How Important is it to Follow a Strict Routine?

[jozifp103]

I Used to be a "by the books" type of guy. I fell for all the cookie cutter advice in magazines and online articles. Was scared to death of over-training and would wait 20 mins for a bench to open up because I had to do my workouts in the proper order and couldn't break routine. That led to much stress and longer than necessary training sessions. I would do the exact same routine that I read in an article for the recommended 4-6 weeks then switch it up. Some of the workouts were hardly effective for me and I experienced no pump from it....just joint pain.

Nowadays, my goals are more serious...my diet is more dialed in, my anabolic supplementation is more structured, BUT my routine has gotten less structured. I go in with no real plan...just knowing which muscle I want to hit. I do everything by feel. I make sure to hit all the right angles and train all the different parts of the muscle groups, but my routine could differ every week. I basically do what I feel like doing and what gives me the best pump. I leave the gym happy with a sick pump and feeling like a beast. My results have not suffered whatsoever and I have noticed some lagging parts being brought up due to doing what "feels right" instead of what an article said is right.

So what do you guys think?

If diet is in place, (assuming AAS use), and routine remains intense and all muscles are hit each week......is it really necessary to follow a strict routine? Do you really have to stick with the same routine for weeks at a time? Do you think you could do different exercises every week for each muscle and still make solid gains?

I want to hear YOUR thoughts/experience with this.

 

[carverelli]

Don't spend 90% of your time worrying about shit that produces 5% of the results in a perfect world. Muscles respond to stimulus and effort. It's a good idea to have a general plan but in all hinesty a little variance won't hurt a damn thing. Lift eat rest repeat

 

[jozifp103]

Don't spend 90% of your time worrying about shit that produces 5% of the results in a perfect world. Muscles respond to stimulus and effort. It's a good idea to have a general plan but in all hinesty a little variance won't hurt a damn thing. Lift eat rest repeat

Yep that's pretty much what I've discovered over the years through trial and error. Was such a fanatic about doing everything 100% by the books. Now I've come to realize it almost doesn't matter what you do in the gym (to an extent), as long as you are activating the muscle and doing enough volume....the gear and diet will do the rest.

 

[BigSwolenPussy]

I still watch guys in the gym with a notebook. They are clearly following a routine and recording weight, sets, reps, etc. I wanna say something so bad but they wouldn't listen anyway. I don't count reps anymore, I do as many sets as I feel that I need and I do what ever exercise appeals to me that day. The only thing that is planned is what muscles will be worked. The key is pushing that muscle to a point that it is breaking down. From there, rest and diet will take care of growth.
I'm not saying that following a routine won't work but you have to change things to fit how you and your muscles feel to maximize results.

 

[oldmusclemike]

I still watch guys in the gym with a notebook. They are clearly following a routine and recording weight, sets, reps, etc. I wanna say something so bad but they wouldn't listen anyway. I don't count reps anymore, I do as many sets as I feel that I need and I do what ever exercise appeals to me that day. The only thing that is planned is what muscles will be worked. The key is pushing that muscle to a point that it is breaking down. From there, rest and diet will take care of growth.
I'm not saying that following a routine won't work but you have to change things to fit how you and your muscles feel to maximize results.

This ^^^ is the answer OP
Ya know everyday at the gym isn't going to be the same . Some days I'm strong and some days i'm not. A notebook I have never used. I know the approx. or close to what I warm up with and I clime the weights as I can do them. What matters is time under tension and reaching that failure point. My body tells me what I am doing. Also I don't pay much attention to pump. It's temporary and is a lot of lactic acid.

Try super sets and giant sets every so often to really shock you muscle. Much better done with a spotter.

 

[Gibsonator]

I do the same man whatever I feel like doing that day, keeping in mind what I did the previous workout for that muscle. I know plenty of guys who hit the same muscle groups, same routines on the same days every week and they do not look that great. To each their own I like to wing it a bit

 

[soldier74]

This is the kind of thread where there will be a lot for someone to potentially learn from. (like a lot of threads here). This one will really appeal to new comers imo, with a lot of good to.take away from it. Nice Joz!
I agree with wants been said already....go with what ya feel. Change it up. TUT. Diet, rest repeat.

 

[soldier74]

Oh yeah, and for a piece of my infinite wisdom.....nott!!! But seriously, i also have to agree with getting the pump on. As for the last year or so, I've been focusing a lot more on this factor and believe the more blood you pump into your muscle the more good stuff like nutrients and shit will be pumped in as well being that's the vessel they travel in, blood. In other words, more pump = more food for your muscle. At least it sounds good and over this last year I've made descent gains. And, for me, the getting a nice pump feels good, looks good and is fun.

 

[3J]

lifting should be approached in a calculated scientific manner..

you follow strict routine practices in science to collect the correct data, and apply the necessary changes to continue your growth..

 

[soldier74]

lifting should be approached in a calculated scientific manner..

you follow strict routine practices in science to collect the correct data, and apply the necessary changes to continue your growth..

Your not big on throwing a curve ball at the old muscles 3J? Ya know, muscle confusion method

 

[carverelli]

lifting should be approached in a calculated scientific manner..

you follow strict routine practices in science to collect the correct data, and apply the necessary changes to continue your growth..

Do what yur feel you need to. But I'm not a scientist, I lift things up and put them down

 

[anzel]

I'm with 3j. I have serious CRS. I may lift 5 or 10 lbs too light the next week and ruin a chance to push through.
. My best growth happens when I am using just enough weight to get just enough reps.
When your right on the line and using the principles of progressive overload you either need one more rep than last workout or a slight increase in weight or another set. Something more than last time.
My memory is so bad I won't remeber I did 80lbs for 15 reps last week.

 

[oldmusclemike]

I'd like to go back to what I said about mixing it up. I will do a set routine of at least 3 of the same exercises for a few weeks. This is to work my muscle with the same motion , position, stance and hand positioning.

But then I will change up for a few more weeks so I get the entire group , like the stabilizers and secondary muscles. After a few week or months I will through in the giant sets, the strip sets and super sets.

If I want the pump after I am through with the heavy overload 4-8 rep set I will do like many of us and do a few high rep sets.

Funny, back in my day 80's my workout partner had a genius IQ with a photograph memory. He would keep track of everything in his head. He knew reps and sets from the previous days. True story.
It was pretty cool

 

[49ER]

Im with most of you i dont do typical bodybuilder routines but even in powerlifting people swaer you need plans and programs. So lets say you go in and its 70% effort and that shit feels like 100% no way you can follow all the time.

Me and my partners go in knowing what we are gonna do and adjust to how we feel. There is no science to it every simgle person is different and responds different. Its best to listen to your body a program can either limit your potential or be too much to handle on certain days.

 

[Duke30]

So what do you guys think?

If diet is in place, (assuming AAS use), and routine remains intense and all muscles are hit each week......is it really necessary to follow a strict routine? Do you really have to stick with the same routine for weeks at a time? Do you think you could do different exercises every week for each muscle and still make solid gains?

Strict routine ? ... I go to the gym because it's fun and making progress and see nothing strict about it.

Every week for each muscle ? Sure...Why Not ? You are there to train,not to over think things.Just train.

If I see I'm having less gains then I would slow down and take a longer rest period.The gains will come...either you go heavy and do less reps to the 3 or 4 range or you can go lighter and do more reps to feel that pump working.Find the pump.

Consistency is the key word here.You can stick to the same routine for weeks at a time.Since you're not injuried and have simulated fast and slow twitch fibers,then what you do ? Go Heavy and find the Pump again.

 

[anzel]

Reading mikes post i think Im more like him. You need to change it up. After following a strict routine and diet where I am writing down every rep and calorie I get burnt out. I definitely see my best gains when doing so but you cant maintain at the level. Im a gym rat so no need getting so hung up. At some point its nice to just go do stuff and lift whatever and eat without all the OCD stuff. Switching back and forth like that can actually improve things.

overall its whatever works for you At the time..... adapt and overcome.

 

[soldier74]

I try to incorporate all these ideas. Mostly important is to change things up workout to workout. Never let your muscles get used to the same thing or routine, if routine workout is your thing.

 

[Duke30]

I try to incorporate all these ideas. Mostly important is to change things up workout to workout. Never let your muscles get used to the same thing or routine, if routine workout is your thing.

See that's the thing...."Never let your muscles get used to the same thing" Is very common.Because One is in the Gym daily and at 3 hours at a time.One becomes a very fit person.

One needs more rest to shock the muscles weekly by not having them involved in any type of "other" workouts.
Like Working out for the first time.
Each time you hit that muscle,It's going to be Sore.Super Sore the better.

 

[jozifp103]

Wow....lots of differentiating views on this. Love the discussion guys.

Like I said, I used to be a stickler for strict routines and keeping logs etc....but to be honest I saw no more benefit from that than I do now with a less strict routine. Maybe even less benefit to be truthful.

My goal is not strength, so beating my weight the prior week is not of any concern. Perhaps I should have specified in the first post that I was talking from a bodybuilder's stand point where hypertrophy is the main goal.

Since I started going by "feel", I've seen better size and shape of my muscles. Customizing my routines to the way my muscles are formed and doing lifts that better activate the muscle have proven more effective for me. If I like a certain workout, I may stick to it for a few weeks, if I get bored with a workout, I may ditch it after a week or two and try something else. My routine is constantly changing and I can definitely see an improvement. For that reason, I'll stick to my routine which isn't really much of a routine at all

 

[maurij1]

In my early days I like most followed strict routines usually from the magazines, now days that just bores me to death! I love going to the gym knowing what body part I'm gonna hit and I may have one or 2 main exercises planned for it but the reps and sets vary every time I lift. Like some of you have said...somedays are good days and some not so much and then there's the great days where you feel like an unstoppable beast. If i'm not feeling it that day or I can tell that the muscle just isn't responding the way I want I will still put in the work but won't push it as much. These days for me at least it's all about listening to my body, I've ignored it in the past and it's always led to some type of strain or joint soreness for weeks which would just piss me off.

I will add however that when I was lifting for strength 5/3/1 worked great! I think it's a great program for new guys looking to build a solid base.