changing workout routine on cycle?

[jozifp103]

Normally i stick with the same workouts throughout the whole cycle because it's easier to track improvements when all workouts remain constant. This time around however, my workouts seem to be getting stale. I'm on week 9 of test 600 deca 600 with a dbol kicker at 50mg. What are people's experiences with switching routines mid cycle? is it beneficial?

 

[Teutonic]

Hell yes. Ur building muscle s not upping total s right ?

I get wonderfully sore when I do this...super set or pre exhaust...it always s leaves me sore and I like it.

 

[jozifp103]

thanks teut! i get stubborn with my workouts and hate to change them in fear of hindering gains. certain lifts like benching and military press i feel are mandatory. do you think lifts like these can/should be replaced as well? or keep the fundamental workouts and tweak the others?

looking to hear some more success stories, or opposing theories/experiences on this.

 

[Teutonic]

I used to measure my success with the old flat bench as well as people ask..."watcha bench ?" or let s see your bi ceps...."

Fat forward 20 years and several surgeries I donot even do flat bench but rather inclines..and never anthing I can not do 10-15 times as I m satisfied where I am. I do 100 pound incline db s 4-5 sets to failure...beterrange of motion plus all the balance involved.

Sometime s I do 3 giant sets of 4 exercises..like seated rows..breathe...wide lat pulls...breath..close grip latpull down s.x 4

Or train backwards==== do
cable
dips
flyes
then bench..it s humbling but you will be sore..ie you ll grow in my opinion.

legs----leg extensions, leg curls, inner outer thigh machine and then leg press or squat

or

do sidelateral delt b4 you military or as super set..it s different but it ll make you sore.

 

[carverelli]

more important than a set routine, reps, exercises etc is imo is the effort put forth. cover your bases to stimulate all muscles with various angles and the rest is just semantics.
my back workout for instance is always changing. but i always include some overhead pull, 2 basic row movements, and some form of a pullover.

just too many beneficial back exercises to eliminate any of them completely

 

[3J]

what exercise routine are you following right now?

 

[Teutonic]

more important than a set routine, reps, exercises etc is imo is the effort put forth. cover your bases to stimulate all muscles with various angles and the rest is just semantics.
my back workout for instance is always changing. but i always include some overhead pull, 2 basic row movements, and some form of a pullover.

just too many beneficial back exercises to eliminate any of them completely

how many exercises do you do

I have found that after peoper warm up

12 working sets for compound movements like chest back legs suffice

and for smaller one s 9-10 max

but I m older and content with where I am at

 

[carverelli]

what exercise routine are you following right now?

some diet guru on a steroid forum board got me on some hocus pocus reverse pyramid sets routine.

oh, were u talking to me?? lol

 

[carverelli]

how many exercises do you do

I have found that after peoper warm up

12 working sets for compound movements like chest back legs suffice

and for smaller one s 9-10 max

but I m older and content with where I am at

I'm not sure to be honest. sometimes, I'm just not feeling it and leg day is over after 4 sets if squats and 3 sets of leg presses

 

[3J]

some diet guru on a steroid forum board got me on some hocus pocus reverse pyramid sets routine.

oh, were u talking to me?? lol

well i wasn't talking to you.. lol


you're not liking the reverse pyramid??

 

[carverelli]

well i wasn't talking to you.. lol


you're not liking the reverse pyramid??

funny thing is I usually resist others training methodology, but its actually the mainstay Ive always used

 

[3J]

whatever works for you brother!

 

[Southernfish]

Switching up the routine is a good thing, to be honest I never do the same routine as far as exercises go for more than one workout ever. I never focus on what weight im lifting and certainly don't care if my bench goes up or any of that, if it does, well then great. What I do do however is keep reps consistant for a period of time and then switch that up, so I might go and do 6-8 reps for 4 weeks then 10-12 reps for 4 weeks and then maybe switch it right up and do really high reps, like 25 for 4 weeks. But never the same order of exercises more than once. that's boring. This has always worked well for me, but I NEVER go in and let say start with flat barbell, then incline dumbbell and then flys or whatever for more than one workout. I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but this has worked for me so Im just talking about what I do. Gotta keep shocking those muscles man.

 

[snowpatrol123]

certain lifts like benching and military press i feel are mandatory

Mandatory for powerlifting, olympic lifting, even crossfit...but if you're bodybuilding (which I'm under the impression you are, correct me if I'm wrong) anything goes (provided it /works/)

For those specifically, dumbbell press, especially multiple-drop sets on various inclines are great to replace or just supplement flat barbell bench.

If you're chasing the delt/upper pec activation from military press, it can be substituted / replaced by seated DB press, steep incline press (DB or BB), behind-the-neck press (I like the smith machine for these) and even standing DB press are options

 

[Mr.Green]

What does Rich Piana always say?? "You gotta keep changing it up.Keep your body guessing" He must know something.Look at him, he is a beast! Just my opinion

 

[jozifp103]

hey thanks a lot for the insight bro's. I see the general consensus is switch it up. I guess i was under the impression that strength is more important than it really is. I feel I may have missed out on some nice gains because of my stubbornness. i switched up my Bicep routine today. it originally was standing ez bar curls followed by standing dumbell curls (elbows jammed into my sides, no twist), then rope pulley curls hammer style, ending with close grip lateral pull downs (seated palms to the face).

today i did seated ez bar preacher curls, followed by seated preacher hammer curls, then standing individual arm cable curls, followed by same thing but hammers with the rope, ending with standing cable curls with arms straight out to the side curling in towards my ears.

lol 6 years of lifting and i still don't know the names of half the workouts i do.

 

[Southernfish]

Bro the first thing you and anyone else for that matter need to forget about if they are in the gym for bodybuilding purposes is the amount of weight on the bar and trying to be strong and lift as much as theyre body will allow, this is counter productive to us bodybuilders. This mindset is good for powerlifting but certainly not bodybuilding.

I always tell people this......You don't have to lift big weights to build muscle, you need to build muscle to lift big weights.

You need to use the muscle you training to move the weight, don't go into the gym and just try to lift weights, stretch and contract with good form will get anybody further than just pushing weight.

 

[Mrrippedzilla]

I guess i was under the impression that strength is more important than it really is.

Strength is important - if your natty

For naturals their is only 2 ways to induce muscle growth: heavy weights 8-12 rep range with progressive overload or very high reps (25+) until failure. Since the second option makes you feel like complete shit, most guys settle for the first choice.

However, once you start cycling the reality is that any style of training will produce results so long as you put the hours in.
So my advice, for what its worth, pick exercises that you enjoy, that you can do safely & can feel the target muscle working.
Changing things up is fine as long as you dont take it to the extreme - if you have a workout that's working then changing things again is pretty idiotic imo.

 

[Teutonic]

MRZ nailed it.
joeseff your bicep routine consists of 2 if not 3 of mine but then I m feeble of mind and body.

some of the thickest mf er s you will ever see are 220 plus powerlifter or those strong men magnunson types, I trained like that for a decade but years of 500 plus squats and deads for sets over 10 rep s will wear you out.

MRZ right w aas I switched to repping mod weight like 225 x 20 on bench and saw gains....squat 315 for 15 plus for 5 sets...awesome thread.

 

[jozifp103]

great stuff guys. much appreciated. Since we're on the subject of different workouts, i've always read that free weights are the way to go which lead me to basically dismiss machines and cables as even being an option until recently. I started using machines for certain things because you are somewhat limited with free weights. what are you guys's thoughts on this? i usually start with free weight heavier lifts, (bench, squat, military, etc) then jump on machines to sculpt a bit.

would it be beneficial to incorporate more machine workouts into my routine?