Training days

[Smilee21]

When do you switch up your routines?

How long do you perform your exercise routine before changing up exercises and muscle groups worked...?

 

[Georgia]

About 3 weeks of the same exercises then I will switch up the order and the actual exercises

 

[Smilee21]

About 3 weeks of the same exercises then I will switch up the order and the actual exercises

Can you please provide an example of what your training schedule looks like?

And does it matter what exercises you do and the set/reps being performed when you are bulking and or cutting?

I train with 3 guys, and am just curious...

I follow the same routines as the guys however I do a lighter weight and more reps.

Example- dumb bell incline chest press- I do 35-40lbs 3 sets 12-15 reps to their 90-95lbs 3 sets 8 reps.

 

[Mt-momma]

My training days usually don't change. I train the same body parts on the same days, but will change up routine/excercises every 4-6 weeks. I usually go pretty heavy, but will take a week and go lighter weight/higher reps during my 4-6 week routine.

 

[Georgia]

There is something called muscle confusion I kinda go by. Say one exercise is barbell bench. I might do this 3 weeks straight and then switch to dumbbell bench for 3 weeks. Same with other exercises. This adds a good change to keep things...exciting...while also targeting different muscle fibers that weren't being targeted with my previous exercise.

A lot of people swear by muscle confusion. Change up the exercises you do once a month to keep your muscles guessing and harnessing different muscle fibers Month to month. Some exercises remain a staple though especially the big muscle builders a.k.a. Compound movements. Squats, etc.

 

[Smilee21]

Thank you for your input...

I have noticed a difference when we do switch from Barb Bell to dumb bell while performing the same exercises. We were doing more dumb bell routines for Chest and Back and just recently switched it up. I have been training daily since Oct 2011 and every day I feel like I am learning something new. Which is really good, it has been years since I have hit it this hard in a long time. I forgot a lot of things being away from the gym the last 6 yrs.

Currently I do 2 different training routines... My Personal trainers routines which consists of 4 phases that I switch up month to month (these exercises are performed on my double days on weekends) and then I also follow my Training partners workouts during the week. It's quite interesting when ppl who first saw me begin my training in Oct 2011 and they see me now, they are amazed at my transformation and want to have results like me, in all honesty its just proper nutrition and training hard every single day, I am glad I am training again, it is something I have always enjoyed and it's lovely to see the tranformation your body goes through in a positive way when you take really good care of yourself from the inside out...

 

[cashout]

I train one body part a day Monday through Friday.

I never do the same workout twice in a row.

I never train less than 10 reps on a set.

I never pyramid up in weight on work sets.

I never do more than 12 sets for major body parts.

I never do more than 8 sets for minor body parts

I do use a lot of drop and strip sets.

 

[Smilee21]

I train one body part a day Monday through Friday.

I never do the same workout twice in a row.

I never train less than 10 reps on a set.

I never pyramid up in weight on work sets.

I never do more than 12 sets for major body parts.

I never do more than 8 sets for minor body parts

I do use a lot of drop and strip sets.

What are drop and strip sets?

Also can you explain Why on the following?

I never do the same workout twice in a row.

I never train less than 10 reps on a set.

I never pyramid up in weight on work sets.

I never do more than 12 sets for major body parts.

I never do more than 8 sets for minor body parts

 

[cashout]

What are drop and strip sets?

Also can you explain Why on the following?

I never do the same workout twice in a row.

I never train less than 10 reps on a set.

I never pyramid up in weight on work sets.

I never do more than 12 sets for major body parts.

I never do more than 8 sets for minor body parts

Sure. I am always glad to answer...

The goal of a strip/drop set is to tax the muscle trained beyond what occurs during the execution of a normal set.

A strip/drop set involves starting the exercise in question with a certain weight and performing reps to failure.

Once you reach failure with the starting weight, you remove some of the weight (i.e. "lighten it up") and you continue to do more reps again to failure after the weight has been lightened.

So from your other post, let's consider dumbbell incline press. You might start with your 40 lbs dumbbells and do as many reps as you can - 12-15. Then you would drop the 40 lbs dumbbells and pick up the 25 lbs dumbbells and try to do 12-15 more reps or whatever you could perform.

I never do the same workout twice b/c my body adapts so quickly after 27 years of this that it does me no good to repeat the same work.

I have always trained for bodybuilding - i am a bodybuilder. So i find that the muscle feels the most work in a 10 rep range. I don't care how much weight i can lift for 1 rep. I want to look good and that really has very little to do with how much weight i can lift one time.

My motto is "you have to show someone how much you can lift, they can see for themselves how good you look."

with sets, on major body parts, the way i train, I am totally spent by the time I hit 12 sets. The muscle has nothing left to give whatsoever by that point and the law of diminishing returns kicks in.

Same for 8 sets on small body parts...

 

[Smilee21]

Sure. I am always glad to answer...

The goal of a strip/drop set is to tax the muscle trained beyond what occurs during the execution of a normal set.

A strip/drop set involves starting the exercise in question with a certain weight and performing reps to failure.

Once you reach failure with the starting weight, you remove some of the weight (i.e. "lighten it up") and you continue to do more reps again to failure after the weight has been lightened.

So from your other post, let's consider dumbbell incline press. You might start with your 40 lbs dumbbells and do as many reps as you can - 12-15. Then you would drop the 40 lbs dumbbells and pick up the 25 lbs dumbbells and try to do 12-15 more reps or whatever you could perform.

I never do the same workout twice b/c my body adapts so quickly after 27 years of this that it does me no good to repeat the same work.

I have always trained for bodybuilding - i am a bodybuilder. So i find that the muscle feels the most work in a 10 rep range. I don't care how much weight i can lift for 1 rep. I want to look good and that really has very little to do with how much weight i can lift one time.

My motto is "you have to show someone how much you can life, they can see for themselves how good you look."

with sets, on major body parts, the way i train, I am totally spent by the time I hit 12 sets. The muscle has nothing left to give whatsoever by that point and the law of diminishing returns kicks in.

Same for 8 sets on small body parts...

Thank you

 

[darkside06]

i switch up my routine avery 8 weeks. I very my rep ranges every few weeks. I'll do higher reps 10-12 for a few weeks and then go heavier 6-8 reps for a few weeks.

I workout 4 days a week currently

Sunday: Legs & Shoulders
Tuesday: Chest
Wednesday: Back
Friday: Arms
I just started this routine about 2 weeks ago and will keep it for about 8 weeks and then change up my splits. I usually always only workout 4 days a week though.

 

[Smilee21]

i switch up my routine avery 8 weeks. I very my rep ranges every few weeks. I'll do higher reps 10-12 for a few weeks and then go heavier 6-8 reps for a few weeks.

I workout 4 days a week currently

Sunday: Legs & Shoulders
Tuesday: Chest
Wednesday: Back
Friday: Arms
I just started this routine about 2 weeks ago and will keep it for about 8 weeks and then change up my splits. I usually always only workout 4 days a week though.

When do you incorporate ABs and Cardio? Do these change every 8 weeks also?

 

[darkside06]

I do ab's sunday, tueday, friday.

Don't do cardio unless i need it for endurance or someting. i hate cardio.

 

[Georgia]

But Cashout, your routine...is it used to maintain the muscle you have and/or get cut or PACK ON muscle like most people do?

 

[cashout]

But Cashout, your routine...is it used to maintain the muscle you have and/or get cut or PACK ON muscle like most people do?

It is designed to build muscle.

The problem is that I am already at the limit of my genetic potential.

I really cannot add much more muscle without running cycles of AAS amd I gave that up a long long long (think 17 years) time ago when I quit competing.

I do have a pic from today's training session for you if you promise not make any off color comments....promise?

 

[Smilee21]

WOW... you look good Cashout

 

[cashout]

WOW... you look good Cashout

Thank you for the compliment.

I love what I do so it makes it even more rewarding to be recognized for it.

 

[Sassytassie84]

Cashout... grr dang I can't make any off color comments (Im sure that was directed to Georgia though, lol) But DAMN. My dream man's body! =) I am in love! haha

Smilee, thanks for bringing this thread. I will be starting my toning on the first so good to get these pointers! I already do tons of cardio, but will be changing my diet (cleaner) and doing weights to tone it up.

For the women-What does your routine usually consist of for each body part? ie:legs, arms, back, ass, etc.... I could use some pointers and the women on here all look awesome!

 

[Smilee21]

Cashout... grr dang I can't make any off color comments (Im sure that was directed to Georgia though, lol) But DAMN. My dream man's body! =) I am in love! haha

Smilee, thanks for bringing this thread. I will be starting my toning on the first so good to get these pointers! I already do tons of cardio, but will be changing my diet (cleaner) and doing weights to tone it up.

For the women-What does your routine usually consist of for each body part? ie:legs, arms, back, ass, etc.... I could use some pointers and the women on here all look awesome!

I train with 3 guys,
Monday-Bi's/Tri's
Tuesday-chest and back
Wednesday- shoulders and legs
Thursday-bi's/tri's
Friday-chest/back
saturday- shoulders and legs
Sunday run 12 miles
Abs/core work every other day we switch up routines all the time depending who we training with.
I lift pretty heavy
I will break it up in more detail after I train

 

[BeastinTheEast]

I've always gotten the very best size gains from hitting a body part HARD every 7 days, also i really don't change exercises unless i do not "feel" it meaning i don't feel the muscle working. I believe exercises you get really great contractions are the best ones at least for me, On exercises i don't feel i never got the type of gains i would as say one i could "squeeze" during the exercise. Example: Skullcrushers vs Dips/pushdowns , I literally don't get anything from skulls if anything it always just bothered my elbows even with lighter weight. Now since that is one of the "best" tricep builders does that mean i should do them anyways? Not really. The weights i use go by feel too, try pushdowns with the rope and go light and squeeze the tricep, Bet you feel it eh? Now go a little too heavy with the weight and try it again trying to get that squeeze? More than likely you won't feel shit and your just moving the weight. I think that's the trick for lagging bodyparts, Some people get caught up in the weights so much they really don't know what's going on. I tend to over-complicate things but hey it's working for me so i don't mind.