Gym Routine Advice

[kickinthemebs Senior Member Member of the Month Feb 2014 Find all posts View Profile Close kickinthemebs]

Hi guys and gals,

Just looking for some input from a few of the gym vets here. My training partner is going away on holidays for 2 weeks in a few weeks time so that leaves me 2 weeks to mix things up a bit and to concentrate on other areas that I have been ignoring a bit. My routine is generally for conditioning and strength gains, I have a decade of experience in the gym so I am not new to all different types of workouts etc.

My current routine can be found here: https://www.pegym.com/forums/exercis...tml#post865981

So, I am thinking of doing some pure hypertrophy high reps bulking for the two weeks while he is gone, just to mix things up a bit. Although, I need help devising a routine to do during this period. I will not have anyone to assist me so a good deal of the exercises I do are out of the equation. Could do stuff on the smith machine as replacements etc. I know I am looking at high reps for the two weeks, but unsure about what would be the best type of split to do, reps, exercises and so forth. I basically want to put on a little more muscle in this two week window.

Any pointers or advice would be greatly appreciated.

p.s. I know that two weeks is not enough time to see any serious gains, I am asking more so to get a different routine for this period, to feel a different pump, and to just confuse my body a bit, and also for the mental break of doing something different.

p.p.s. Please don't start talking about steroids, Ronny Coleman's ass and other such nonsense. There are plenty of other threads that this crap has been discussed on and you can always create new threads where you discuss stuff like this on. Thank you.

[namsokiek Banned Find all posts View Profile Close namsokiek]

Drop sets, 100 rep sets, and/or super sets are all great ways to blow through your work-out stupor and engage the muscle fibers deep inside.

Drop sets with a bar is more tidy, but dumbells requires each arm to work equally. One benefit with high reps and a bar is the ability to move your grip. Consider drop sets on the incline bench (who doesn't need to work on the upper pecs?), start with heavier weights and a wide grip, do 15, rack the weights and drop 10 from each side. Move your grip narrower, do 15 more, and repeat. As your grip gets narrower, you begin to squeeze your pecs at the top after each rep. I would drop weight until I got to 50kg then go until I get 3 negatives (you will need a spotter).

Your chest, ant. delts and tri's will be smoked.

You can do super set/drop sets on back by doing lat pull-downs and seated rows and moving your grip from wide/palms out to narrow/palms facing you.

You could do one legged dumbell squats (I recommend after your normal squats and before lunges), all lighter weights and high reps.

Space these high volume workouts throughout your normal routine. You will be smoked that day and sore and exhausted the following day.

[Bnip Retired Moderator Member of the Month July 2013PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Bnip]

Go big or go home

[Toadstool Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toadstool]

Because you're already doing a routine that is getting you results, and because you don't have very long, I would suggest that you do just the opposite of what you're asking for: lower the volume and aim to increase the total load you're capable of lifting.

I would use these 2 weeks to increase strength in your lifting and not go so full-tilt into the hypertrophy. It might also give you an opportunity to recoup and lift heavier when your friend returns.

[kickinthemebs Senior Member Member of the Month Feb 2014 Find all posts View Profile Close kickinthemebs]

Yeh good point. The only problem is that there is nobody to spot me in the gym, the guys that go there don't know how to do it properly at all, and it is just a pain in the hole asking them. So maybe for exercises I need a spotter, just do variations with the smith machine etc?

Because you're already doing a routine that is getting you results, and because you don't have very long, I would suggest that you do just the opposite of what you're asking for: lower the volume and aim to increase the total load you're capable of lifting.

I would use these 2 weeks to increase strength in your lifting and not go so full-tilt into the hypertrophy. It might also give you an opportunity to recoup and lift heavier when your friend returns.

[Toadstool Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toadstool]

I'm biased against the smith machine. I don't see any good reason to ever use it, unless you're a 90 years old woman.

The idea I had in mind for you would be to start around around 60-75% of your current max weight, do 2 sets of 5 reps (MAX) up to 5 times a week, adding a max of 5 pounds per session. The second set, you drop the weight to 90% of the 1st lift.
You likely won't need a spotter for this.

[kickinthemebs Senior Member Member of the Month Feb 2014 Find all posts View Profile Close kickinthemebs]

Can you explain it in a little more detail. Take the bench-press for example. I can lift 100 kg for 1 rep say, so what would you be suggesting to do with this?

Keep my split routine the same as it is for all the days? And keep all of the same exercises etc?

I'm biased against the smith machine. I don't see any good reason to ever use it, unless you're a 90 years old woman.

The idea I had in mind for you would be to start around around 60-75% of your current max weight, do 2 sets of 5 reps (MAX) up to 5 times a week, adding a max of 5 pounds per session. The second set, you drop the weight to 90% of the 1st lift.
You likely won't need a spotter for this.

[Toadstool Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toadstool]

I work in pounds, so I'll use pounds:

100lbs max

Drop it to 60-75% (I'll work at the upper range)
day 1 - set 1: 75 lbs. Set 2: 67 lbs
day 2 - set 1: 80 lbs. set 2: 70 lbs
day 3 - set 1: 85 lbs. set 2: 75 lbs
day 4 - set 1: 80 lbs. set 2: 70 lbs
day 5 - set 1: 85 lbs. set 2: 75 lbs
day 6 - rest
day 7 - rest
day 8 - set 1: 85 lbs. set 2: 75 lbs
day 9 - set 1: 90 lbs. set 2: 80 lbs
day 10 - set 1: 95 lbs. set 2: 85 lbs
day 11 - set 1: 90 lbs. set 2: 80 lbs
day 12 - set 1: 95 lbs. set 2: 85 lbs
day 13 - rest
day 14 - rest

this is a sample. 5 reps max with 3-5 minutes of rest in between sets. This will help you "grease the groove" to increasing your poundage, cycling in a 2 steps forward, 1 step back fashion.
Do this 5 days a week with just squats and presses and some cardio at something like 70-75% of your max HR.

Intended result: full bodied workout, increasing strength, fat burning with the cardio.

2 weeks is a very short time limit for any sort of impressive gains

[bolkonsky Banned Find all posts View Profile Close bolkonsky]

p.p.s. Please don't start talking about steroids, Ronny Coleman's ass and other such nonsense. There are plenty of other threads that this crap has been discussed on and you can always create new threads where you discuss stuff like this on. Thank you.

LMAO!

I was actually going to stay away from this thread until I saw it was posted by you..

Ya know something that i've done in the past is; Very much depending on how i feel. Is REST. If I were you i'd give my body 2 to 3 days rest. Then Go in and do Heavy Dead lifts and a back workout... Take 2 to 4 days off... Then go in and Kill some squats. High rep squats (ass to grass). I'm talking Central Nervous System Enialation Squats. Then take another 3 to 4 days off. And just repeat this for 2 to 3 weeks.... And Eat Eat Eat Eat. Stretch Stretch Stretch..... This will put more muscle on you than anything.


No chest workouts...... No curls..... No anything other than Two Compound Movements you go balls to wall on... Your body will need the recovery time in between workouts .. And Squats and Deadlift you dont need a spotter on Like you do Chest or Shoulders.

Of course it depends on your physical Weakness. But You say that you want to put on Muscle, so Back and Legs are the big boys when it comes to putting on muscle.

Going back to the basics is sometimes the perfect thing..

[akaTrex Senior Member Member of the Month Jan 2016 Find all posts View Profile Close akaTrex]

We used Chains to break out and change it up.

Higher reps are great way to build lactic acid tolerance.

My WO partners had more issues with LA especially with squats.

My 400 experience reduced my issues with LAT.

[kickinthemebs Senior Member Member of the Month Feb 2014 Find all posts View Profile Close kickinthemebs]

Toady - Does that workout apply to just the benchpress? Doing the bench-press everyday? I thought you could only work one muscle group every other day like that or does it change because you are only doing two sets of it?

Bolkonsky - Cool, that is a good point all right. That might be a possibility, lower the weight on squats and going ass to grass. What kind or rep range are you talking about? What type of set pattern, drop sets/pyramid sets or just stick to the one weight throughout?

akaTrex - Could you elaborate on how you built up a better tolerance for lactic acid? I am thinking that might be an idea for these two weeks off that are coming up, high reps to get my recovery better, build up tolerance for LA, etc.

[bolkonsky Banned Find all posts View Profile Close bolkonsky]

With working out I'm really big on feel.. I wouldnt even count. Step in the cage with a weight you think you can do 15 reps with (ass to grass) do 3 or 4 sets (after 2 to 3 or even 4 warmup sets.. hopefully i dont need to say that). Then on your last set set up a timer and just squat for 120 seconds straight.. You dont stop squatting until 120 seconds is up. who cares how many reps that was...

And no i'm really anti-dropp sets.. And if i do do them I only do them on legs. Never do i do a drop set for anything other than squatts or legpress or extensions. I strongly advise against them.

Do 4 to 6 sets of that. Drop the weight if you have to. weight is nothing but an insignificant number. Then go do some lunges and stiff legs and you will be dead.

people like to make working out so technical and tricky with all these dropset/piramid crap and it does nothing for them but make them weak. And its a way to avoid the hardest part of working out: which is concentrating, isolating and focusing on the squeeze and contraction and controlling the essentric part of the movement. ....... ya its much easier to take some weight off and keep pushing. Then feel so accomplished and winded that you take a 3 minute break inbetween sets... Then 4 years goes by and you havent gained a dime of muscle.

[Toadstool Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toadstool]

Toady - Does that workout apply to just the benchpress? Doing the bench-press everyday? I thought you could only work one muscle group every other day like that or does it change because you are only doing two sets of it?

It applies to any movement you want to get stronger in.

The rule you're referring to can be broken when you lower the volume sufficiently. You aren't depleting the muscle of its energy and so you won't be needing to give it as much time to heal and repair.

[Toadstool Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toadstool]

And if i do do them I only do them on legs. Never do i do a drop set for anything other than squatts or legpress or extensions. I strongly advise against them.

Why?

[charles-perry Banned Find all posts View Profile Close charles-perry]

Check out strong lifts 5x5. Worked for me.