The Strength and Power Workout Thread

[BigBadBrian]

I'm going to post some stuff here intended to get people off on the right track if they want to start working out. These will be workout routines and links. Feel free to chime in.

First up, laying a basic foundation, starting with the 5x5. One of the earliest, and best, proponents of the 5x5 was Reg Park....Hercules from the movies, Mr. Universe, and the idol to one young Austrian lad who would become one of the best bodybuilders of all time, Arnold Schwarzeneger.

The following is from bodybuilding.com, though this can be found at other sources on the web.

The 5x5 model was Reg Park's choice du jour for packing on slabs of muscle and producing hundreds of pounds of strength. This is also the model that Arnie came to know and love during his formative years. But this isn't Bill Starr's 5x5, this is Reg Park's 5x5 and it's a little different. The first two sets of five are actually used as warm-up sets. So let's say we're going to work our way up to a 150 lb bench, the first set of five would be about 60% or 90 lbs, and the second set of five would be about 80% or 120lbs. After that you would get down to the grit, what Reg liked to call Stabilizer Sets; 3 sets of 5 at 150lbs. So it would end up looking like:

5x90 (Warm-up @ 60%)
5x120 (Warm-up @ 80%)
5x150 (3 stabilizer sets)
5x150
5x150

When you can get all your reps of 5 at 150 lbs, you add 5 lbs. So next time your bench it would be:

5x95
5x125
5x155
5x155
5x155

Reg liked to use about 3-5 minutes to rest in between sets.

One more thing: When you're first starting any 5x5 program you never want to start with your max. Typically you start 30-45 lbs below what you think you can do and work your way back up. Starting anywhere near your maximum capacity is a good way to stall out, so give yourself a running start. If that means starting with an empty barbell, well, just consider that Arnold and Reg both started at the same place you will.

Onto the programs...

----------------------

The Reg Park Beginner Routine

Here is a workout that he and Arnold used with great success (provided by Kaya Park, Reg's grandson)

Workout A

Back Squats 5x5
Chin-Ups or Pull-Ups 5x5
Dips or Bench Press 5x5
Wrist Work 2x10
Calves 2x15-20


Workout B

Front Squats 5x5
Rows 5x5
Standing Press 5x5
Deadlifts 3x5 (2 warm-up sets and 1 "stabilizer set")
Wrist Work 2x10
Calves 2x15-20

Week 1: A, B, A
Week 2: B, A, B
Week 3: A, B, etc

Try to do it in a Mon/Wed/Fri or Tues/Thurs/Sat schedule.

Next up, Reg Park's Power Training.

I'm also going to post some stuff about proper abdominal work. Most of you are probably doing ab exercises that are going to eventually hurt your lower back.

Ladies, this workout would be good for you also. It'll slightly build your muscles which will in turn ramp up your metabolism to help burn fat. It's a great way to a bikini-ready body. Don't worry about building big, bulky muscles like you see the female bodybuilders have. You simply don't have enough male hormones floating around your bloodstream for that unless you're on the juice (taking anabolic steroids).

BTW, if you don't know what a particular exercise is, consult this area RIGHT HERE (http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/).

[Seshmeister]

http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/imagebuzz/web02/2009/2/5/14/anigif_recursive-hoff-24774-1233863312-75.gif

[envy_me]

http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/imagebuzz/web02/2009/2/5/14/anigif_recursive-hoff-24774-1233863312-75.gif

Omg, that's fantastic. So hypnotizing...

[jhale667]

Fucking Hasselhoffed! :hee:

[So this is love]

another gay thread...

[Dave's Bitch]

I do HIIT a few times a week.That really kicks your ass ;)

[BigBadBrian]

I do HIIT a few times a week.That really kicks your ass ;)

You're right....HIIT is a great workout. If you do HIIT on a regular basis, you're probably in damned good shape. :thumb:

[Va Beach VH Fan]

another gay thread...

There's nothing wrong with this thread, I don't consider it "gay"...

Frankly, it's just as valid as a thread that embeds 87 VH youtube videos that we've all seen over and over....

[So this is love]

I agree VH 87 was gay, but I did not post any VH 87 vids...the fact that you don't consider this thread gay doesn't mean it is not. :tongue0011:

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I agree VH 87 was gay, but I did not post any VH 87 vids...the fact that you don't consider this thread gay doesn't mean it is not. :tongue0011:

Of course it doesn't, just my .02....

And moreover, if you think THIS thread is gay, then there's about 500 other threads around here that are EXCEPTIONALLY gay.....

[So this is love]

Don't take it personal...I have nothing against gays...In fact I'm really pissed that all the football pools in this website are closed down for entries.....There is only one game played for godsake.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Personally? Here?

Well, we've had basically the same group of guys in our keeper league for about 10 years now, vacancies in that league are very rare....

You had a chance to join the non-keeper league that Dale set up this year, why didn't you join?

[So this is love]

Fuck my bad I started looking for pools in the first quarter of the season opener this week...

[Nitro Express]

The best way to break a person into weight training is to get them on a rowing machine first. Also kudos on the warm up and cool off sessions. Those are very important. Too many injuries are the result of people just not warming up and warming up right. Also, you are less stiff and sore if you do this.

[envy_me]

I really HATE warming up. I have no patience what so ever, I just wanna get started with the real thing right away.

[katina]

The best way to break a person into weight training is to get them on a rowing machine first. Also kudos on the warm up and cool off sessions. Those are very important. Too many injuries are the result of people just not warming up and warming up right. Also, you are less stiff and sore if you do this.

I agree with you, it´s very important to warm up and cool down.
I love weight training , and I have done a lot during my sports career, now I jog and do abs, back and stretching for keep general fitness and balance.

A weight training programme and jogging for aerobic exercise, are great to increase overall health as well to maintain a healthy body weight.

[Dave's Bitch]

You're right....HIIT is a great workout. If you do HIIT on a regular basis, you're probably in damned good shape. :thumb:

You should see me naked ;)

I do 2 or 3 sessions a week.Usually sore as hell the next day,But it is a good kind of sore

[Angel]

I've allowed myself to get so out of shape the last few years I don't dare start working out without medical care. Starting the cardiac rehab program later this month.

Amazing how fast it can be lost compared to how long it takes to gain it back. But, baby steps are better than a heart attack.

[clarathecarrot]

Noooooooooooooooo Angel!!!

What about the granny pannies ....what will my imagination be if you get all thin and boney ..?

[Nitro Express]

I agree with you, it´s very important to warm up and cool down.
I love weight training , and I have done a lot during my sports career, now I jog and do abs, back and stretching for keep general fitness and balance.

A weight training programme and jogging for aerobic exercise, are great to increase overall health as well to maintain a healthy body weight.

You have to have both the cardio and the weight training. Both are important. I did the body building thing years ago. I never have bought that much steak since. I never ate so much protein in my life. The problem is once you build up your muscles big you have to continue to lift a certain amount or you will start to look like shit. So if you go full bore just realize you will have to lift the rest of your life.

[Nitro Express]

I've allowed myself to get so out of shape the last few years I don't dare start working out without medical care. Starting the cardiac rehab program later this month.

Amazing how fast it can be lost compared to how long it takes to gain it back. But, baby steps are better than a heart attack.

Just stay in the zone of what I call a smooth workout. Once you start to jerk the weights or cheat the lift it's time to stop. Also when you start to run or swim sloppy it's time to quit for the day. You should have a nice even burn in your muscles doing proper movements and push to that but once you start to get sloppy or making jerky movements, you are done. No more.

Focus on your form and push that good form as far as you can. As soon as your form gets sloppy, it's time to quit for the day. Sure you can get more lifts in or go farther but it won't be a quality workout and you enter the territory where you can injure yourself and you really don't gain anything.

[Angel]

Noooooooooooooooo Angel!!!

What about the granny pannies ....what will my imagination be if you get all thin and boney ..?

I've never been thin and bony, never will be. And you always have Gunderson, lol.

[Angel]

Just stay in the zone of what I call a smooth workout. Once you start to jerk the weights or cheat the lift it's time to stop. Also when you start to run or swim sloppy it's time to quit for the day. You should have a nice even burn in your muscles doing proper movements and push to that but once you start to get sloppy or making jerky movements, you are done. No more.

Focus on your form and push that good form as far as you can. As soon as your form gets sloppy, it's time to quit for the day. Sure you can get more lifts in or go farther but it won't be a quality workout and you enter the territory where you can injure yourself and you really don't gain anything.

I have no idea what the regimen will be. It's the cardio rehab program at the university. Everything will be done in baby steps because of heart attack risk and planned by specialists with medical observers.

[katina]

I have no idea what the regimen will be. It's the cardio rehab program at the university. Everything will be done in baby steps because of heart attack risk and planned by specialists with medical observers.

Angel, I guess it should be similar to this program from Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. "Women with Hearth " is a unique Program for women who are at risk or had a cardiac event.

Here is the link http://www.torontorehab.com/Our-Services/Heart-Disease-Heart-Health-and-Diabetes/Women-and-Heart-Health.aspx

A Program Specially for Women

The six-month program improves cardiac strength and fitness. It also helps women make long-lasting lifestyle changes to reduce their chance of future heart problems.

Special features include:
small “women only” classes
alternative types of exercise
an emphasis on social support, including an optional women’s peer support group
education specific to women’s needs and concerns, including our Women with Heart seminar series.
Providing a Safe, Personalized Program

Our program is personalized to help women achieve their goals safely. The program includes:
a cardiopulmonary (heart and lungs) exercise assessment to establish baseline heart fitness. The results are used to develop a safe exercise program matched to each person’s abilities.
exercise class once a week that includes aerobic (walking) and resistance (weight-training) exercises
exercising at home four times a week. Individuals keep an exercise diary.
interactive education sessions to support lifestyle changes that last
one-to-one counseling with a psychologist, social worker and dietician
support from friendly, skilled professionals, and
peer support to provide motivation.

It´s a very good program, :thumb:

[envy_me]

Just stay in the zone of what I call a smooth workout. Once you start to jerk the weights or cheat the lift it's time to stop. Also when you start to run or swim sloppy it's time to quit for the day. You should have a nice even burn in your muscles doing proper movements and push to that but once you start to get sloppy or making jerky movements, you are done. No more.

Focus on your form and push that good form as far as you can. As soon as your form gets sloppy, it's time to quit for the day. Sure you can get more lifts in or go farther but it won't be a quality workout and you enter the territory where you can injure yourself and you really don't gain anything.

Actually, to me that is crucial. IF I'm gonna work out, I have to be able to do a bad job and be okay with it. I have terrible performance anxiety.

I used to do karate, aerobics, running, walking, lifting weights. Just fitness in general. At one point my goal was to be a body builder and compete with it. I used to go and watch competitions, go to fitness conventions every year. I worked out A LOT. I did it before the school, on my lunch break, after school. I used to run but got shin splints. One summer I walked 25 kilometers 6 days per week.
I have no idea why I did it. Now, I go to the gym now and then, not too often. I always have major anxiety before the gym. I have no idea why. But that is huge problem for me.
When I ran, I ALWAYS had to do better then the last time or I would get depressed and feel that I did it for nothing, and that I am no good, I could have as well stayed at home. I always had to run longer or do better time then the last time. Which didn't really work for me in the long run.
Now I am just trying to deal with the anxiety that is connected to that. I think it might be coming from the fact that I feel worthless if I don't give 100% all the time, every time, and do better each time.
In my head I know that is impossible, and that I really need to stop, but I can't control my feelings. Logic and emotion are two seperate things. I'd rather do nothing at all then try and feel like I have failed.
So in my case I HAVE to know that even if I do a bad job and cheat and do it sloppy, it's okey.

[ELVIS]

You should see me naked ;)



You girls need to get a room...

[envy_me]

You girls need to get a room...

You're like Flanders... With a gun :D

[Dave's Bitch]

You girls need to get a room...

You know you would be peepin' through the key hole :bigwink:

[BigBadBrian]

OK, after a good break in period on the beginner routine, say about 6-9 months, you'll be ready for the next step...the POWER Routine. Here it is:


Reg Park's Power Training

Schedule 1 - To be performed 3x/week for 5 weeks before continuing onto Schedule 2

Back Squat - 5x5
Bench Press - 5x5
Power Clean - 8x2
Standing Press - 5x5
Barbell Curl - 3x5 strict, add 20-30lbs then 2x5 cheat curls
Deadlift - 5x1, working up to a top weight (Only performed on Day 3) Beginners should do 1x5

Schedule 2 - To be performed 3x/week for 5 weeks.

Front Squat - 5x5
Clean and Press, warmup w/ 2 sets of 2, 5x2 Stabilizing sets. Optionally perform 2 more
sets of 3 Push Jerks
Upright Row - 5x5
Dips - 5x8
Dumbbell Curls - 5x5
Deadlift - 5x1, working up to a top weight (Only performed on Day 3) Beginners should do 1x5

After this 10 week stint, take a week or two off. Go hiking, walking, biking or whatever you like during this period. Stay active but don't lift.

If you follow the beginner routine and then the power routine and have eaten fairly clean and well, you should be seeing a different person standing in the mirror once these routines are completed. That goes for both men and women.

[Dave's Bitch]

Looks like a good workout for men but I think it might be a bit much for a women.Women in general like to tone and do cardio

[vandeleur]

Five seems to be the new number with regards to the gym .
I started that 5 of 5 thing last week for a change were you lift the weights slowly moving them on each number as you count to five and doing it five times in each set .. It properly burns , it's been a long time since a weigh session had me aching like that one .
I've probably explained that shite :D

[BigBadBrian]

Looks like a good workout for men but I think it might be a bit much for a women.Women in general like to tone and do cardio

I'll find a good beginner/intermediate routine for the women. The power routine probably IS a little much for the ladies. Just remember though that while cardio is great for strengthening your heart, which obviously everyone should incorporate into their workout, it is not the most effective way to burn fat. Having lean muscle mass does that, which means some sort of resistance training and watching what you eat. I always hit the weights in my workout first while I'm strongest and then do cardio.

[Dave's Bitch]

Good point yes.I may be wrong but it is my understanding that although a cardio session burns more during,The "after burn" from a fairly heavy weight session burns up a lot more than for a cardio session.I do low weight high reps exercises between cardio at the gym rather than weight then cardio,It works well for me.I am constantly back and to at the gym :)

[Yount]

I used to jog but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass. :drum:

[katina]

I used to jog but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass. :drum:

:thumb: One of my favorite Rothisms !!!

[gbranton]

Five seems to be the new number with regards to the gym. I started that 5 of 5 thing last week for a change were you lift the weights slowly moving them on each number as you count to five and doing it five times in each set.


I used to manage a gym and did personal training for select clients during that time and have used a variety of different routines on myself and my clients over the years and new thinking backed by research is making waves in the personal training community.

The problem with doing the slow thing is the way it recruits muscle fibers, research is emerging that points to this not being the best way to train. It has been proven that the human body attempts to be efficient by responding to a load with the least amount of muscle fibers required to lift that load, basically the smallest motor units will always be recruited first; your largest will always be recruited last, in a fixed and orderly fashion. Furthermore you cannot sustain maximum motor unit recruitment for more than 15 seconds. A set of slow reps will last much longer than fifteen seconds and at that time fast fatiguing, fast twitch motor units that possess Type IIB muscle fibers are beginning to cease to fire. These motor units are capable of inducing huge amounts of strength and hypertrophy increases. Lifting slowly with any load less than 100% of your one rep maximum will not recruit all of your motor units. BUT you can make up the difference by attempting to lift all loads as fast as possible. So the reps should be performed FAST, concentrating on speed, range of motion, and technique.

Also if you concentrate on speed, you can work with smaller weights, making injury less probable AND get better results.

5X5 is not new, it dates back to at least the 1970's but research is starting to come around to what some bodybuilders have known for a long time, but with a twist: While 25 may indeed be the magic number, the number of reps per set is irrelevant. It's the total number of reps per exercise that matter, perform as many sets as it takes to get the reps with speed and perfect form. Perfect form determines the end of a set, the your form breaks down, rest. With a heavy load, one guy might need 4 sets, another guy might need 7 sets. All you need to think about is the target number of total reps, and the length of the rest periods.

The rest periods coincide with the load and goal of the workout. Since each workout is different, you would use different rest periods. Your rest periods are massively important because the rest allows you to keep the speed as fast as possible.

There is a fantastic book on all this that has quickly become very influential among all the trainers I know, it is called "Get Huge in a Hurry" by Chad Waterbury. Contrary to the title, it has a wealth of information, all backed by research, for all levels of fitness. It is a fantastic book, I highly recommend it, this book can change your whole way of thinking about weight training.

Incorporating these principles and a few others I have trained competitive athletes who had tried a variety of different regimens and gotten fantastic results.

[BigBadBrian]

I used to manage a gym and did personal training for select clients during that time and have used a variety of different routines on myself and my clients over the years and new thinking backed by research is making waves in the personal training community.

The problem with doing the slow thing is the way it recruits muscle fibers, research is emerging that points to this not being the best way to train. It has been proven that the human body attempts to be efficient by responding to a load with the least amount of muscle fibers required to lift that load, basically the smallest motor units will always be recruited first; your largest will always be recruited last, in a fixed and orderly fashion. Furthermore you cannot sustain maximum motor unit recruitment for more than 15 seconds. A set of slow reps will last much longer than fifteen seconds and at that time fast fatiguing, fast twitch motor units that possess Type IIB muscle fibers are beginning to cease to fire. These motor units are capable of inducing huge amounts of strength and hypertrophy increases. Lifting slowly with any load less than 100% of your one rep maximum will not recruit all of your motor units. BUT you can make up the difference by attempting to lift all loads as fast as possible. So the reps should be performed FAST, concentrating on speed, range of motion, and technique.

Also if you concentrate on speed, you can work with smaller weights, making injury less probable AND get better results.

5X5 is not new, it dates back to at least the 1970's but research is starting to come around to what some bodybuilders have known for a long time, but with a twist: While 25 may indeed be the magic number, the number of reps per set is irrelevant. It's the total number of reps per exercise that matter, perform as many sets as it takes to get the reps with speed and perfect form. Perfect form determines the end of a set, the your form breaks down, rest. With a heavy load, one guy might need 4 sets, another guy might need 7 sets. All you need to think about is the target number of total reps, and the length of the rest periods.

The rest periods coincide with the load and goal of the workout. Since each workout is different, you would use different rest periods. Your rest periods are massively important because the rest allows you to keep the speed as fast as possible.

There is a fantastic book on all this that has quickly become very influential among all the trainers I know, it is called "Get Huge in a Hurry" by Chad Waterbury. Contrary to the title, it has a wealth of information, all backed by research, for all levels of fitness. It is a fantastic book, I highly recommend it, this book can change your whole way of thinking about weight training.

Incorporating these principles and a few others I have trained competitive athletes who had tried a variety of different regimens and gotten fantastic results.

"Huge in a Hurry" is a great book, I have it in my library and highly recommend it. I've never said 5x5 was the most effective way to train...there are many ways to get from point A to point B. Dave's Bitch uses HIIT, also shown to be highly effective. As strength guru Mark Rippetoe has said: "everything works, some things just work better than others."

Personally, I'm using the 5/3/1 System by Jim Wendler. I've also studied the Westside Barbell Strength Template, which uses, among other things, speed days with heavy weights (no, not with heavy singles, doubles, or triples). The strongest powerlifters in the world, as an average, train at Westside (Columbus, OH).

Anyhow, your statement of "Also if you concentrate on speed, you can work with smaller weights, making injury less probable AND get better results" is not necessarily true. Speed CAN be accomplished with relatively heavy weights (relative speed, of course) AND has been shown to be no more dangerous than light weights with a proper warmup. Most people simply exhaust themselves on warmup sets and can't effectively handle heavy weights. With smaller weights, muscle endurance (sets of 13-20 reps) is trained vice strength and fibers IIb are minimally recruited. Heavy sets from 1-6 (not necessarily to failure but yet heavy nonetheless) are shown to recruit these fibers most effectively.

I agree with your statement "While 25 may indeed be the magic number, the number of reps per set is irrelevant." Progressions such as 8x3 are also effective for strength and fast-twitch fiber recruitment, after a good warmup, of course.

"Huge in a Hurry" has shown to work because it is a periodization-based routine involving different weight/set progressions that hit all muscle fiber types. Waterbury, if I recall correctly, adapted this from Dave Tate. Tate wrote an article(s) called "Periodization Bible I and II" which can be found in http://www.t-nation.com (http://www.t-nation.com) I've also read Chad Waterbury articles there.

gbranton, I look forward to you posting more in this thread. :thumb:

[BigBadBrian]

gbranton, you may be interested in "The Waterbury Method" as found in t-nation.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_waterbury_method (http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_waterbury_method)

[BigBadBrian]

Next up, an explanation of the Westside Method.

[katina]

I have been reading some interesting articles in http://www.t-nation.com
And this one by Brad Schoenfeld is very good, 4 Reasons You´re Not Gaining Muscle http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/4_reasons_youre_not_gaining_muscle

[BigBadBrian]

I have been reading some interesting articles in http://www.t-nation.com
And this one by Brad Schoenfeld is very good, 4 Reasons You´re Not Gaining Muscle http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/4_reasons_youre_not_gaining_muscle

t-nation does have some good articles. That was a great one you posted.

Here's the 5/3/1 system I'm on now:


Jim Wendler's 5/3/1

One mesocycle lasts 16 workouts, or a little over 5 weeks.

Each mesocycle has 4 microcycles or "waves".
Wave 1. Warmup, 75%x5, 80%x5, 85%x5
Wave 2. Warmup, 80%x3, 85%x3, 90%x3
Wave 3. Warmup, 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1
Wave 4. (deload) - 60%x5, 65%x5, 70%x5

Note: Wendler suggests that you underestimate your loading percentages by subtracting 10% from your 1RM when calculating weights; He also suggests that on the last set you can do an "all out rep max" lifting that weight as many times as possible. The goal is to get at least the specified number of reps with that weight and anything beyond that can be considered the dividends that your efforts have payed out. Only attempt extra reps on the final heavy set.

Each wave has 4 workouts:
A. Squat + assistance
B. Bench press + assistance
C. Deadlift + assistance
D. Military press + assistance

Wendler recommends 3 workouts per week. Example:
Week 1: A1, B1, C1
Week 2: D1, A2, B2
Week 3: C2, D2, A3
Week 4: B3, C3, D3
Week 5: A4, B4, C4
Week 6: D4, etc. ...

Optionally there is a second, less intensive, loading parameter:
Wave 1. Warmup, 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5
Wave 2. Warmup, 70%x3, 80%x3, 90%x3
Wave 3. Warmup, 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1
Wave 4 (Deload) - 60%x5, 65%x5, 70%x5


Substitutions

The main lifts can be substituted with variations (typically in subsequent mesocycles):
Squat - box squat, squat with bands, front squat, etc.
Bench press - board press, floor press, incline, etc.
Deadlift - rack pulls, deficit DL, etc.
Military press - push press, incline press, etc.

Assistance Work

Assistance work depends on your goals:
Base - just do the main lifts
Strength - just do 1-2 supplementary lifts, typically 3-5 sets x 6-20 reps
Bodybuilder - 3-4 supplementary lifts, including some isolation work, done for higher volume, typically 3-4 sets x 10-20 reps

Here is the "Strength" template assistance work from the book:

Squat Day

Squat: 5x10x50%
Leg Curls: 5x10

Bench Press Day

Bench Press: 5x10x50%
DB Rows: 5x10

Deadlift Day

Deadlift: 5x8x50%
Hanging Leg Raises: 5x12

Mil. Press Day

Mil. Press: 5x10x50%
Chins: 5 sets to failure.

Here is the bodybuilder template assistance work from the book:

Squat Day

Hack Squat: 4 sets of 10-20 reps
Leg Extensions: 4 sets of 10-30 reps
Leg Curls: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Weighted Sit-ups: 4 sets of 10 reps

or

Leg Press – 4 sets of 10-20 reps
Leg Extensions – 4 sets of 10-30 reps
Leg Curls – 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Weighted Sit-ups – 4 sets of 10 reps

Bench Press Day

DB Bench Press: 4 sets of 10-20 reps
Dips (weighted): 4 sets of 8-15 reps
Fly's: 4 sets of 12 reps
Triceps Pushdowns: 4 sets of 10-20 reps

or

DB Incline Press – 4 sets of 10-20 reps
Dips (weighted) – 4 sets of 8-15 reps
Fly's – 4 sets of 12 reps
Triceps Extensions – 4 sets of 10-20 reps

Deadlift Day

Chins: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
DB Rows: 4 sets of 15 reps/arm
Back Raises: 4 sets of 10 reps (with bar behind neck)
Hanging Leg Raises: 4 sets of 15 reps

or

Lat Pulls – 4 sets of 10-12 reps
Bent Over Rows – 4 sets of 15 reps/arm
Reverse Hyperextensions – 4 sets of 12 reps
Hanging Leg Raises – 4 sets of 15 reps

Military Press Day

DB Military Press: 4 sets of 10 reps
Upright Rows: 4 sets of 10 reps
Side Laterals: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Barbell Curls: 4 sets of 10 reps

or

Hammer Machine Military – 4 sets of 10 reps
Rope Upright Rows – 4 sets of 10 reps
Rear Laterals – 4 sets of 10-15 reps
DB Curls – 4 sets of 10 reps

[BigBadBrian]

Assistance Work

How much assistance work you do is up to you. Natural lifters should try to be in and out of the gym in 60 minutes. If you can't "hit it" in that period of time, you need to take a long, hard look at the rest periods you are taking between assistance work sets. A quote from Jim Wendler on training duration:

"People laugh and call me lazy, while they twit around in their three-hour workout making zero progress. Sometimes, instead of what you do in the weight room, it's what you don't do that will lead to success."

In the Wendler's 5/3/1 book, the following assistance plans are presented:

Boring But Big. - Main lift, the main lift again @ 5x10 (50% 1RM), and another accessory exercise for 5 sets.
The Triumvirate. - Main lift, and two assistance exercises - 5 sets each.
I'm Not Doing Jack Shit. - Main lift, and nothing else.
Periodization Bible by Dave Tate - Main lift, and 3 exercises - 5 x 10-20 reps each.
Bodyweight. - Main lift, and 2 bodyweight exercises such as the pull up, sit ups, dips, etc.

[BigBadBrian]

Just curious:

How many people have gym memberships (including YMCA or community center memberships)?

How many people workout at home? If so, where? (basement, garage, outside, etc.)

If you workout either at the gym or at home, what equipment do you use...free weights, machines, pilates stuff, Swiss ball, kettle bells, etc.?

[Dave's Bitch]

I had a gym membership but got myself a cross trainer,some light weights for toning and some other stuff so I work out at home

[vandeleur]

Db do you find it tough to motivate your self at home ? Is there not to many distractions .

[Nitro Express]

I like to work out on free weights better than machines. I belong to a gym that has IVANKO weights and bars and I meet some friends there and we work out together because with free weights you need a spotter. I think you get a better overall workout with free weights than machines because you have to stabilize the weight. I've been working out in gyms my whole life. The problem I have trying to work out at home is the lack of room and the equipment just isn't as good. What I have at home is a rowing machine and some dumb bells. But I socialize at the gym and my whole family goes there. So really it's more of a local rec center than it is a gym. Everyone there is really nice.

I sat down with a trainer and put together a computer program for my workout. I just go to the gym and print out that days workout and do the weights and lifts for that day. It's really nice. Right now I'm doing more of an endurance workout with more reps.

[Dave's Bitch]

Db do you find it tough to motivate your self at home ? Is there not to many distractions .

Nah I enjoy my workouts.I do struggle a little when the schools are out to fit all my cardio in because I do 60 minuets 3 times a week(Sometimes 90 If I have had a diet slip) and I do light weight's and crunches and stuff like that between.When I'm at home If I am not doing house work I am listening to music so there really is not that much else to be doing.If I'm unwell i don't mind missing a few workouts but If not I feel bad if I don't do it

[BigBadBrian]

A Tried and True Bodybuilding Program Template

T-Nation Link (http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/a_tried_and_true_bodybuilding_program_template)

In my last two-part article series, I described my 11 principles for bodybuilding training. Now, I want to make things even simpler for you.

I'm now going to provide you with a couple of plug-n-play – make that plug-n-train – templates that you can use to quickly and easily design a slew of great, no-nonsense training programs.

Since I generally recommend training four or five days per week, I'll include both a four-way training split and a five-way split. That way you'll be covered either way.

As with my 11 bodybuilding training principles, I encourage you to use these templates either as-is, or as a base upon which you can build your own training program.


Be Flexible
"I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times."
– Everett Dirksen

Nothing in these templates or the following exercise options is set in stone. For example, you may already have huge calves. If you happen to be so lucky, then you may want to opt to do no calf exercises at all.

Or you may be a recreational Mixed Martial Artist who needs to work on grip strength. Thus you'll want to add grip/forearm exercises to the templates below.

Whatever the case, just remember that while bodybuilding training is definitely a science, it's just as much an art – and even though you and I use the same science, your art may very well look different from my art.


Be Rigid


"Life is indeed terribly complicated–to a man who has lost his principles."
– G.K. Chesterton

Although creative flexibility is welcomed, don't get carried away. Whether you use my 11 bodybuilding training principles (which are built into the following templates) or your own, you should definitely have some parameters to guide your decision-making, otherwise it's easy to venture too far from the tried and true.

For example, if you've ever seen a leg workout that consisted of 3 sets each of leg extensions, leg press, and leg curls, you've seen a lack of training principles in action.


Rest Intervals
The topic of rest intervals is a perfect illustration of the need to be flexible and rigid at the same time.

While walking around in the touristy part of San Francisco the other day, I saw a shirt that said, "Some say I have ADD, but they just don't underst....Hey, LOOK, a Squirrel!"

If your friends would say that shirt applies to you (or you already own said shirt), then you may very well get bored between sets, especially when you're focusing on strength and need to get copious rest between sets. In that case, you need to be more rigid, getting at least the minimum amount of rest prescribed between sets.

On the other hand, it's important to be flexible regarding your rest intervals between sets – at least flexible enough to allow common sense to prevail.

For example, if a workout calls for you to only rest 30 seconds between sets, yet your breaths per minute and the beats per minute of your heart haven't even begun to slow, then it's time to be flexible and use some common sense – take more rest.

With that said, here are the rest intervals that you should adhere to, unless you have a good reason not to – and getting bored isn't a reason!

Short rest: 20-60 seconds (45 seconds on average)
Moderate rest: 1-2 minutes (90 seconds on average)
Long rest: 2-5 minutes (3 minutes on average)
Besides implementing a rest period that aligns with your goal of doing a given exercise (which I've done for you with the following template), the other thing to remember is to be consistent with your rest intervals. Otherwise, your performance will be inconsistent and impossible to monitor.


Sets & Reps
As a rule, we could say there are three general rep/weight ranges:

Low Rep / Heavy Weight: 1-6 reps (5 reps on average)
Moderate Rep / Moderate Weight: 7-12 reps (10 reps on average)
High Rep / Light Weight: > 12 reps (15 reps on average)

But I point out the above ranges more for illustration, as we're not going to stick precisely to those.

In the templates I'll lay out the exact sets and reps I'd typically recommend for that particular exercise, but don't get too hung up on being 100% consistent with what I've laid out. Instead, use them as a guideline to know what 'ballpark' to stay in.

For example, I may say do 5 x 5 (five sets of five reps), but instead you'd like to do 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. That's totally fine – you're still in the same heavy weight/low-rep 'ballpark' so-to-speak.

On the other hand, if I prescribe 3 x 6-10 and you instead do 3 x 12-15, then you're changing things a bit too much and essentially creating your own training template. Again, that's fine, but just make sure you have a legitimate reason to tweak things that much.


When In Doubt


When in doubt as to whether to stick to the plug-n-train template I've laid out or to tweak it, I'd highly encourage you to stick with the template as is.

After all, I'm putting in (literally) over 20 years of trial-and-error experience and the same amount of book learning into these templates – so, to say I'm confident the following templates work would be a serious understatement.

So my rule regarding tweaking the following templates is the same as Mrs. Mathews' (my eighth-grade English teacher) rule regarding comma use – when in doubt, don't.


Exercise Selection
It would be impossible for me to list every possible exercise for each body part. Instead, I'm going to list what I'd call the "No-Nonsense" exercises for each body part.

(FYI, when designing workouts for myself or clients, I rarely feel the need to venture outside of these.)

Although you've probably got some good, unique exercises up your sleeve, resist the temptation to use too many 'fancy' new exercises or machines. Otherwise you'll stray too far away from the meat and potatoes exercises, which happen to be the ones that we know work!


Primary and Secondary Exercises
To systemize everything, I'm dividing exercises into primary (1°) and secondary (2°) exercises.

Generally, primary exercises will be compound, multi-joint exercises, while secondary exercises tend to be more isolation movements. However, I've based this division on more than compound versus isolation.

Take dips for example. They're undoubtedly a compound exercise, yet I'd still consider dips secondary in terms of chest exercises.

Make no mistake, there will be times when you'll want to implement a secondary exercise in place of a primary one. Maybe you want to pre-exhaust your lats with pullovers, for example.

A more likely exchange would be doing another primary exercise where I've listed a secondary exercise.

For example, you may opt to do skull crushers – a primary exercise for triceps – last in your triceps routine. Nothing wrong with that.

Although this primary versus secondary thing is flexible, be more hesitant to swap a primary exercise for a secondary exercise than vice versa – otherwise your routine might not contain enough tough exercises that are easy to loathe yet highly effective, like barbell squats.

Without further ado, let's get into the specific exercises for each body part.

Chest
1° Chest Exercises
Incline Press (barbell or dumbbell)
Flat Press (barbell or dumbbell)
Decline Press (barbell or dumbbell)

2° Chest Exercises
Cable Fly/Crossover (high-to-low, low-to-high)
Dumbbell Fly (incline, flat, or decline)
Dip
Machine Press (incline, flat, or decline)
Machine Fly
Push-Up

Back


1° Back Exercises
Deadlift (full or rack)
Barbell Row (overhand or underhand)
Pull-Up / Chin-Up
One-Arm Dumbbell Row
T-Bar Row

2° Back Exercises
Cable Row (neutral, overhand, or underhand grip)
Reverse Fly (dumbbell/machine)
Dumbbell Pullover
Pulldown (neutral, overhand, or underhand grip)
Row Machine
Pulldown Machine

Shoulders
1° Shoulder Exercises
Overhead Press (barbell or dumbbell)
Dumbbell Lateral Raise

2° Shoulder Exercises
Arnold Press
Overhead Press Machine
Cable Lateral
Front Raise – (barbell or dumbbell)
Rear-Delt Cable Kickback
Rear-Delt Dumbbell Raise/Extension
Truck Driver
Upright Row – (barbell, dumbbell or cable)

Triceps


1° Triceps Exercises
Skull Crusher
Close-Grip Bench Press
Dip
V-Bar Cable Pushdown

2° Triceps Exercises
Kickback (dumbbell or cable)
Randy Press
Straight-Bar/Rope Cable Pushdown
Overhead Extension (barbell, dumbbell, or cable)
Reverse-Grip Cable Pushdown

Biceps
1° Biceps Exercises
Barbell Curl – (straight or EZ/cambered bar)
Standing Alternating Dumbbell Curl

2° Biceps
Spider Curl
Drag Curl
Low-Cable Curl
Preacher Curl (EZ bar or dumbbell)
Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Reverse Curl
Dumbbell Concentration Curl
Chin-Up

Abdominals
1° Ab Exercises
Hanging Leg Raise
Bicycle Crunch
Decline Crunch

2° Ab Exercises
Rope Crunch
Reverse Crunch
Frog Kick
V-Up

Quadriceps
1° Quad Exercises
Back Squat
Front Squat
Hack Squat

2° Quad Exercises
Bulgarian Split Squat
Leg Press
Leg Extension
Walking Lunge

Hamstrings
1° Hamstring Exercises
Stiff-Legged/Romanian Deadlift (barbell or dumbbell)
Seated Leg Curl

2° Hamstring Exercises
Lying Leg Curl
Hamstring Ball Roll
Unilateral (machine) Leg Curl
Hamstring Rope Pull-Through

Calves
1° Calf Exercises
Standing Calf Raise (machine)
Unilateral Dumbbell Calf Raise

2° Calf Exercises
Calf Press (on leg press)
Seated Calf Raise


Training Split Templates
My goal in creating these templates is to completely take the guesswork out of designing your own training programs. That way you can use your precious energy for training instead of thinking.

Simply plug-in the appropriate exercise and you're off!


4-Day Training Split


The following 4-day training split is, as you likely surmised, for those of you who are going to train four days per week.

Notice I didn't say "might train four days per week" or "will often train four days per week."

It's important that you decide, in advance, how many days per week you can commit to. Otherwise you're going to compromise the effectiveness of the program. So if you're thinking, "I can consistently train four or five days per week," then go with four, because it needs to be something doable week in and week out.

Note: Sure, we can design training splits that are more flexible in nature, allowing you to train on a more random schedule, but that's a topic for another article.

No-Nonsense 4-Day Training Split
Day 1 (e.g., Monday) – Chest & Biceps
Day 2 (e.g., Tuesday) – Back & Abs
Day 3 (e.g., Thursday) – Shoulders, Triceps, & Abs
Day 4 (e.g., Friday) – Legs

Chest & Biceps
Exercise Sets Reps Rest Interval
A 1° Chest (press) 5 5 Long
B 1°/2° Chest 3 6-10 Moderate
C 2° Chest 4 12-20 Short
D 1° Biceps 4 5 Long
E 1°/2° Biceps 3 8-12 Moderate
F 2° Biceps/Forearm 3 10-15 Short/Moderate

Back & Abs
Exercise Sets Reps Rest Interval
A 1° Back (vertical pull) 4 6-10 Long
B 1° Back (lift/row) 3-4 6-10 Long
C 1°/2° Back 3 8-12 Moderate
D 2° Back 4 10-15 Short
E 1° Ab 3-4 6-10 Moderate
F 2° Ab 3 10-20 Short/Moderate

Shoulders, Triceps, & Abs
Exercise Sets Reps Rest Interval
A 1° Shoulder (vertical press) 4 5 Long
B 1° Shoulder (abduction) 4 8-12 Moderate
C 2° Shoulder 3 10-15 Short
D 1° Triceps 3 6-10 Moderate
E 1°/2° Triceps 3 8-12 Moderate
F 2° Triceps 3 10-15 (up to 20) Short
G 1° Ab 4 6-12 Moderate
Quads, Hams, & Calves
Exercise Sets Reps Rest Interval
A 1° Quad 5 6-12 Long
B 2° Quad 4 8-15 Moderate
C 1° Ham 4 6-10 Moderate
D 2° Ham 3-4 8-15 Short/Moderate
E Ancillary Leg (as needed) 2-3 8-15 Short/Moderate
F 1° Calf 4-5 6-12 Moderate
G 2° Calf 3 10-15 Short

5-Day Training Splits


For those who can commit to training five days per week, this is a great training split.

Note: If you're a bit savvy, you can reconfigure the following template to use with a different 5-day training split.

No-Nonsense 5-Day Training Split
Day 1 (e.g., Monday) – Chest & Calves
Day 2 (e.g., Tuesday) – Back & Abs
Day 3 (e.g., Thursday) – Shoulders & Hams
Day 4 (e.g., Friday) – Quads & Abs
Day 5 (e.g., Saturday) – Arms


Chest & Calves
Exercise Sets Reps Rest Interval
A 1° Chest 5 5 Long
B 1° Chest 3-4 6-10 Long/Moderate
C 2° Chest 3 8-12 Moderate/Short
D 2° Chest (weak point isolation) 3 10-15 Short
E 1° Calf 4 5-10 Moderate
F 1° Calf 3 10-15 Short/Moderate
G 2° Calf 3 12-20 Short


Back & Abs
Exercise Sets Reps Rest Interval
A 1° Back (vertical pull) 3-4 6-10 Moderate/Long
B 1° Back (lift/row) 3-4 4-8 Long
C 1°/2° Back 3 8-12 Moderate
D 2° Back 3 8-12 Moderate
E 2° Back (weak point isolation) 4 10-15 Short/Moderate
F 1° Ab 3-4 6-12 Moderate
G 2° Ab 3 12-20 Short


Shoulders & Hamstrings
Exercise Sets Reps Rest Interval
A 1° Shoulder (press) 4 4-8 Long
B 1° Shoulder (abduction) 4 6-10 Moderate
C 2° Shoulder 3 8-12 Short/Moderate
D Shoulder Health (i.e., ext rotation) 3 12-15 Short
E 1° Ham (knee flexion) 3-4 6-10 Moderate
F 1° Ham (hip ext) 2-3 6-10 Moderate
G 2° Ham 3-4 10-15 Short/Moderate


Quads & Abs
Exercise Sets Reps Rest Interval
A 1° Quad 5 6-10 Long
B 1°/2° Quad 4 8-12 Moderate/Long
C 2° Quad 3-4 8-12 Moderate
D 2° Quad 3 10-20 Short/Moderate
E 1° Ab 3 6-12 Moderate
F 2° Ab 3 12-20 Short


Biceps, Triceps, & Forearms
Exercise Sets Reps Rest Interval
A 1° Triceps 4 4-8 Moderate/Long
B 1° Biceps 4 4-8 Moderate/Long
C 1°/2° Triceps 3 8-12 Moderate
D 2° Triceps 3 12-20 Short
E 1°/2° Biceps 3 8-12 Moderate
F 2° Biceps 3 12-20 Short
G Forearms (as needed) 3 8-15 Short/Moderate

Ancillary Exercises to Consider
Here are some smaller/more specific body parts that you may want to give some attention, along with the exercises to accomplish that task.

As needed, simply plug these into your split where they fit best, as illustrated above with the ancillary leg, forearm, and shoulder health exercises.

Tibialis Anterior
Resisted Dorsiflexion
Heel Walking

Forearm Wrist
Curls/Flexion (Barbell or Dumbbell)
Wrist Extension (Barbell or Dumbbell)
Wrist Rolls
Reverse Curls

Shoulder External Rotation
Cuban Rotation
Side-Lying DB External Rotation
Cable External Rotation

Ancillary Exercises
Target Muscle Sets Reps Rest Interval
Tibialis Anterior 4 8-15 Short-Moderate
Wrist Extensor 4 8-15 Short-Moderate
Wrist Flexor 3 8-15 Short-Moderate
Shoulder External Rotation 4 8-15 Short-Moderate

In Closing
I'll be the first to admit, there's nothing revolutionary in this article, but that's sort of the point – we're not trying to reinvent bodybuilding training here.

Instead, these templates are meant to be something more like elegantly simple, yet extremely effective.

With that in mind, I'd encourage you to print them out and take 'em to the gym with you. That way, you'll always have the information you need to construct a badass training program on the spot.

Enjoy!