rest week?

[ds123]

Hello everyone, I've been reading up on the forum and I have some questions:


1. I don't usually take rest weeks, but I understand they're good in terms of giving your body time to recharge. Can you check my routine below, and suggest the rest week frequency (I always go 4 times a week whether or not I feel like it, so maybe a forced rest would be good)?

2. I always lift heavy, and never go down a weight. I usually go up a weight, and lower the reps, then over the next weeks gradually increase the reps, and then repeat the cycle. I've read that there are heavy weeks and light weeks. What is the benefit of this? Do I need to incorporate this, or continue the way I am (my goal is mass building).

My routine (all exercises are 3 sets and 6-10 reps depending on exercise):

Sun: back and shoulders

deadlifts
wide-grip pulldowns
bent overbell rows or cable rows
miltary press
lateral raises
bent over lateral raises

Mon: chest

dumbell flat bench
dumbell incline bench
inclue flyes
dumbell shoulder raises (this is for traps)

Wed: legs

squats
leg extensions
leg curls
calf raises

Thu: arms

skullcrushers
bicep curls using EZ bar
tricep pushdown (using a rope)
bicep curls using dumbell

 

[AngryMuscles]

nice routine..but you don't use BB on your bench??

 

[jcp2]

I need a few weeks off during the year. I am pretty active, and an avid fisherman so i usually get the time off when i am doing something else.

 

[ds123]

nice routine..but you don't use BB on your bench??

I'm only 5'2" and my arms are just slightly too short to put the barbell back at the best of times (I have to fully extend), and since I don't have a training partner, I'm a bit nervous when I'm lifting. Maybe I'll start asking ppl to spot for me but at the moment I like dumbells (I guess barbells are better for mass?).

 

[AngryMuscles]

oh..sorry! didn't know!
barbells are the best for bench...for me that is.
are you gaining with just dumbbells??
2 weeks are my max rest....

 

[ds123]

oh..sorry! didn't know!
QUOTE]

That's OK, it's not some kind of crippling disease

 

[pullinbig]

doing chest the day after shoulders is an injury waiting to happen. .

 

[Starkraven]

i agree

 

[AngryMuscles]

seems so..why not try this..
chest shoulder
dumbbell bench press
incline dumbbell press
incline flyes
military press
side laterals front laterals(optional)

 

[ds123]

doing chest the day after shoulders is an injury waiting to happen. .

Oops, seems like I need to change my routine. Thx for the advice.

I previously had a rotator cuff problem a few years ago (lifting related), which put me out of circulatation for about a year, so I'm keen not to repeat this.

 

[pretty ricky]

screw side lats.do your press' and do some rear laterials work your rear delts hard your middle and front are getting killed by the press'.It seems to me your getting enough rest but you may need more than me.