is the "1000 lb club". The net is that I actually workout less but am technically stronger than I've ever been (in terms of squat, bench, and deadlift).
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    What are your actual goals? Strength or aesthetics? For strength, I started with stronglifts 5x5.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    If you are currently not following a program, I would recommend you do. This link has a great list of them:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    What worked for me? 3-4x per week full body hypertrophy programs with focus on certain muscles in line with my goals.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited May 2018
    Ben_4 wrote: »
    A little about me, my current program is that I have no program. I just exercise for an hour, with no real goals above and beyond maintaining health. My results have been pretty flat. Now I want to get some structure, which will hopefully lead to some gains. So my question is, what has worked for you?

    Since you are in the body building/gaining weight section does this mean that you want to lean bulk? Do you just want to maintain muscle/current physique or recomp (maintaining weight while losing fat build muscle? Do you have strength goals?

    An established program from the list might be something of interest.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    Go check out the wiki on r/fitness, they have a solid platform of knowledge and a good list of recommended routines. It sounds like you've been doing this for a least a little while so something like 5x5, which is geared for a complete beginner might not be the best option. However, something with linear progression built in (admittedly, like 5x5) but with more volume would likely suit your level of experience better. Check out Greyskull LP or 531 for beginners (both linked on reddit)

    https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/wiki/index
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,219 Member
    To tag onto what steve said above you can also check out the "gainit" section on reddit. Solid information on programs geared more toward bulking and the aesthetic side of bodybuilding. https://www.reddit.com/r/gainit/

    For me - I had success on a PPL and more recently a modified version of PHUL. I actually prefer PHUL type splits over the PPL. I was having issues with recovery on a 2x week PPL program and once a week wasn't enough frequency plus the added volume equaled a lot of soreness.
  • PokernuttAR
    PokernuttAR Posts: 74 Member
    You weren't real clear on your goals, but whatever they are, you can go to the bodybuilding.com website. They have a ton of great information. You can check out their training site here: https://www.bodybuilding.com/category/training?tag=wrappermarkup
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    I designed my own program around the goals of myself and my lifting partner. Roughly, it's a mix of PHUL and PHAT.
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
    Like @psuLemon, I designed my own, which was essentially a combination of Wendler's Beyond 531, Steve Shaw's Massive Iron, and Bret Contreras' Strong Curves.
  • Ben_4
    Ben_4 Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks everyone for your replies! I’ll look into those programs and compare/contrast
  • cass412014
    cass412014 Posts: 25 Member
    That is not good. You should have a program.

    Strong lifts
    5x5
    Fierce 5
    PHUL
    PHAT

    Don't make your own program until you're advanced lifter

    All programs should be tailored around compound lifts like

    Squats
    Deadlifts
    Bench Press
    Overhead press
    Rows etc.

    Cardio is optional. Aesthetics and weight comes down to macros and calories.

    Lose Fat: heavy lifting program/calorie deficit (cardio optional)
    Gain Muscle: heavy lifting program/calorie surplus (cardio optional)

    Count macros and make sure you get about 1gram of protein per bodyweight.

  • anteizai
    anteizai Posts: 1 Member
    5/3/1.
  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 693 Member
    cass412014 wrote: »
    That is not good. You should have a program.

    Strong lifts
    5x5
    Fierce 5
    PHUL
    PHAT

    Don't make your own program until you're advanced lifter

    All programs should be tailored around compound lifts like

    Squats
    Deadlifts
    Bench Press
    Overhead press
    Rows etc.

    Cardio is optional. Aesthetics and weight comes down to macros and calories.

    Lose Fat: heavy lifting program/calorie deficit (cardio optional)
    Gain Muscle: heavy lifting program/calorie surplus (cardio optional)

    Count macros and make sure you get about 1gram of protein per bodyweight.

    +1
    this sums it up perfectly
  • fb47
    fb47 Posts: 1,058 Member
    My personal choice is the workout book from www.aworkoutroutine.com , his style of workout is my preference, but there is no one great workout for all. I like the aworkoutroutine.com one simply because the compound lifts are in the 3-5 rep range which I prefer over the powerlifting workouts where you go for your 1 rep max. But it doesn't mean there aren't any other good workouts out there, like Cass412014 said, as long as you do the major compound lifts mentionned and follow a diet that she mentionned, you will still get great results.
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