Looking for critisism on this routine....

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GTC

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I posted a routine the other week but was told it wouldn't be enough to make any significant gains. So I came up with this routine which I would train each muscle twice a week, with one heavy workout and one light workout. I think it was BerealJohn who said he used to train like this.

Monday/Thursday - legs, back, biceps

Tuesday/Friday - chest, shoulders, triceps



MONDAY - (heavy) legs, back, biceps

Deadlift 3 x 5
Squat 3 x 5
WG chins 3 x max
One arm dumbell row 3 x 5
Barbell curls 3 x 5


TUESDAY - (light) chest, shoulders, triceps

Flat dumbell press 3 x 15
Flat flyes 3 x 15
Standing dumbell press 3 x 15
Side laterals 3 x 15
Skull crushers 3 x 15


THURSDAY - (light) legs, back, biceps

Stiff-leg deadlift 3 x 15
Squat 3 x 15
CG chins 3 x max
Bent over row 3 x 15
Hammer curls 3 x 15


FRIDAY - (heavy) chest, shoulders, triceps

Flat bench press 3 x 5
Incline press 3 x 5
Military press 3 x 5
Side laterals 3 x 5
CG bench press 3 x 5


What do you think? could this routine work or does it suck balls?
What would you change?
Should I do the same exercises for both heavy and light workouts or should I do different exercises like I've put in this routine? For example - on light chest day I would do standing dumbell press, but on heavy chest day I would do seated military press (seated because the weight is heavier). Should I do different exercises like this or keep them the same for both heavy and light workouts?

thanks :)
 
What do you consider your "light" days? Will you still be going to (near) failure or backing off? Concentrating on speed and explosiveness or maintaining your usual rep cadence?
 
that is kinda similar to a WSB.
i'd say it's a pretty good idea.
aboot: "light" implies that since the main compound lift is done for 15 reps vs 5 reps on "heavy" day, the weight used is much lower. it's just that simple
 
forgot to mention, i doubt you'd be able to work speed at sets of 15 reps... IMO your form would start to fall away after 5-8 reps. if this was for speed, i'd prefer to run a WSB style 9x2 for squats and 9x3 for flat bench at ~50% of 1RM... (that is what i follow anyway, even though at the moment i'm not doing WSB).
 
silver_shadow said:
that is kinda similar to a WSB.
i'd say it's a pretty good idea.
aboot: "light" implies that since the main compound lift is done for 15 reps vs 5 reps on "heavy" day, the weight used is much lower. it's just that simple


Its not just that simple. Will he be going to failure or not, that is the key, not necessarily how many reps he is doing. Going to failure twice a week on high rep and low rep work is still going to failure, and will be very hard on some. I don't consider my light days, going to failure, or going all out.
 
jcp2 said:
Its not just that simple. Will he be going to failure or not, that is the key, not necessarily how many reps he is doing. Going to failure twice a week on high rep and low rep work is still going to failure, and will be very hard on some. I don't consider my light days, going to failure, or going all out.
ummm.... i don't think you got what i was saying... sorry, i wasn't that clear. my point was more about explosiveness vs "light" (hence the second post)... as i said, i'd personally prefer a WSB style explosive day. i guess what he means by light is that it WON'T be to failure (or more accurately to 15RM), but i guess we'll have to wait for him to confirm whether that is what he plans on doing.
 
silver_shadow said:
ummm.... i don't think you got what i was saying... sorry, i wasn't that clear. my point was more about explosiveness vs "light" (hence the second post)... as i said, i'd personally prefer a WSB style explosive day. i guess what he means by light is that it WON'T be to failure (or more accurately to 15RM), but i guess we'll have to wait for him to confirm whether that is what he plans on doing.


I see what you are saying, i though you meant that if it was high rep it was easy regardless of how hard you went.
 
The sets of 15 were not quite to failure for the first two sets, I probably could have managed 1 or 2 more reps. The last set was hard though, had to really push for the last rep.

It's the same on heavy days, the first set I can do the 5 reps, could probably manage 6 or 7, but the last set I may only get 4.

I perform the reps a little quicker on light days, but still with strict form, I don't throw the weights around.
 
GTC said:
The sets of 15 were not quite to failure for the first two sets, I probably could have managed 1 or 2 more reps. The last set was hard though, had to really push for the last rep.

It's the same on heavy days, the first set I can do the 5 reps, could probably manage 6 or 7, but the last set I may only get 4.

I perform the reps a little quicker on light days, but still with strict form, I don't throw the weights around.
so how long have you been doing this workout?
are you sure you won't be beaten up after a few weeks (at most) - aka overtraining? (this seems to be most of the other poster's main concern)
also, any plan on increasing weights each week with resets/reramp if you cannot or periodization?
 
I've only done this particular workout a couple of times. My previous workout was like this one but I only did the heavy workouts. So I was only training each muscle once a week. I decided to add the light workouts so I got the benefits of both heavy and light. I don't know yet if I will be over trained, I'll have to wait and see.

I don't know what you mean by - "any plan on increasing weights each week with resets/reramp if you cannot or periodization?"
I do increase the weights but not always each week, usually every other week.
 
GTC said:
I've only done this particular workout a couple of times. My previous workout was like this one but I only did the heavy workouts. So I was only training each muscle once a week. I decided to add the light workouts so I got the benefits of both heavy and light. I don't know yet if I will be over trained, I'll have to wait and see.

I don't know what you mean by - "any plan on increasing weights each week with resets/reramp if you cannot or periodization?"
I do increase the weights but not always each week, usually every other week.
reset/reramp: for intermediate lifters. you aim for PRs every week (on heavy day that is). small increases over the previous week, say 2.5 lbs or even 5 lbs. so week 1, let's say you got the PR, then week 2 you increase. suppose you don't get it, then you look to repeat the same weight in week3. again, you don't get it, try again week4. still don't get it? maybe, week5 you reset your compound 3x5 weight to a little below your PR and then increase every week (reramp) till after maybe 3 weeks after the reset week you will be aiming for a new PR soon (the same weight that eluded you previously). this time, likely you will get it.
periodization: well, this is for more advanced lifters... i won't go into details here.
 
GTC said:
I've only done this particular workout a couple of times. My previous workout was like this one but I only did the heavy workouts. So I was only training each muscle once a week. I decided to add the light workouts so I got the benefits of both heavy and light. I don't know yet if I will be over trained, I'll have to wait and see.

I don't know what you mean by - "any plan on increasing weights each week with resets/reramp if you cannot or periodization?"
I do increase the weights but not always each week, usually every other week.

love the avatar btw.
 
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