back to basics ?

[tonym]

Hey guys
Im trying to give myself that extra push to bulk up
Ive tried so many different ways
and now i think its time i got back to basics

does this simple routine look like it might produce good results

all done with 4 to 5 sets,aiming for 8 to 10 reps,going as heavy as poss.
all followed by 20 to 30 mins cardio

day 1
CHEST bench press
incline press
bench press dumbells
BICEPS standing curl
chin ups
preacher curl

day 2
SHOULDERS shrug
press with dumbells
front press smith machine
TRICEPS dips
overhead push
push downs
press ups elbows in
day 3
BACK bent row
seated pull
wide chins
FOREARMS reverse curls
wrist curls
day 4
LEGS squats
incline leg push
seated leg push
LATS lat pull down
lat machine
wide chins



daily supplements usn protein shakes 3 to 4
l glutamin
creatine



thanks a lot for reading and responding


Tony

[F_Mac]

Originally Posted by tonym

Hey guys
Im trying to give myself that extra push to bulk up
Ive tried so many different ways
and now i think its time i got back to basics

does this simple routine look like it might produce good results

all done with 4 to 5 sets,aiming for 8 to 10 reps,going as heavy as poss.
all followed by 20 to 30 mins cardio

day 1
CHEST bench press
incline press
bench press dumbells
BICEPS standing curl
chin ups
preacher curl

day 2
SHOULDERS shrug
press with dumbells
front press smith machine
TRICEPS dips
overhead push
push downs
press ups elbows in
day 3
BACK bent row
seated pull
wide chins
FOREARMS reverse curls
wrist curls
day 4
LEGS squats
incline leg push
seated leg push
LATS lat pull down
lat machine
wide chins



daily supplements usn protein shakes 3 to 4
l glutamin
creatine



thanks a lot for reading and responding


Tony

Tony,

In my opinion you are doing way too much volume. Especially if you are going to be doing 4-5 sets all out. That's upwards of 30 sets on some days.........you will most likely burn yourself out fairly quickly doing that.

What I have noticed that works best for most people who want to bulk is a 3 day a week split, including lots of heavy compound movements, and much less volume than you have in your routine above. Pick maybe 3-4 exercises, for example:

Monday:
BB Rows
Wide grip pulldowns
BB curls

Wednesday:
BB Bench press
Incline DB press
Tricep Pressdowns
DB Lateral Raises

Friday:
Squats
Good Mornings
Heavy ab work

Again, the above is just something I threw together to give you an idea, obviously it's a good idea to rotate in other lifts (like deadlifts, weighted pullups, dips, etc) as the weeks pass. I would shoot for 2-3 sets of 3-5 reps (not to failure) for the compound movements, and 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps for the isolation & ab work.

Eat lots of good food, get lots of sleep, and drink lots of water. You can also cut down the cardio to 2-3 times a week, and it's best to do it on it's own, not right after your workout

[Maxgain]

Hers how I would change it

day 1
CHEST bench press 2 work
incline press 2 work
dips 2/3 work
BICEPS chin ups 2 work
standing curl 2 work
preacher curl 2 work concentration

day 2
LEGS squats 3 work
straight leg deadlifts 3 work
lunges 3 work
knee extensions 2 work
calves

day 3
SHOULDERS press with dumbells 2 work
front press smith machine 2 work
shrug 2/3 work
TRICEPS dips
overhead push 2 work
push downs 2 work
press ups elbows in 2 work

day 4
BACK bent row
seated pull
wide chins
narrow pulldowns all 2 work
FOREARMS reverse curls
wrist curls

[rccook]

yes ,I also concur that your volume is entirely to high. Both of the work-outs that were given to you are great. I personally never do cardio on lifting days of a bulk up phase. Also if I am doing cardio , I do before I lift so I am not burning off the muscle I just train so hard. Meaning that if you are traing all out you shouldn't have enough unused energy to do cardio afterward. When I do cardio in Bulk up phase , I like to call it active energy spent through walking,biking, or some other phisical activety.

[Klinger]

Tony -what's your weight and diet? Bulking is 80 percent calorie intake/rest and 20 percent training.

Good advice on cutting down the volume. You're turning your workouts into mini-cardio sessions with all those reps.

I suggest you cut cardio to brisk walking a couple times a week. Just eat clean and eat often and lift heavy.

I went from 165 to 185 last summer by lifting in the 3-5 rep range and eating 4,000 calories a day. I supped with creatine & protein, nothing else.

[Dan C]

Originally Posted by F-Mac

Tony,

In my opinion you are doing way too much volume. Especially if you are going to be doing 4-5 sets all out. That's upwards of 30 sets on some days.........you will most likely burn yourself out fairly quickly doing that.

What I have noticed that works best for most people who want to bulk is a 3 day a week split, including lots of heavy compound movements, and much less volume than you have in your routine above. Pick maybe 3-4 exercises, for example:

Monday:
BB Rows
Wide grip pulldowns
BB curls

Wednesday:
BB Bench press
Incline DB press
Tricep Pressdowns
DB Lateral Raises

Friday:
Squats
Good Mornings
Heavy ab work

Again, the above is just something I threw together to give you an idea, obviously it's a good idea to rotate in other lifts (like deadlifts, weighted pullups, dips, etc) as the weeks pass. I would shoot for 2-3 sets of 3-5 reps (not to failure) for the compound movements, and 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps for the isolation & ab work.

Eat lots of good food, get lots of sleep, and drink lots of water. You can also cut down the cardio to 2-3 times a week, and it's best to do it on it's own, not right after your workout

I pretty much agree with this. Good post.

But when I think "back to basics" (which your routine should never deviate too far from) I think squats, deadlifts, presses and pulls. Add grip and ab work and you've got everything you need. I don't consider isolation movements as "basic", that's more specialization if you ask me.

One thing I noticed, is you have chest and arms first in your routine, and legs last. That may or may not indicate your priorites but let me say that training your legs (squats in particular) will do more for your entire body than other exercise. Make them a priority!