Bigbychoice traning log

[bigbychoice]

I am taking this week off from training to prepare for a new program. I will be doing a 5x5 program for the next 12 weeks to bulk and add some strength. I have chosen a 5x5 routine which is listed below. During this time for the first 4 weeks I will be doing a stack of Thermolife D-bol and E-bol.

Monday:
Weighted Chin-ups - 5 reps
Dumbbell Calf Raises - 5 reps
Reverse Smith Machine Raises - 5 reps
Shoulder Press - 5 reps
Lateral Dumbbell Raise - 5 reps
Rear Delt Raise- 5 reps
Close grip bench press - 5 reps

Tuesday:
Weighted Pullups - 5 reps
Weighted Chest Dip - 5 reps
Lying Leg Curls - 5 reps
Barbell Squats - 5 reps
Barbell Shrugs - 5 reps

Wednesday:Rest

Thursday:
Preacher Curls - 5 reps
Barbell Calf Raises - 5 reps
Seated Calf Raises - 5 reps
Front Delt Raise - 5 reps
Lateral Dumbbell Raise - 5 reps
Rear Delt Raise - 5 reps
Barbell Tricep Extension - 5 reps

Friday:
Bent Over Barbell Rows - 5 reps
Incline Bench Press - 5 reps
Deadlifts - 5 reps
Barbell Lunges - 5 reps
Barbell Shrugs - 5 reps

Saturday/Sunday:Rest

I have tried to make this program simple so I can keep track of my performance and keep it progressing from week to week. I will try to go up about 5-10lbs on each exercise per week. Any advise / tips would be appreciated.

[Zach Trowbridge]

IMO, it looks like a lot of unneccessary exercises and a lot of exercises not well-suited to low rep work (leg curls, lunges, lateral raises).  I'd keep it simpler and do something like this:

Monday:
Flat or incline bench
Weighted dips
Hang clean
Skullcrushers or close grip bench

Tuesday:
Deadlift
Weighted pullups
Barbell Row
Barbell curl

Wednesday: off

Thursday:
Barbell or Front Squat
Leg press
Stiff-leg deadlift
Standing calf raise

Friday: repeat Monday's workout

Saturday/Sunday: off

5x5 for all exercises, rotating 3 workouts over a 4-day split.

[bigbychoice]

Very interesting. Have you had success with a workout like this? I am currently 198 @ 8% and 5 foot 8 tall and I am trying to pack on about 10 to 15 pounds in the next 12 weeks. I do understand that I will gain some fat. I have been training for about 2 years and I started at 130 pounds. Also I am following about a 4000 cal diet. 6 meals a day 30 g protein 50 g carbs and 10 g fat. Give or take. Thanks for any advice.

[Zach Trowbridge]

I've tried the really high volume stuff like you proposed, and it got me nowhere.  Now I work off of a powerlifting upper/lower split hitting everything 2x a week and I've never progressed this well.  I've used the 5x5 program and modified versions of it with myself and with clients and the fewer exercises, the better.  You can always add more if you need it, but I doubt that you will.  Remember, 3 exercises is 15 sets, which is probably a 30-40 minute workout.  Anything over an hour is way too long and your test levels drop drastically.

[bigbychoice]

Very nice. I think I will take your advise and slim down the workouts.

[bigbychoice]

Monday:
Flat or incline bench
Weighted dips
Skullcrushers or close grip bench

Tuesday:
Deadlift
Weighted pullups
Barbell or 1 arm Row
Barbell curl

Wednesday:Rest

Thursday:
Squat
Leg press
Stiff-leg deadlift
Standing calf raise

Friday:
Sholder Press
Rear Delt Raise
Upright Row

Saturday/Sunday:Rest

[bigbychoice]

OK final revision,

MONDAY: Chest / Tris / Abs
Flat or incline bench
Flat or incline fly
Weighted dip
Skull crusher

TUESDAY: Back / Bis
Dead lift
Weighted pull up
Barbell or 1 arm row
Barbell curl or Hammer curl

WEDNESDAY:Rest

THURSDAY: Legs / Abs
Squat
Leg press
Stiff leg dead lift
Standing calf raise

FRIDAY: Shoulders
Shoulder press
Rear delt raise
Upright row / Lateral raise
Hang Clean

Saturday/Sunday:Rest


Abs:
Hanging leg raise
Cable rope crunch
Stability ball crunch
Broomstick twists between sets

[Zach Trowbridge]

Looks ok, but the flyes, rear delts, and lateral raises are not good choices for a 5x5 program.  The amount of weight potential is too low so it's too difficult to make increases in weight that will keep you in the appropriate rep range as you progress, and they're single joint movements that involve the shoulder joint as the only mover.  I would take those 3 movements out and condense it down to the 3-day split that I suggested earlier.  But that's just my perspective.

[bigbychoice]

Thanks for the advise but how else would my medial and rear delt get stimulation otherwise?

[Zach Trowbridge]

Hang and power cleans, shoulder presses to front or back, upright rows, deadlifts, rows will all hit the side or rear delts in some way.  5x5 is about building strength and size, not isolating individual muscles.

[Ursus]

Thanks for the advise but how else would my medial and rear delt get stimulation otherwise?

Rear delts would be fine IMO from the rowing chinning etc...If you want do even one or 2 highish rep sets of side laterals.

Looks like a nice routine IMO. Basic always best

[bigbychoice]

Hang and power cleans, shoulder presses to front or back, upright rows, deadlifts, rows will all hit the side or rear delts in some way.  5x5 is about building strength and size, not isolating individual muscles.

You know I think I will keep the isolation movements in there but I will probably do like 3 sets of 10 to 12 on those.

[bigbychoice]

So after much thought I think I will go with this:

Monday: Back / Bis
Dead lift (5x5)
Weighted pull up / chin up (5x5)
Barbell or 1 arm row (5x5)
Barbell or Hammer curl (5x5)

Tuesday: Chest / Tris / Abs
Flat or incline bench (5x5)
Weighted dip (5x5)
Skull crusher (5x5)

Wednesday
Rest

Thursday: Legs
Squat (5x5)
Leg press (5x5)
Stiff leg dead lift (5x5)
Standing calf raise (5x5)

Friday: Shoulders / Abs
Shoulder press (5x5)
Upright row  (5x5)
Hang clean (5x5)

Saturday / Sunday
Rest


Abs
Hanging leg raise 2x20
Sit ups on decline 2X20
Cable rope crunch 2x20
Broomstick twists between sets

Zach I think you are right on using only compond movements. I really want to just focus on size and strength and keeping this routine simple will really help me with that. I will isolate individual muscles later. Also I have moved my back and bi day to Monday so I can hit that fresh from two days off because I fell my back is lagging behind my chest and I have done chest on Monday s for ever. Thanks to every one for there opinions it has really helped.

Also:

I have been taking this whole week off to prepare for this routine and get some much needed rest and recovery. This is also my forth day on the Thermolife t-bol/e-bol stack and I fell like I am going to go crazy if I don't lift but I am going to wait the full week so next Monday I will start this routine. I will update my progress.

[Zach Trowbridge]

Good call on sticking with compounds for right now.  No fluff, and if you're going balls out, 3-4 exercises per workout should be plenty.

[bigbychoice]

Yea I think so. I am going to try to work with a weight that I can only get 2-3 reps out on my last set. Then when I reach 5 on the last set I will add more weight. This should keep me progressing through the program. IMO

[Ursus]

It is harder to turn a 3rm on last set into a 5rm. Much harder than turning a 8rm into a 10rm

I would lighten weight and build it up very gradually

[bigbychoice]

All I am concerned about is progressing. Do you think I should use a weight that I can get 5,5,5,5,4 and when it gets to 5 on the last set move up?

[Ursus]

No i would start 5x5 on about 60% of your 1rep max atm.

Do 5x5 and add 2.5kg or 5lbs a workout...you will far surpass your current 1rm. This i promise you.

Maybe even get with 4 workouts of failing, drop back down to maybe 75% of current 1rm and build it up again. Then before 2 morjout of peaking frop back down a bit (higher than last drop down) and build it back up till you smoke ur old 1rm.

It takes patiemce but guarentee you it woirks.

e.g say ur 1rm is 100kg

60kg 5x5, then 62.5, 65...up to say 80

then

Drop back to 65kg build it back up to maybe 85

then

Drop back to 70 and have one final run at it.

Just my 2 cents mate

[Zach Trowbridge]

Goudy is right.  5x5, 6x6, 10x10, whatever you're using, the loads you use should be submaximal.  The fewer reps and sets you use, the higher percentage 1RM you can use - if you're doing 10x10, you might use 40%, 5x5 maybe 65-75%.  You don't need to take it to failure, but by the end of the last set it should start to get a little difficult.

[bigbychoice]

Hey thanks a lot guys that really makes sense.

[bigbychoice]

So I went with 65% of my 1 rep max on everything and I have to say going all out for 3 exerise for a large muscle group is plenty! Here are my numbers:

Dead lift
135 x 15 warm up
225 x 10 warm up
315 x 5 x 5 working sets

1 arm row
80 x 15 warm up
100 x 10 warm up
120 x 5 x 3 working sets
130 x 5 x 2 working sets

Pull up no weight x 5

Hamer curl
30 x 15 warm up
40 x 10 warm up
60 x 5 x 5 working sets

So now I am going to add around 5 to 10 pounds per week or every other week depending on how I fell with each excerise.

[bigbychoice]

Bench
135 x 20
185 x 10
225 x 5 x 5

Weighted dips
no weight x 20 x 2
1 plate 5 x 5 x 5 (Should have done more)

Skull Crushers
45 x 20 (Olympic bar)
95 x 10
115 x 5 x 5

[Zach Trowbridge]

Pretty good numbers, those are 50-60% of your 1RM?

[bigbychoice]

65% on most. Weighted dips I just went with 1 plate to start, because I never do them but now I realize 2 plates would have been better.

[Ursus]

keep it at one plate...then by time you come to 2 you will be capable of 3 plates