Abbreviated training

[Symzie]

I’m thinking of trying an abbreviated routine for 3 months. I’ve been reading articles by Stuart McRobert and have also read his book “Brawn”

Most people seem to advocate the “train each muscle once per week” school of thought. McRobert's theory however (as most of you will already know) recommends doing a full body workout twice a week, using major compound exercises such as squat, deadlift, bench and rows. I’ve had problems in the past doing my shoulders in the same workout as my chest but I’m thinking of giving it a go.

So what do you think of Stuart McRoberts theories?

Has anyone here had success using them?

[Fudomyo]

Most people can't talk themselves into it. It works great however. You'll like it.

I just started something similar. Upper/lower split. One set of everything.

Ebon00 does the same thing. Surely not McRobert's routine, but same idear.

[MuscleMama]

And I do the same thing as well.

Myself, Fudo, Ebon and Alex (AJ) - I think - all have similar training philosophies.

Git it a go. Can't hurt.

~ MuscleMama ~

[Merrida]

I have so rarely been able to do full body workouts on a regular basis. In a perfect world I think splits are great with one full body light (such as circuit) per week.

Admittedly how you train for hypertrophy is very different than how you'd train for fitness and strength.

It's taken me years to assimilate and integrate that truth....

[MuscleMama]

Merrida: True. However, a lot of people here are only interested in one thing ... GROWTH!

~ MuscleMama ~

[Iain]

Seems I have been doing something similar.

Squats (1x20)
Bent-over rows (2 sets)
Bench press (2 sets)

---

Squats (2x8) (can't do deadlifts in my useless gym, sounds stupid but true)
Shoulder press (2 sets)
Bent-over rows (2 sets)


That is a twice a week training routine that is split. When I started training this way I was going full body but soon found I couldn't give the last couple of exercises enough ' umph'. That is probably just me though.

Anyone got any input on that routine would be grateful. As I am training for bulk I gather the consensus from another thread is to do some low-rep (4-6) work.

[Symzie]

Sounds good, I was thinking of something like this:

Mon
Squats
Flat DB bench
upright rows
Lateral pulldown

Thursday
Deadlift
Shoulder press
Bent over rows
Dips

Does that look ok?

What about number of sets?

I was thinking of doing 2 cardio sessions per week, including abbs on one or both. Do I need to include calf exercises

Any advice?

[ChrisH]

IAIN-

It is not just you by any means. I had the same problem when I first started weight lifting, which was only a month or so ago, I was doing a full body 3 days a week. I had a lot of trouble doing my last few exercises. I have since split it into a 3 day a week, mixing it up. I only do about 5 exercises per day with about 3 sets or so. I find it much easier to go through all of the exercises that way.

Symzie-
I would give that routine a shot. I think anybody who wishes to should try new things. I've changed my routine many times over the past month until now, I finally have what I think Im looking for.

Symzie, I would add calves and forearms to the mix. The workout you propose won't really do anything for them. I would start with 3 sets each and see how that works. You can always go up in sets if you feel you need more work. As for the problems with shoulders and chest in the same workout I think you will be OK.

Cardio twice per week will be ok with that split. It will keep the excess fat off.

I currently use a M - W - F split, using 2 workouts that I rotate. It has been working very well for me.

[Chris__D]

I've read Beyond Brawn and really like his ideas. Since the start of April I've been doing:
Monday:
weighted chinups
weighted dips
DB military press
ab work
deadlifts

Thursday:
weighted chinups
weighted dips
DB military press
ab work & calves
shrug bar "squatlift"

Cardio on Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at least.

I got the idea for getting a shrug bar from reading an article by McRobert. It's a great replacement for the barbell squat.

I read all the time about people doing multiple sets for triceps (for example), & I always felt (for example) that my triceps were just worn out from doing one exercise. That was before I even read anything by S. McRobert, but I have to agree with him that using just a few exercises, and really progressing on them, is a helluva lot better than tons of isolation work and like 20 sets for one muscle that is usually the norm. In his writings, he stresses that the most common workout routines (multiple exercises for each bodypart & lots of isolation movements) really only benefit the genetically gifted and drug users.

Really, McRobert gives lots of possible routines in Beyond Brawn, and the most common ones hit each muscle *once* per week. But I think he stresses a little bit that for certain exercises for beginners might be better done twice a week, or 3 times every 2 weeks. BUT, squats and deadlifts are usually better off done just once per week. I like the book Brawn, but Beyond Brawn goes into a lot more detail about routines and such, and some of the opinions on things are changed from the earlier book.

If anyone's interested, here's an archive of articles by Stuart McRobert: http://www.hardgainer.com/stuart/archive.html

[mustang GT]

Originally posted by MuscleMama
And I do the same thing as well.

Myself, Fudo, Ebon and Alex (AJ) - I think - all have similar training philosophies.

Git it a go. Can't hurt.

~ MuscleMama ~

Musclemama, you said that you Fudo, Ebon, and Alex all do the upperbody/lowerbody split? I was wondering, how is it set up? Can you post the routine up? I was thinking about trying this upper/lower split out.

[Symzie]

Thanks for the advice and comments

Ironman, I'm going to put some calf work in there as you recommended and see how my forearms get on with just doing deads, then add if I need to.

I'm going to give it 3 months and see where it takes me. I'll let you all know how it went on 20th July (ish)

Current stats

Weight 175 Ibs
BF % 12

[MuscleMama]

Mustang:

No, I didn't mean that we all do the same exact routine; I just meant that we share a lot of the same training philosophies and have very similar training techniques/styles.

Personally, I just finished a five-week hypertrophy routine that was based on doing somewhat higher reps (8-10) than I like to train with. It was ... OK, but I didn't see dramatic results like I did with my previous routine of 6-8 reps and a slightly different split. So ... I figure I'll mix it up and sort of combine past routines that I've done and try to work in the best of both worlds - instead of doing a four-day split with 6-8 reps, I'm going to try a full-body routine two or three times a week with 4-6 reps, extremely intense and as heavy as I can handle with good form ... without collapsing on the gym floor.

However ... before I start said routine, I'm going to do a quick three-week circuit training routine - just to give my joints and tendons a break (I haven't taken a break from heavy training in a long, long time) and to stimulate slow-twitch muscle fibers and induce capillary growth. Of course, I can't WAIT to return to the fast-twitch, heavy training ... but I feel the high-rep break is just something I need to do. Plus, I've NEVER done circuit training and my endurance level is probably not the best. I'm actually looking forward to it. The circuit training will probably kick my ass.

Well, that's it for me. That's basically what I've been doing and what I'm going to do. I start the circuit training today. It will be interesting to see what happens, physique-wise. ...

Get huge,
MuscleMama

[mustang GT]

Originally posted by MuscleMama
I'm going to try a full-body routine two or three times a week with 4-6 reps, extremely intense and as heavy as I can handle with good form ... without collapsing on the gym floor.

Musclemama, best of luck with the circuit training! I was wondering, when you say you will be having a full-body workout routine two or three times a week, how will you have that set up? Do you mean one day do upperbody, and another day do lowerbody? Or do you mean both upper and lower body int he same day? I would love to see how you will have this set up. I might give it a try in the near future. Thanks Musclemama

[MuscleMama]

Mustang:

The routine is as follows: one very intense working set for each exercise at 4-6 reps (you'll want to perform some warm-up sets, of course). ...

Squats
Bent-over barbell row
Deadlifts
Bench press
Shoulder press
Barbell curls
Dips
Include some ab work (I use higher reps here)

Said routine is performed two or three times a week. For example: Tuesday/Friday or Monday/Wednesday/Friday (if you can handle training that intensely three days a week).

And there you have it: a full-body workout. It's very intense, very heavy, compound, mass-building movements only. Essentially, you're stimulating your muscles to grow not once a week (like the "typical" bodybuiling split) but two or three times a week - that's twice or thrice the amount of growth, if done correctly!

Get huge,
MuscleMama