Most muscles for fewest exercises
david_swinstead
Posts: 271 Member
Hi,
I have started to get the feeling that my gym routine is pretty unstructured and disorganised. I want to trim all the fat off it and go from doing lots and lots of different lifts on different days, to just doing a handful of compound moves, 3 times a week.
Compound moves seem to be all the rage at the moment and there's a huge amount of love for squats, and almost as much for deadlifts, so I know these two should be the basis of my workout.
But my question is what muscles will I miss out if I just do squats and deadlifts?
What other compound moves should I be doing to target the muscles that these 2 moves miss out?
I'm doing this at home so have limited equipment available, just dumbbells, a barbell and a bench. No cables/KBs/Balls/etc.
Cheers - David
I have started to get the feeling that my gym routine is pretty unstructured and disorganised. I want to trim all the fat off it and go from doing lots and lots of different lifts on different days, to just doing a handful of compound moves, 3 times a week.
Compound moves seem to be all the rage at the moment and there's a huge amount of love for squats, and almost as much for deadlifts, so I know these two should be the basis of my workout.
But my question is what muscles will I miss out if I just do squats and deadlifts?
What other compound moves should I be doing to target the muscles that these 2 moves miss out?
I'm doing this at home so have limited equipment available, just dumbbells, a barbell and a bench. No cables/KBs/Balls/etc.
Cheers - David
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Replies
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You need to give your upper body some love. If you want to stick with compound dumbbell moves, try the double-handed wood chop which will sort our your arms and transverse abs:
http://www.menshealth.co.uk/building-muscle/abs-workout/dumbbell-double-woodchop-9623
Maybe thing about adding shoulder raises to your squats. There are some other suggestions here:
http://www.menshealth.co.uk/building-muscle/get-big/6-upper-body-compound-moves-4320780 -
You can stick to simple compound lifts and end up with a balanced physique.
Squats, Deads, Bench, Military Press, Pullups and Rows cover just about everything.
(I workout in my basement with limited equipment)
Look into something like starting strength or 5/3/1.0 -
I am embarking on a 5x5 Stronglifts program. From my reading thus far, this may be just what you are looking for.0
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Yeah the stong lift program is great for what youare looking for. Squat everyday and bench or pull in the session. You can also try olympic cleans and snatches which are both awesome for whole body strength.0
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Ive heard of StrongLifts before but never looked into it properly.
Ive just been on the site and had to read through several pages of preaching and promises just to get to an email form, so they can send me this spreadsheet.
I'm skeptical. Everything about this looks like a ploy to build a subscriber list. Is this really genuine? Am I on the right site stronglifts.com?0 -
Try this shortcut to the PDF:
http://gainmusclesize.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/stronglifts-5x5.pdf0 -
Strong Lifts is free, and all the information you need is on the website. The pdf you get for subscribing is pretty much the website..in pdf.
While Strong Lifts does cover major muscles, it does miss a few. Someone earlier said pullups(palms facing away), and I would modify that to say chin-ups(palms facing you)
I'm personally adding barbell curls, face pulls, and some sort of tricep exercise to Strong Lifts.0 -
I am doing stronglifts, there is a great app if you have a smart phone. But it is this:
Alternating workouts with a day of rest in between.
Day 1
Squats, Bench Press, Barbell Row 5 x5
Day 2
Squats,Overhead Press, Deadlift
He says add 5lbs every workout, but I think that is too quick to up weight.
I also do pushups every workout just cause..0 -
I am embarking on a 5x5 Stronglifts program. From my reading thus far, this may be just what you are looking for.
This is it! 3 weeks in. I'm loving it. Simple to follow. Get's the whole body. Doesn't take hours at a time. Take me about 35 minutes warmup to finish. I understand that will get closer to 50 minutes to an hour as I progress but not so far. I am also in great cardio shape from HIIT, running and biking. I never take more than 1 minute between sets, My HR get's up into the 140 but I recover back to the 120 or teens in less that a minute usually. The iPone app says to rest 90 seconds if easy, 3 minutes if hard. I have rarely gotten to 90 seconds on a real hard set.0 -
Most have been covered above, but if you want a little extra cardio in with the rest add kettlebell/dumbell swings. 30 reps for 3 sets.
A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I agree with you about how annoying StrongLifts' website is, and the PDF they send you is a lot more of the same before you get to any of the real info. That said, the workout itself is really good, once you get past all the used-car salesman crap. Here's the cliff notes version:
Two alternating workouts (A and
, 3 times per week. You add 5 pounds to each exercise each workout you do it (so Squats gain 5 pounds every workout, because they're in both A and B. Bench Press gains 5 pounds each time you do workout A, etc).
Workout A:
Squats (5 sets of 5, start with an empty bar weight of 45 pounds and go up from there)
Bench press (5 sets of 5, start with 45 pounds).
Barbell Rows (5 sets of 5, start with 65 pounds (you need plates on the bar to get the proper starting height off the floor. Depending on how big your 10lb plates are, you may also need to stack a couple of plates on the floor for extra height at first).
Workout B:
Squats (same as in workout A)
Overhead Press (5 sets of 5, starting with 45 pounds)
Deadlift (ONE set of 5, starting with 95 pounds. Same reasons as with the rows, you need the bar to be at the proper height off the ground. Increase weight of the deadlift by 10 pounds per workout instead of 5).
Rest for between 1 and 5 minutes between sets, and start doing warmup sets once you reach around 90 pounds over your starting weight. For warmup sets, he recommends 2 sets of 5 at the original starting weight, then add around 40-50 pounds at a time, doing 1 set of 3 reps until you reach your work weight, then do your 5 sets of 5. You shouldn't need to rest between the warmup sets.
Keep up that routine until you reach a point where you can't do your full 5x5 on a particular exercise. When that happens, don't increase the weight for that exercise. Instead, try the same weight again next time. If you can't reach 5x5 three workouts in a row on a particular exercise, decrease the weight by 10% and then start going up again from there (in the usual 5 pound increments). You can switch from adding 10lbs at a time to 5lbs on Deadlift once you've stalled, as well.
This is the "beginner" workout. Once you've stalled on an exercise a few times, he recommends moving on to other workout structures (3x5, 1x5, and so on), but it'll take you a few months to get to that point.0 -
Push-ups. And you don't even need any equipment...0
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stronglifts 5x5 is fun and in the beginning should only take 30 minutes top a day 3 days a week, as the weights get heavier you will need more rest between sets and it will stretch out a bit more. make sure you do the pendlay rows properly ( google it).
it will seem way to easy for the first 2 months. stick with it, don't jump ahead or you will hurt your progress. Use your few easy months to perfect and improve your form for all lifts and only move up when you complete the 5x5 with impeccable form.
Good luck.0 -
I agree with you about how annoying StrongLifts' website is, and the PDF they send you is a lot more of the same before you get to any of the real info. That said, the workout itself is really good, once you get past all the used-car salesman crap.
Totally agree on the annoyingness of the website. The iPhone app is everything the website is not. Simple clear and to the point!0 -
You keep saying that your entire workout only takes 30 minutes total. Do you guys not do the warm up sets and how long do you rest between sets? I find that I am taking close to 30 minutes per exercise?0
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I saw from the link - that push ups and abs are added to Workout A- and chin ups/pull ups and abs are added to Workout B--and they swapped out the barbell rows for inverted rows- this i not on my phone ap-- but I had added/ everthing but the inverted rows myself to my planned program- I do ab ripper X instead of the ab work- as well as very limited isolation or other lifts--2 sets of 8- curls, tris to Workout A shrugs, side bends to Workout B-- I may eliminate some as the weight gets heavier--
You're looking at an old version of the PDF. The latest one goes back to Barbell Rows and makes the other exercises optional. There are posts on the website explaining these changes:
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-assistance-exercises-pullups-pushups/
http://stronglifts.com/barbell-rows-inverted-rows-stronglifts-5x5/0 -
You keep saying that your entire workout only takes 30 minutes total. Do you guys not do the warm up sets and how long do you rest between sets? I find that I am taking close to 30 minutes per exercise?
The workout is very fast at first, because the weight is so light that you don't need warmup sets at all, and you probably need minimal rest between sets. Once you get close to your maximum weight, you'll need to start resting for closer to 5 minutes between sets, which makes the workout take somewhere between 1 and 2 hours, generally (less on Deadlift day, since you don't do 5 sets of those).0 -
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bump!!0
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You can stick to simple compound lifts and end up with a balanced physique.
Squats, Deads, Bench, Military Press, Pullups and Rows cover just about everything.
(I workout in my basement with limited equipment)
Look into something like starting strength or 5/3/1.
This would be enough as
Squats work - calves, quads, hamstrings and core
Dead lifts work - pretty much the same as squats but in much different angle and focus on each, as well as more upperbody
Military press works mainly shoulders and triceps with some core and chest in there
Bench press works mainly chest and triceps with some shoulders
Pull-ups work mainly your back and also hit bicep and forearm and a little core
Rows work mainly back and biceps with some forearm and core.
So if you look at the above all muscle groups are hit.0 -
*bump*0
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I'm coming from beachbody programs (which are great too, but i'm looking to add mass and muscle to my frame) so being in the p90x school i found the following article http://www.beachbody.com/product/p90xnl_011.do so as the article says "P90X is not a system designed for mass." something already feel in my body however i liked to have all my systems (and muscles) worked out, though i still want more mass.
As the article goes on it evolves in something :
"Progressive overload
Hypertrophy is all about creating progressive overload. To create muscle growth, you must keep stimulating the muscles during each workout. This requires that you add weight as necessary to create failure at the desired number of reps"
Here is where i found stronglifts 5x5 report http://stronglifts.com/5x5-report.html and after read all of the information (not everything is crap) i found the concept is the same page 21 "I call this method Progressive Loading."
So while i want mass and muscle i don't want to miss any other muscles and certainly don't want to miss all of my cardio gains, so as the beachbody article proposes i found interesting tips for a hybrid:
Block 1, phase 1
Weeks 1 through 3
Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps
Day 2: Cardio X, Ab Ripper X
Day 3: Legs & Back
Day 4: X Stretch; Ab Ripper X or Abs/Core Plus (from P90X Plus)
Day 5: Back & Biceps
Day 6: Yoga X
Day 7: Off
Anyone familiar with Tony Horton's programs will understand all periodization and muscle confusion concepts above routine includes 1 resistance day (day 1) followed by Cardio day (day 2) then again resistance (day 3) and here is the litle trick day 4 is yoga so still is some sort of resistance but combined with strecht and all the body muscles (yoga includes push ups, sit ups and other core movements) so that was it, i really liked the concept mixed so i have my following hybrid which i have just started:
Block 1, phase 1
Week 1
Day 1: Stronglifts 5x5 workout A
Day 2: Yoga X
Day 3: Stronglifts 5x5workout B
Day 4: X Stretch; Ab Ripper X or Abs/Core Plus (from P90X Plus)
Day 5: Stronglifts 5x5 workout A
Day 6: Cardio X, Ab Ripper X
Day 7: Off
Week 2
Day 1: Stronglifts 5x5 workout B
Day 2: X Stretch; Ab Ripper X or Abs/Core Plus (from P90X Plus)
Day 3: Stronglifts workout A
Day 4: Yoga X
Day 5: Stronglifts workout B
Day 6: Cardio X, Ab Ripper X
Day 7: Off
And so on till reach the stronglifts 5x5 12 weeks program
That's it, you will need to read all the documentation (beachbody and stronglifts) to fully understand why i came to this program and adapt it to your needs, cause over the course of time what your body needs will need to become more and more individualized, however i think above routine will help me to achieve my goald of gaining mass and also keep my other systems (and any possible missing muscle) into the mix while achieving my muscle and mass goals
Hope this helps0 -
Here is the link for strong lifts 5x5.
http://stronglifts.com/free-stronglifts-5x5-report/0 -
Anything published by Mark Rippetoe or Bill Star is worth a read on this subject. They give great advice on everything from the workout structure to your form during the lifts.0
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I did Stronglifts 5x5 for 12 weeks. I was very pleased with the results. Starting Strength is an amazing book to get just for the wealth of knowledge in it, and the program is nearly identical.
I have since moved into a cut, and both have a bit too much volume for me right now, but you can easily get by doing no more than 3 workouts per gym session, 2-3 times a week.
1. Squats/OHP/chins= full body
2. Deads/Bench/pulls=full body0 -
He says add 5lbs every workout, but I think that is too quick to up weight.
It's not at all if you also start with the naked oly bar like he recommends, but all that is simply to be able to make grandiose marketing claims like "increase your squat by 100 lbs/month!). Well, yeah...cause you told me to start squatting 45 lbs.
That having been said, it IS very important to start light and nail form. I just NOW really got my head around hip drive on low-bar squats, and I've been squatting heavy since December 2-3 times per week.0 -
You keep saying that your entire workout only takes 30 minutes total. Do you guys not do the warm up sets and how long do you rest between sets? I find that I am taking close to 30 minutes per exercise?
When you first start out, there is hardly any weight. When I began SL, it did only take me about 35 minutes. By the time it was over, I was doing 3x5 on every lift and was still there for over an hour.0
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