My Workout

[Brixtonbulldog]

This has been my workout for the last 6 months or so.  It's geared more to strength than asthetics although my back is recovering from muscle strain so deads and squats are out for now.

Warmup:

Chins 12-15 reps
Dips 12-15 reps
Interval Sprints for 5 minutes

Workout 1:

Heavy DB presses 2 sets 6-10 reps
Leg Presses 5 sets Pyramiding up 6-10 reps
Decline Machine BP 2 sets 6-10 reps
Rack Pulls Max Weight 3 sets 1 rep
Lat Pulldowns with Rope Grip 2 sets 6-12 reps
Leg Raises 2 sets 15-20 reps

or 2:

Seated Cable Row 2 sets 6-10 reps
Lunges with DB's 2 sets 6-10 reps/leg
DB Pull overs 2 sets 8-10 reps
DB Bicep Curls 2 sets 5-10 reps/arm
Heavy DB Shrugs 2 sets 15-20 reps
Seated Calf Raises 2 sets 10-15 reps
Cable Crunches 2 sets 15-20 reps

or 3:

Lat Pulldowns 2 sets 8-12 reps
Standing DB presses 2 sets 5-8 reps
DB Upright rows 2 sets 6-10 reps
Overhand EZ Bar Curls 2 sets 8-10 reps
Farmers Walk with Heavy DB (walk until grip failure) 2 sets
Machine Hamstring Curls 2 sets 8-12 reps
Cable Wood Chops 2 sets 10-15 reps

Cool Down:

Rotator Cuff exercises (Holding a 10lb plate in your hand while moving your arm in a wide circle)
Plate Presses (Squeezing two 10lb plates together with your palms while holding them straight out in front of you)
Jumping Rope or Throwing a 15lb medicine ball for 5 minutes
Bodyweight exercises for lumbar support, glute strength and ham strength.
Stretching.

I also tend to mix and match the main workout exercises depending on whats still sore from last time.  I usually make it to the gym 2 to 4 times per week usually with a day of rest in between.  I want to drastically up my overall strength (hopefully for PLing or strongman) while maintaining my physique to more BBer proportions (ie. no gut, no 20% bf, no 38 inch waist).

[pjs]

Deads and squats are out because of your back, but you can do rack pulls, leg press, and heavy farmers walks?

You need to revisit your desire to make improvements, and weather or not you should take up a slightly less demanding sport, like mall walking.

Oh, and your training program is awful.  Get back to basics.

[Brixtonbulldog]

Deads and squats are out because of your back, but you can do rack pulls, leg press, and heavy farmers walks?

Well genius.. I would be doing the above AND squats and DLs.  So taking to moderation seems to be working so far based on what I feel my body can handle.

You need to revisit your desire to make improvements, and weather or not you should take up a slightly less demanding sport, like mall walking.

I'm sure you're at the peak of athleticism, esp if you're some idiot BBer thinking he knows something about being an "athlete."

Oh, and your training program is awful.  Get back to basics.

Awful?? Yeah ok

[ngm21084]

This has been my workout for the last 6 months or so.  It's geared more to strength than asthetics although my back is recovering from muscle strain so deads and squats are out for now.

Well genius.. I would be doing the above AND squats and DLs.  So taking to moderation seems to be working so far based on what I feel my body can handle.


hey bulldog...what the hell are you doing....first you say that they are out for now then pjs questions your methods and feeds you some tough love and you turn around with the exact opposite of what you said the first time....WTF?

[Brixtonbulldog]

This has been my workout for the last 6 months or so.  It's geared more to strength than asthetics although my back is recovering from muscle strain so deads and squats are out for now.

Well genius.. I would be doing the above AND squats and DLs.  So taking to moderation seems to be working so far based on what I feel my body can handle.


hey bulldog...what the hell are you doing....first you say that they are out for now then pjs questions your methods and feeds you some tough love and you turn around with the exact opposite of what you said the first time....WTF?

Are you guys retarded??  This really isn't that hard.

I was saying that if I were completely healthy I would be doing squats, dls, and everything else.  Since I am in the process of healing I'm only doing the "everything else" part as I feel I can handle it as long as I'm not doing the squats and dls on top of that.  My back is healing fine so far even with my current routine and as long as my chiro says I'm not overdoing it then I'll be fine.

Jeez.


Also,

rack pulls:  ROM is like 4 inches and reps are low.  As long as I watch form I should be fine.

leg press: Sitting in a machine like that stabilizes the lower back.  No danger there. 

heavy farmers walks:  With appx. 100lb dumb bells.  Since I shrug with em too I've been doin alright.  No worries there.


Honestly, I could prolly start DLing again but I don't want to push it.  And putting a loaded bar on my back for squats is what hurt me in the first place so I won't be doing that again until I'm cleared.

[pjs]

Most leg presses are horrible for the back.  100 pound farmers walks are not 'heavy' unless you are a 120 pound girl.

But you already know what you are doing, and certainly don't need my help. 

(BTW, no, I'm not a bodybuilder.)

What diagnosis did a doctor give you on your back?  What rehab did he/she prescribe? 

And yes, your training program is awful.

[Brixtonbulldog]

Most leg presses are horrible for the back.  100 pound farmers walks are not 'heavy' unless you are a 120 pound girl.

But you already know what you are doing, and certainly don't need my help. 

(BTW, no, I'm not a bodybuilder.)

What diagnosis did a doctor give you on your back?  What rehab did he/she prescribe? 

And yes, your training program is awful.

Well at least you sounded intelligent this time.

A) Agreed.. 100lb farmers walks are not heavy.  But my gyms DBs only go up that high so I walk till I can't hold em anymore.  I still get a decent work out from that so until they get heavier DBs or I fork out the $$$ for some real strongman equip that'll have to do. 

B) Severe muscle strain of the lower back.  I'm in phys therapy for one month which includes daily ham, glute, and lower back stretches and strengthening exercises as well as twice weekly sessions of electric stimulus and traction.  Should be completely healed in another 30 or 45 days approx.

C) What, in your opinion, makes my program awful?  Please be specific.

[Bluto]

yes lets hear some constructive critcism 

[pjs]

A)  Join a new gym

B)  Chiro or MD diagnosis?  What was the original cause of the injury?  If you can't squat, you shouldn't be doing a number of the things you are doing.

C)  You said you want to be a PLer or Strongman.  That routine will not get you where you want to go, so it's awful.  Why?  Because it doesn't include any of the powerlifts.  Because it isn't particularly well structured.  It has too many lifts, and seems a little unbalanced.

If we use Powerlifting as your sport (which is best for me, because that is what I am most qualified to discuss), the first thing you need to tell me (us) is what your best meet squat, bench, and deadlift are.  If you have never been in a meet, we need your HONEST maxes, not a 6 inch high squat in a Smith machine, or some conversion of a 5RM to 1RM.  We need to know how long you've been lifting.  We need to know your bodyweight, and your bodyfat % (a guess is fine there, because it isn't your main goal, but I need to know if you are a fatass.)

From there, we apply a couple of things:

1) Where you are as a lifter.  You may need to start out as if you had never lifted before.  Not necessarily for long, but to really get an idea of where your strengths and weaknesses are, and what you need to develop.

2) Appropriate programming.  Are you really going to compete?  When?  What are your goals?  How many days a week can you train?  How many do you want to train?  How's your nutrition?  Etc.

3) What you like.  I can say all day long that you need to squat 3 times a week, and use the same generic routine for a year, but if you get so bored you quit after 3 weeks, what's the point?  So we need to make sure you'll be motivated and stay interested; coupled, of course, with the right training programming.

In the meantime, I suggest you buy Starting Strength and Practical Programming by Mark Rippetoe.  While not specific to powerlifting, Practical Programming is a fantastic resource for anyone, and it's easy to read and understand.

[jpm101]

Not to be harsh but it almost seems the BDawg is playing his workouts by ear. Little bit of this, a little bit of that. In other words, the structure is not sound for any future focused goal and with the idea of healing altogether. BB'ing, strongman, PL'ing or what ever it might be may require a adjusted workout plan for now.

You might consider a basic form of working out, but with a little higher rep scheme of 8 to 12 reps if rehap is the main concern now. Try not doing any overhead lifting at this time if the lower back is a prime concern. Rather than lunges, you might try step-up's on a medium high bench, box, etc. Use DB's  rather than a BB with this exercise. If doing leg presses, than do alternate one leg at a time. Rack pulls, no matter what their range, affect the lower back strongly because of the sudden contraction required in that area during the pull (actually chins can affect the lower back also, but to a lesser degree). Include some serious ab work, can aid in the strength of the lower body while healing. When you do workout, than apply a heating element on the lower back area before hand. A rub, lotion, heat back tape, etc. Insure a better blood flow with-in the area.

Might want to keep the workouts down to twice a week. Just keep K.I.S.S. in mind (Keep It Simple Stupid). Something like legs, back and  chest. In That Order. The basic stuff for now, until you can get back to somewhere near 100%. Than you can begin training with serious intent. Good Luck.

[Brixtonbulldog]

Not to be harsh but it almost seems the BDawg is playing his workouts by ear. Little bit of this, a little bit of that. In other words, the structure is not sound for any future focused goal and with the idea of healing altogether. BB'ing, strongman, PL'ing or what ever it might be may require a adjusted workout plan for now.

You might consider a basic form of working out, but with a little higher rep scheme of 8 to 12 reps if rehap is the main concern now. Try not doing any overhead lifting at this time if the lower back is a prime concern. Rather than lunges, you might try step-up's on a medium high bench, box, etc. Use DB's  rather than a BB with this exercise. If doing leg presses, than do alternate one leg at a time. Rack pulls, no matter what their range, affect the lower back strongly because of the sudden contraction required in that area during the pull (actually chins can affect the lower back also, but to a lesser degree). Include some serious ab work, can aid in the strength of the lower body while healing. When you do workout, than apply a heating element on the lower back area before hand. A rub, lotion, heat back tape, etc. Insure a better blood flow with-in the area.

Might want to keep the workouts down to twice a week. Just keep K.I.S.S. in mind (Keep It Simple Stupid). Something like legs, back and  chest. In That Order. The basic stuff for now, until you can get back to somewhere near 100%. Than you can begin training with serious intent. Good Luck.

Good post and good advice.  I'm not playing it by ear as much as it seems (there is a method to my madness) but what usually dictates which exercises I choose from is the soreness and the recovery from the previous work out.

As for your advice, that of it which I'm not doing now I will begin to. 

Tanks.

[Brixtonbulldog]

A)  Join a new gym

Why?  I'm making good progress at this one and I only pay $30/month.

B)  Chiro or MD diagnosis?  What was the original cause of the injury?  If you can't squat, you shouldn't be doing a number of the things you are doing.

MD.  Don't know, prolly squating with a bar on my back combined with DLing too frequently.  And I prolly CAN squat.. I'm choosing not to in order to keep the work load on my back in the moderate range.

C)  You said you want to be a PLer or Strongman.  That routine will not get you where you want to go, so it's awful.  Why?  Because it doesn't include any of the powerlifts.  Because it isn't particularly well structured.  It has too many lifts, and seems a little unbalanced.

Yeah dummy... MY BACK IS RECOVERING!! WHEN IT HAS RECOVERED I RESUME SQUATS AND DLS!!!  I can say it louder next time if you need.

If we use Powerlifting as your sport (which is best for me, because that is what I am most qualified to discuss), the first thing you need to tell me (us) is what your best meet squat, bench, and deadlift are.  If you have never been in a meet, we need your HONEST maxes, not a 6 inch high squat in a Smith machine, or some conversion of a 5RM to 1RM.  We need to know how long you've been lifting.  We need to know your bodyweight, and your bodyfat % (a guess is fine there, because it isn't your main goal, but I need to know if you are a fatass.)

Here's some info.. enjoy:

24 years old
185lbs
14-16% bodyfat
Max Bench - 255lbs
Max Dead - 350lbs
Max Squat - 300lbs
Training seriously for 3.5 years.  Although the first 2 years I didn't really know shit and never trained legs (and that's why max DL and squat are awful).   

From there, we apply a couple of things:

1) Where you are as a lifter.  You may need to start out as if you had never lifted before.  Not necessarily for long, but to really get an idea of where your strengths and weaknesses are, and what you need to develop.

Did that, thank you.

2) Appropriate programming.  Are you really going to compete?  When?  What are your goals?  How many days a week can you train?  How many do you want to train?  How's your nutrition?  Etc.

Not sure about competing but I can train up to 5 days a week if need be.  I'd like to get away with training 3 or 4.  I'll tell you now that other than eating 20 to 40 grams of protein every 2 to 4 hours my diet sucks (relatively).  I consume about 2500 cals per day and if I go above that my bf will go up. 

3) What you like.  I can say all day long that you need to squat 3 times a week, and use the same generic routine for a year, but if you get so bored you quit after 3 weeks, what's the point?  So we need to make sure you'll be motivated and stay interested; coupled, of course, with the right training programming.

I don't have problems with motivation.

You seem to think I'm a complete noob since my CURRENT work out isn't to your standards.  Obviously, when I'm 100% again, my work out will include more of my goal oriented lifts.  But for now this is it and it's working pretty well.  I'm improving my core, maintaining legs and back until healed, and making decent gains in other areas.  Simply put it's a GOOD work out for my needs at this time.

[Emmortal]

You seem to think I'm a complete noob since my CURRENT work out isn't to your standards.  Obviously, when I'm 100% again, my work out will include more of my goal oriented lifts.  But for now this is it and it's working pretty well.  I'm improving my core, maintaining legs and back until healed, and making decent gains in other areas.  Simply put it's a GOOD work out for my needs at this time.

Just curious, but why the fuck did you even post your workout if you say it's a good one for you?  If you've already decided it works for you, then why the fuck are you posting it?  If it's so great, the why do we need to know about it?

[ngm21084]

Just curious, but why the fuck did you even post your workout if you say it's a good one for you?  If you've already decided it works for you, then why the fuck are you posting it?  If it's so great, the why do we need to know about it?

hahahaaa...hhaaaahahhaha

[Brixtonbulldog]

Just curious, but why the fuck did you even post your workout if you say it's a good one for you?  If you've already decided it works for you, then why the fuck are you posting it?  If it's so great, the why do we need to know about it?

You need to know how great it is..

[pjs]

Just curious, but why the fuck did you even post your workout if you say it's a good one for you?  If you've already decided it works for you, then why the fuck are you posting it?  If it's so great, the why do we need to know about it?

I'm confused as well.  Seems he doesn't need any advice, although lots of people might be well served listening to someone who benches more than they squat.  (He's also not squatting nearly enough to hurt himself unless there is a severe form or structural problem.)

I'll give advice anyway, because it might benefit someone else.

You should start over, just like a beginner.  A very basic routine, such as the one in Starting Strength
, which is 3 days a week, full body, using just 5 or 6 lifts.

Do that for at least 6 months.  While you are doing it, read Practical Programming.  After that, you'll know what to do next.

[Brixtonbulldog]

Okay, back is healed.  I'm working on changing up my workout based on your suggestions.

Another issue I need help addressing is BF%.  I'm at about 15 or 16 percent from what I can tell.  What PERMANENT changes should I make to my routine to get at and STAY at around 11 or 12 percent?

I don't wanna go much below that because I don't want to lose any strength and I don't wanna have to stay completely away from food I really like.

(Maybe nutritional genius Candidizzle should chime in on this one, lol.)

[Emmortal]

I don't wanna go much below that because I don't want to lose any strength and I don't wanna have to stay completely away from food I really like.

BF% is more about diet than anything else so you are going to have to sacrifice some of those foods you "really" like or at least save them for a very rare cheat day.

[Brixtonbulldog]

BF% is more about diet than anything else so you are going to have to sacrifice some of those foods you "really" like or at least save them for a very rare cheat day.

Classic BBer viewpoint.

I don't agree... those with a grueling 6 hour/day and 5 day/week workout (such as athletes) can mostly eat whatever they want and many easily maintain a level even below that.

But I know I will have to change my diet to on some level.

[Emmortal]

This isn't fitnessforbitches.com  This is GetBig, so yea, I'm going to have the "classic BB'r" of view because that's what this places is about.

Are you one of those grueling athletes who can eat whatever he wants because of his grueling 6 hour a day 5 days a week workout?

[Brixtonbulldog]

This isn't fitnessforbitches.com  This is GetBig, so yea, I'm going to have the "classic BB'r" of view because that's what this places is about.

Are you one of those grueling athletes who can eat whatever he wants because of his grueling 6 hour a day 5 days a week workout?

uh huh... fitnessforbitches, clever.

You miss the point.. I wanted to focus on what I should do TRAINING wise to continue to make strength gains and lose about 5%bf.  If diet changes are necessary I was hoping they would be minimal although a combo of both is expected.

Saying bf is almost all diet is a very narrow minded (bber) viewpoint.

[Emmortal]

No, I completely get the point, you just fail to realize that what I said is 100% true.  Nothing in your workout routine (lifting weights) will cause you to go lower in BF% if nothing else in your diet or cardio routine changes.

The resistance to believing what I have to say is due to your narrow minded view of bodybuilders.  You know, some of us know what the fuck we're doing and when we give advice it's not just to spout bullshit.

You want to get to 10% body fat?  Then you need to add in cardio and change your diet.  That's it.  No weight lifting routine will do it for you, simple fact.

And for the record, I said BF% is mostly about diet, please try to argue that because it's 100% true.  I could stop lifting weights completely, walk 1 mile casually a day and stay in a caloric deficit and never go above 12% BF.  Truth.

[Brixtonbulldog]

No, I completely get the point, you just fail to realize that what I said is 100% true.  Nothing in your workout routine (lifting weights) will cause you to go lower in BF% if nothing else in your diet or cardio routine changes.

The resistance to believing what I have to say is due to your narrow minded view of bodybuilders.  You know, some of us know what the fuck we're doing and when we give advice it's not just to spout bullshit.

You want to get to 10% body fat?  Then you need to add in cardio and change your diet.  That's it.  No weight lifting routine will do it for you, simple fact.

And for the record, I said BF% is mostly about diet, please try to argue that because it's 100% true.  I could stop lifting weights completely, walk 1 mile casually a day and stay in a caloric deficit and never go above 12% BF.  Truth.

ok