Is this enough for a heavy lifting plan?

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Amy_B
Amy_B Posts: 2,323 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My hubby is using an app on his I-Pad for us to lift heavy. We are lifting the heaviest we can for 6-8 reps and 3 sets. Are we doing enough exercises? See below.

Day 1: upper body consists of bench press, raised/incline bench press, bicep curls, and upright rows
Day 2: lower body consists of basic squats, sumo squats (just me), and Romanian deadlifts

We repeat this so we do each day three times each week. We don't have any machines at home, just a small bench, 2 bars (one straight and one curling bar), and a few hundred pounds of plates. This is my first week doing this, so I can't say much as far as results yet. I am also adding in 3-4 cardio workouts and should add in 1-3 ab workouts as well.

Any feedback is appreciated!


(Oh, if it matters, we don't want it to take too long because we are taking away time from our three little ones. Right now it's taking 45+ minutes for us to take turns with this plan.)
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  • Amy_B
    Amy_B Posts: 2,323 Member
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    bump
  • trmecham
    trmecham Posts: 53
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    Good compound movements like bench press, squats and deadlifts are a great place to start. Once this becomes comfortable you can add more, but I think that too many people start with too many exercises and burn out too quickly.
  • trmecham
    trmecham Posts: 53
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    Oh, and one other thing, after a bit you will want to incorporate more rest days.
  • Amy_B
    Amy_B Posts: 2,323 Member
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    Thank you for the reply! Do you think just doing 2 days of each body area is enough? Where might I add more rest days?
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    Do Stronglifts 5x5 and have more rest days.
  • sbk91
    sbk91 Posts: 19 Member
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    Sounds fine, always start out with something that you can handle, otherwise, like posted above, you will easily burn out. I too do a strength training regime consisting of 3 days a week heavy lifting (Bench Press, Curls, Lat pulls, DB press etc.) 6-7 days of abs, and usually 7 days of some type of cardio, along with diet and have seen great results. When lifting heavy or even lifting at all its important to place 2-3 days rest to allow the muscles to tear, repair, and grow. Keep it up
  • mariodispenza
    mariodispenza Posts: 28 Member
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    Two days of each bodypart is plenty and so is 45 minutes for that matter. Also, I'd add what is probably the best overall body exercise, the overhead squat. You have to begin with a broomstick and you'll want to get someone from Crossfit or an Olympic lifter to show you how to do it properly.

    I'd underscore what the previous writer wrote about compound exercises and add that when you lift from the floor, lift overhead and perform squats (all without a belt) you work your core more than you will with a thousand crunches. BUT (and this is a big BUT) do not lift more than 85 - 90% of your maximum one-rep lift without a belt.

    I'm an olympic-style lifter. We use belts but selectively so that the body doesn't over-rely on the belt. If you use it all the time, the core muscles do not get the same training that the rest of the body gets. But, at a certain point, you must use the belt. Train hard, train consistently, but train smart.
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    Good compound movements like bench press, squats and deadlifts are a great place to start. Once this becomes comfortable you can add more, but I think that too many people start with too many exercises and burn out too quickly.
    Actually, that's all you need.

    99% of the programs in magazines are geared for the enhanced (drugged) user. The key especially when in a calorie deficit is recovery.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Do Stronglifts 5x5 and have more rest days.

    I'm starting this Monday. Looks like fun. It's free. Just Google and you can get the whole pdf.
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    Do Stronglifts 5x5 and have more rest days.

    I'm starting this Monday. Looks like fun. It's free. Just Google and you can get the whole pdf.
    Great program, especially when you get into the higher weights. This is what I have been doing for a while. I may add in some tricep press downs or calve raises every once in a while but you don't need them.

    Deadlift Day (Monday)
    Warm up deadlift
    Deadlift (4-6)
    Deadlift (-20% 6-8)
    Weighted Chins (4-6)
    Weighted Chins(6-8) -10%
    Weighted Chins (8-10) -20%

    Bench Day (Wednesday)
    Warm up bench
    Bench(4-6)
    Bench-(6-8)
    Bench-(10-12)
    Weighted Dips(6-8)
    Weighted Dips-(8-10) -10%
    Weighted Dips-(10-12) -20%


    Squat Day (Friday)
    Warm up squats
    Squat (4-6)
    Squat (6-8) -20%
    Squat (8-10) -40%
    Military Press (6-8)
    Military Press-(8-10) -10%

    Two exercises per day. I rest between 3-5 minutes per set. Trust me it's tiring.
  • tamaradarlene
    tamaradarlene Posts: 19 Member
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    bump
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
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    Best thing I have been told at school so far which I see a lot of people not doing is making sure when using major muscle groups to do them evenly.

    Say you do 3 ab exercises, make sure you also do 3 legs, 3 shoulders, 3 arms, etc. :)
  • aggie613
    aggie613 Posts: 21
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    I agree with everyone that 2 days/wk is enough. I worked out with a personal trainer last year and got amazing results with just 2 days/wk in 6 months. Course the slacking off is what ended me up back here :) Check out www.bodyrock.tv for some new ideas. It's High Intensity Interval Training and the workouts are usually just 15-20 minutes. Could help break up the routine if you get bored, or be a great timesaver on days where you have to squeeze it in! I use a medicine ball or dumbbell in place of all the fancy expensive gadgets they have. Good luck!!
  • trmecham
    trmecham Posts: 53
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    I absolutely agree with Fitnesssocial, long rests between heavy sets are essential so that the next set gets everything you have.
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    I absolutely agree with Fitnesssocial, long rests between heavy sets are essential so that the next set gets everything you have.
    Thanks!

    It took me a very long time to get out of the multiple days in the gym BS. I use to do 4 exercises for chest, 4 for shoulders,4 for biceps. All that stupid stuff. The goal is to go in, hammer the compounds and leave. Let the other people spend 2 hours in the gym and not make any progress.
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
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    Exercise selection isn't one of the foundational principles one needs to concern him or herself with. Sure, we should choose economical movements - meaning movements that call on the highest number of muscles/joints to execute (i.e. compound exercises). Think along the lines of planes of motion. For example,

    Template A:
    Squat
    Bench
    Row

    Template B:
    Deadlift
    Overhead Press
    Chin-up

    These two templates can be viewed similarly as follows:

    Template A:
    Quad dominant movement
    Horizontal Pressing
    Horizontal Pulling

    Template B:
    Posterior Chain dominant movement
    Vertical Pressing
    Vertical Pulling

    Any compound exercises that "fit the bill" of each given movement plane will suffice. Which are right? Depends on the individual, skill level, injuries, what you've been doing, equipment availability, etc, etc.

    That is the core of the program for the time being and that could work well for a long time. Once the core is established you can add in accessory stuff like single-leg dumbbell Romanian deadlifts, bicep curls, single-leg squats, tricep extensions, planks, side planks, etc, etc.

    To fit this into a weekly format, you could do something like:

    Monday: Template A
    Tuesday: Metabolic (cardio) work
    Wednesday: Template B
    Thursday: Metabolic work
    Friday: Template A
    Saturday: Metabolic work
    Sunday: Off

    The following week everything would be the same, however the resistance training would be BAB instead of ABA. Hope that helps!
  • jetscreaminagain
    jetscreaminagain Posts: 1,130 Member
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    OP, yay you for working on strength. I love it. It has made me really appreciate my body, which I think is a wonderful thing.

    I am far from anything like an expert. I'm not even a particularly knowledgable member of MFP. That said, one thing I see that might be missing from your routine is back exercises. Lat pull downs are hard to do at home, but perhaps you would do well to do some dumbell rows or something like that. You have bench presses, which I don't do, but not a corresponding back exercise. I think of strength like yoga: you do a move in one direction and you make sure to balance it with an opposite move.

    Good on ya to have so many compound moves. I hope you and your hubby enjoy your program and get LOTS of wonderful benefits.
  • rovernio
    rovernio Posts: 157
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    traine vr ymuscle only once or twice a week
  • Amy_B
    Amy_B Posts: 2,323 Member
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    Thanks for the replies!

    When some of you say do only twice a week, is that per body area (upper and lower) or only once per body area?

    Also, would it be counterproductive to do other strength moves like one would find in a Jillian Michaels' video or with using bands or anything?

    I'll see what we can do with the back.
  • rovernio
    rovernio Posts: 157
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    evry muscle once or twice like if you do biceps you can only touch that msucle once again and thats when you are going to train your back

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