BF2S Forums Workout Programs & Diet

Gonna start 5x5 today, hopefully it won't progress so fast that I need a rack before i go home

Interesting article I've just stumbled across. Bit long but certainly food for thought for anyone wanting to grow muscle - http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/muscle-building-4


E: after reading it and my experience today with my left shoulder I think I will change up my routine to a full body one on my next workout day. Been around 4-5 weeks on this routine I've been doing so it's a decent time for a change - the minimum anyway. I'll probably do something like this, maybe also super-setting these opposing muscle groups.

Bent-Over BB Rows + Bench Presses (back + chest)
Squats + Romanian Deadlifts (quads + hamstrings [probably won't superset these as they're both big compound exercises])
Zottman Curls + Tricep Kickbacks (biceps + triceps)
Standing Calf Raises + Arnold Presses (calves + shoulders)

I'll aim for 3 sets of each exercise and after a week if I'm feeling a certain muscle group isn't getting quite the workout I want I'll try upping it to four sets for that group.

I'll still do my abs on my HIIT days.


E: Found an article that basically covers what I'm after - http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/iovate5.htm

Last edited by Jaekus (2011-01-10 09:53:44)

You could try 5x5 with me?
Start at the same stage, see where we go?

I found this site last night, it's got a lot of great info to help you design your own workout. I learned more in the hour of reading than I have in the past month, most especially about resistance types (which is probably why my shoulder hurt yesterday, too many push exercises) - http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/

Here's a table about various reps and their purpose (assuming you're doing similar volume overall and your last reps of your last sets are challenging/very difficult - obviously dependant on weight)

• 1-5 Reps Per Set = Mostly Strength
• 5-8 Reps Per Set = Strength AND Muscle Equally
• 8-10 Reps Per Set = Muscle With Some Strength
• 10-12 Reps Per Set = Muscle With Some Endurance
• 12-15 Reps Per Set = Endurance With Some Muscle
• 15-20 Reps Per Set = Mostly Endurance

http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/weight-t … intensity/

Those are all true Jaekus, but you gotta realize. If you squat is at for example 50kgs right now, and you manage to get it up to 150kg by summer.. Do you think your legs will have stayed the same size? Hell no, they'll have started looking like tree trunks already

Started the gym last night, and god does it feel good. It's been far too long!

The gym is an old school dungeon type gym. Nothing fancy just a massive weights room downstairs (biggest in Scotland) and a massive combat space upstairs (MMA, boxing, Thai boxing, Korean Kickboxing, submission grappling classes)

The guy that owns it is a very genuine guy and helped me learn to Squat, Military press last night. He's got me on a 5x5 program and i'll be there again on Wednesday.

Don't know why I'm posting this just very excited to get going properly!

Sounds great guys. Looks like the situation for you is a lot better than previously thought, Jebus.

So started light on 3x8, 5 second per rep

Chest                        Dumbbell press                15kg             
Shoulders/Back          Bent-over Row                 15kg
Bi                              Dumbbell curl                  12.5kg
Tri                             Over-head Tri Extension   12.5kg
Thigh                         Squat                              30kg
Hamstring                  Hamstring machine curl    40kg

Went light on the legs coz i did a full legs day on sunday and had basketball yesterday.

Anything muscle group you guys think I missed? Coz ive gotta come up for a different workout for thursday & sunday.

Yeah you want big compound exercises for a full body workout. Isolation to hit those areas you can't hit as well with the compounds.
I'd add in some military presses or Arnold presses to that routine to work your shoulders.


I'm looking to try this. I've clearly taken the 5x5 concept and added a few extra exercises I like doing. I'll be doing 3x8 though, instead of 5x5, as strength isn't my primary goal right now. Yes, I've read the 5x5 report and it makes sense, but I'm more about looks than performance at this stage. I'll move onto a proper 5x5 routine once I get my body looking a lot closer to how I want it.


Workout A:
Squats
Bench Presses
Bent-Over BB Rows
Standing Calf Raises + Arnold Presses (superset)
Zottman Curls + Tricep Kickbacks (superset)


Workout B:
Squats
Military Presses (I'll have to do these seated)
Romanian Deadlifts
Incline DB Flyes + Single Arm Rows (superset)
Incline DB Curls + Tri Extensions (superset)


I know there's a few isolation exercises there but that's to hit the smaller muscles a little harder once I've got my compounds done.

Last edited by Jaekus (2011-01-11 22:00:40)

Just want to share some stuff I've learned.

I learned that one of the reasons my shoulder hurt was mainly due to doing too many types of the same exercise. I was doing lots of push exercises on the same day (pushups, dips, chest press, incline DB press) and nothing pulling to balance out. This will happen regardless on a chest/tri day, but I also realised I need to be fitter and stronger before taking up a split like that.

So, with the FBW (full body workout) above, I took care to balance out the exercises. I did them in that order and it all felt good. So I had a quad exercise, a horizontal push, horizontal pull, vertical push, elbow flexion and elbow extension. I am missing a vertical pull exercise on both days, but if I did some pull ups this would sort this out. And I have a hamstring exercise in my B workout (deadlifts).

It's also important to put your biggest compound exercises first, with squat being the most demanding as it pretty much uses all your body, and the most energy. Do any isolation exercises last as they take up less energy and subsequently if you're starting to fail on a rep it's a lot safer to fail lifting one dumbbell than failing to life a loaded barbell on your shoulders.


Also, upon reading the 5x5 report it has made me think a lot about it. Whilst I agree with a lot of what he says, some of the other things I'm not sure I entirely agree with. I mean, big compounds are ultra important, but doing some isolation exercises surely are beneficial too? And supplements must have a lot of benefit, science has shown this and there's heaps of anecdotal evidence from thousands of people. Mehdi kinda throws this all out the window as BS. But I guess his onus is only on strength gains, with the idea that muscle mass will follow. To my limited understanding and experience, and for what my goals are, his ideas have much merit but some of the stuff he makes a point of disregarding also has merit.

My $0.02

PrivateVendetta wrote:

Jaekus wrote:

Also, upon reading the 5x5 report it has made me think a lot about it. Whilst I agree with a lot of what he says, some of the other things I'm not sure I entirely agree with. I mean, big compounds are ultra important, but doing some isolation exercises surely are beneficial too? And supplements must have a lot of benefit, science has shown this and there's heaps of anecdotal evidence from thousands of people. Mehdi kinda throws this all out the window as BS. But I guess his onus is only on strength gains, with the idea that muscle mass will follow. To my limited understanding and experience, and for what my goals are, his ideas have much merit but some of the stuff he makes a point of disregarding also has merit.

My $0.02

I think he's saying you don't NEED supplements, he doesn't say they have no benefit iirc.
He is very against the muscle magazines and their methods, but I think if you take his workout as a basis and modify diet etc. to what you want it would be fine. I'm not going down the diet route properly, it's too much work every day finding the time to eat and prepare that much food, but I am trying to increase what I eat.

Second day of 5x5 today, I can tell the Press is going to be a tough one to add 5lbs a time, but we'll see how far I can get before I cut it down. The gym atm doesn't have 1.25lb weights, so I'll have to wait till I get home to add that increment.

Yeah, true. I guess I read that as being he's against supplements altogether when he stated he never takes any.
And I see the point re: supplements and magazines (and who owns all these).

And on the point about diet. It does take up more time and more thought than before, but I've found some pretty easy and tasty meals to prepare. For example, I now eat lean steak (rib eye fillet) a few times a week with steamed vegies and gravy (the gravy is just the powder and water, it's low in carbs and has no fat) and it takes about 15 minutes to prepare and tastes great. I've also found that getting a large chicken breast, cutting it in half, dicing it and throwing it in a freezer bag with a little taco/burrito seasoning from the supermarket and shaking it around then pan frying it with a little olive oil is great. Chuck it on some pre-made salad mix (no dressing) and you've got a tasty and nutritious meal with lots of protein and low in carbs with a little healthy fat. Again, takes 10-15 minutes to prepare.

Good luck with the 5x5. My routine yesterday felt great. Should've listened to my mate who said I should do a full body routine 3x a week.