Hello. I have 10 weeks, with full access to a gym, to develop as much upper body and lower back strength as I can. I especially need to be able to many many push-ups and also lots of pull-ups. I don't have any trouble with sit-ups but find push-ups and pull-ups really hard to do. What should I focus my routine on to get as much progress as possible in the 10 weeks? Any advice would be greatly appreciated - stats: age 32, weight 85kg (188lbs), height 6 foot exact. Thanks!
Advice badly needed
- Thread starter lifechanger
- Start date
Hoss
1
wow 10 weeks huh, big date? spring break? reunion? neways.. if you have access to weights you should focus on building muscle.. so eat eat eat 5-6 meals a day, as much protein as possible and no junk.
for a work out, stretch(always underated i think)! it helps! push ups are mainly chest and triceps, pull ups are mostly biceps and back..
DAY 1 - chest - flat bench (alternate each chest work out from dumbells to barbells, *keep a wide grip as to focus on chest more than triceps); *incline bench; flys
DAY 2 - shoulders/triceps - military press(i notice that a barbell works better, but everyone is different); shoulder shrugs; skull crushers; tricep pulldown
DAY 3 - biceps/back - lat pulldown (3 sets front/3 back); dumbell curl; row machine(not sure of the name); reverse flys; barbell curl (straight or curved bar)
DAY 4 - intense cardio (off lifiting)
DAY 5 - legs - squat; leg extensions; calf squat
well this is basically what i started with when i wanted a 'get ripped quick' scheme lol.. it works well, i use the same frame now with some different exercises, i hope it works for you too! good luck!
for a work out, stretch(always underated i think)! it helps! push ups are mainly chest and triceps, pull ups are mostly biceps and back..
DAY 1 - chest - flat bench (alternate each chest work out from dumbells to barbells, *keep a wide grip as to focus on chest more than triceps); *incline bench; flys
DAY 2 - shoulders/triceps - military press(i notice that a barbell works better, but everyone is different); shoulder shrugs; skull crushers; tricep pulldown
DAY 3 - biceps/back - lat pulldown (3 sets front/3 back); dumbell curl; row machine(not sure of the name); reverse flys; barbell curl (straight or curved bar)
DAY 4 - intense cardio (off lifiting)
DAY 5 - legs - squat; leg extensions; calf squat
well this is basically what i started with when i wanted a 'get ripped quick' scheme lol.. it works well, i use the same frame now with some different exercises, i hope it works for you too! good luck!
No flyes, they do very little for actual strength. Your best bet is to concentrate on push ups, flat bench, and low incline db bench
Military presses are okay, but push presses and db shoulder presses are better for strength development. And even Tate presses are good for delt development, but for strength purposes, push press and db shoulder press
pull ups/chins much better alternative than lat pulldowns. Close grip bench much better than tricep pushdown. Seated row to neck is good for rear delt development and reverse grip (supinated grip) bent over barbell rows are one of the king exercises for back strength and development.
Squats yes, leg extensions no. The leg extension machine is the devil's thrown due to the extreme stress it puts on the knee joint. You're better to go with squats, deads, barbell step ups, 1 legged squats, reverse hypers or back extensions, and pull throughs.
For abs I would go with saxon side bends, full contact twists, turkish get ups, weighted russian twists, cable crunches, hanging pikes, and double crunches.
If some of these exercises are alien to you, run a google on them. If you're unsure after that, send a message here or PM.
Military presses are okay, but push presses and db shoulder presses are better for strength development. And even Tate presses are good for delt development, but for strength purposes, push press and db shoulder press
pull ups/chins much better alternative than lat pulldowns. Close grip bench much better than tricep pushdown. Seated row to neck is good for rear delt development and reverse grip (supinated grip) bent over barbell rows are one of the king exercises for back strength and development.
Squats yes, leg extensions no. The leg extension machine is the devil's thrown due to the extreme stress it puts on the knee joint. You're better to go with squats, deads, barbell step ups, 1 legged squats, reverse hypers or back extensions, and pull throughs.
For abs I would go with saxon side bends, full contact twists, turkish get ups, weighted russian twists, cable crunches, hanging pikes, and double crunches.
If some of these exercises are alien to you, run a google on them. If you're unsure after that, send a message here or PM.
Hoss
1
flys do great things for me, and he has trouble doing pushups & pullups so doing 3 or 4 is not going to help the cause, instead do a lower weight on the lat pulldown until you can lift your bodyweight for 8-10-12 reps, and i said tricep pulldown, not push, there's a difference. come to think of it, i was going more for size than strength.. but they come hand in hand mostly..
Grammaton, increasing your ability for weight in a flying motion doesn't actually have strength application (for his goal) except in a flying motion such as the pec dec (which is a horrible machine), cable flyes and db flyes. You will very rarely find a strength coaching putting his athletes or even powerlifters whose only concern is output of speed and power prescribing flyes to increase strength. If he has 10 weeks to complete a specific goal, then the exercises chosen should relate to his goal. Flyes are great for aesthetic performance but when it comes to direct strength application they are negligable in their ability for this goal.
There is a difference between training for size and training for strength. A bigger muscle doesn't always mean a stronger muscle, but a stronger muscle always has potential to be a bigger muscle. The other thing that goes along these lines is training for athletic performance will always improve the way you look, but training just to improve the way you look doesn't do much for athletic performance.
As far as the tricep pushdowns and pulldowns, they are the same just a different word. I do assume we're talking about the cable exercise where you grasp the handle and push or pull it down with a supinated or pronated grip.
It's not that he can't lift his body weight for a pullup, it's that he has trouble with a lot of reptitions. So, perhaps using lat pulldowns and pull ups would be the better alternative.
So, in short, this isn't to disuade anyone from doing flyes or saying that flyes or useless or whether it's a pulldown or pushdown, it's about maximizing results for a short term goal. His goals are to
A)increase his horizontal pushing strength
B)increase his verticle pulling strength
Sorry guys if I seemed a bit grumpy, I just woke up
There is a difference between training for size and training for strength. A bigger muscle doesn't always mean a stronger muscle, but a stronger muscle always has potential to be a bigger muscle. The other thing that goes along these lines is training for athletic performance will always improve the way you look, but training just to improve the way you look doesn't do much for athletic performance.
As far as the tricep pushdowns and pulldowns, they are the same just a different word. I do assume we're talking about the cable exercise where you grasp the handle and push or pull it down with a supinated or pronated grip.
It's not that he can't lift his body weight for a pullup, it's that he has trouble with a lot of reptitions. So, perhaps using lat pulldowns and pull ups would be the better alternative.
So, in short, this isn't to disuade anyone from doing flyes or saying that flyes or useless or whether it's a pulldown or pushdown, it's about maximizing results for a short term goal. His goals are to
A)increase his horizontal pushing strength
B)increase his verticle pulling strength
Sorry guys if I seemed a bit grumpy, I just woke up
Thanks very much for all your advice... ballast, again, great idea with the pyramid scheme and I will start using it straight away... evolution you're spot on, thank you very much... strength is exactly what i'm after, size or aesthetics are not important at all. I've cut and pasted all the exercises you recommended and will work them in to a weekly program. Just a futher clarification: what frequency do you recommend? EG, all exercises in one session, then a day off, or alternate muscle groups with no need for a rest day? That type of thing...
Thanks again everyone...
Thanks again everyone...
evolution: I have access to a full modern gym with machines and free weights (no kettles) & I can lift seven days a week if it is to my benefit. One thing, I must at all costs avoid injury so things like the push press might be a bit risky...?
The push press is no more risky than a military press; in fact, it's a cheated military press because part of the momentum is caused by the legs which allows us to lift a greater amount of weight.
Here's what I purpose (this is a suggestion)-
This will be weeks 1-4, after which we can work on the rest of the weeks.
5 workouts per week
Monday:bench press high intensity
Tuesday:back, abs
Weds
ff
Thurs:lower body, abs
Friday:bench press high volume
Sat:back
Sunff
Monday-
A)bench press w/18" grip width
sets/reps WK 1:3X5 (at 6 rep max), WK 2:3X5,3X4, WK 3:1X5,1X3,1X2,1X5,1X3,1X2 WK 4:1X3,1X2,1X1,1X3,1X2,1X1
B)Auxiliary exercise: push ups
This is really simple, you are going to perform as many push ups as you can for 5 sets, taking a minute rest between sets but not going to failure.
C)assistance exercise: push press
sets/reps: Wk 1:3X5, WK 2:6X4, WK 3:4X3, WK 4: 2X5
D)Remedial exercise: lying db tricep extension
sets/reps: Wk 1:3X10, Wk 2:5X8, Wk 3:3X6, Wk 4:2X10
Tues-
A) pullups:4Xnear failure (each week try to add one rep to each set)
B)Auxiliary exercise: rev grip bb row:
Wk 1:3X5, Wk 2:4X3, WK 3:2X5, Wk 4:3X5
C)assistance exercise: bb curl:
sets/reps: WK 1:3X10, WK 2:6X4, Wk 3: 4X3, Wk 4:2X5
D)Remedial exercise: double crunch
Years in ageX1 for each week
Thurs-
A)hack squat: 3X6 each week
B)pull through: 2X12 each week
C)db lunges:2X5 each leg each week
D)cable crunch:3X10 each week
E)saxon side bends:2X6 each week
Fri-
A)Main exercise:ballistic bench (use the smith machine. Object: lower the bar to chest and throw it up in the air, then catch it and start again.)
sets/reps: Wk 1:8X4@20%, Wk 2:12X3@25%, Wk 3:8X2@30%, Wk 4:6X1@35%
B)Auxillary exercise:quasi-isometric/stop/explosive bench press
Okay, you will lower it at a 5 second count, let it rest for 2 seconds on the chest, and then blast the weight up as fast as possible.
sets/reps: Wk 1:3X10@55%, Wk 2:6X8@60%, Wk 3:4X6@70%, Wk 4:3X4@70%
C)assistance exercise: iso-ballistic push-up
lower yourself in push up position. Project yourself in the air and land in a down push up position and hold for 15 seconds, that's one rep
sets/reps: Wk 1:3X5, Wk 2:6X5, Wk 3:4X5, Wk 4:2X5
D)remedial exercise:standing db shoulder press
sets/reps:Wk 1:2X8, Wk 2:2X10, Wk 3:2X12, Wk 4:1X15
Sat:
A)pull ups-10X5
B)lat pulldown-5X5
Anyway, that's how I'd structure this.
Here's what I purpose (this is a suggestion)-
This will be weeks 1-4, after which we can work on the rest of the weeks.
5 workouts per week
Monday:bench press high intensity
Tuesday:back, abs
Weds
ffThurs:lower body, abs
Friday:bench press high volume
Sat:back
Sun
ffMonday-
A)bench press w/18" grip width
sets/reps WK 1:3X5 (at 6 rep max), WK 2:3X5,3X4, WK 3:1X5,1X3,1X2,1X5,1X3,1X2 WK 4:1X3,1X2,1X1,1X3,1X2,1X1
B)Auxiliary exercise: push ups
This is really simple, you are going to perform as many push ups as you can for 5 sets, taking a minute rest between sets but not going to failure.
C)assistance exercise: push press
sets/reps: Wk 1:3X5, WK 2:6X4, WK 3:4X3, WK 4: 2X5
D)Remedial exercise: lying db tricep extension
sets/reps: Wk 1:3X10, Wk 2:5X8, Wk 3:3X6, Wk 4:2X10
Tues-
A) pullups:4Xnear failure (each week try to add one rep to each set)
B)Auxiliary exercise: rev grip bb row:
Wk 1:3X5, Wk 2:4X3, WK 3:2X5, Wk 4:3X5
C)assistance exercise: bb curl:
sets/reps: WK 1:3X10, WK 2:6X4, Wk 3: 4X3, Wk 4:2X5
D)Remedial exercise: double crunch
Years in ageX1 for each week
Thurs-
A)hack squat: 3X6 each week
B)pull through: 2X12 each week
C)db lunges:2X5 each leg each week
D)cable crunch:3X10 each week
E)saxon side bends:2X6 each week
Fri-
A)Main exercise:ballistic bench (use the smith machine. Object: lower the bar to chest and throw it up in the air, then catch it and start again.)
sets/reps: Wk 1:8X4@20%, Wk 2:12X3@25%, Wk 3:8X2@30%, Wk 4:6X1@35%
B)Auxillary exercise:quasi-isometric/stop/explosive bench press
Okay, you will lower it at a 5 second count, let it rest for 2 seconds on the chest, and then blast the weight up as fast as possible.
sets/reps: Wk 1:3X10@55%, Wk 2:6X8@60%, Wk 3:4X6@70%, Wk 4:3X4@70%
C)assistance exercise: iso-ballistic push-up
lower yourself in push up position. Project yourself in the air and land in a down push up position and hold for 15 seconds, that's one rep
sets/reps: Wk 1:3X5, Wk 2:6X5, Wk 3:4X5, Wk 4:2X5
D)remedial exercise:standing db shoulder press
sets/reps:Wk 1:2X8, Wk 2:2X10, Wk 3:2X12, Wk 4:1X15
Sat:
A)pull ups-10X5
B)lat pulldown-5X5
Anyway, that's how I'd structure this.
thanks evo - i go week 1 this coming monday - i've printed off your program and will have the trainer at my gym go through them all with me then i'm off! i'll let you know how things go after week 1 is over - thanks again man, i really like the ballistic/speed stuff, great! check back like sunday week for my update...
Sounds good. The trainer maybe a bit leary about the ballistics, but tell him it's just for 4 weeks.
A few tips of advice for you-make sure you eat more than normal, get plenty of rest, and skip the cardio. If it's a bit much for you, let me know and we can adjust, that's why I keep the amount of exercises pretty low each workout.
A few tips of advice for you-make sure you eat more than normal, get plenty of rest, and skip the cardio. If it's a bit much for you, let me know and we can adjust, that's why I keep the amount of exercises pretty low each workout.
how about...
if u need to do push ups, chin ups and dips, then it sounds like ur gonna be tested for something.
so...why not do lots of push ups, chin ups and dips.
try this... three times a day, morning, noon and night u do push ups, chin ups and dips. do about 70% of what u can max at and really focus on ur technique. Make sure that u never get tired or fatigued and u dont get "the burn" after doing them. this will ensure that u will be able to perform to ur best through out the day. If u want to increase ur push ups, chins and dips do this.
i also recommend u look at The Naked Warrior by Pavel. or go to dragondoor.com
if u need to do push ups, chin ups and dips, then it sounds like ur gonna be tested for something.
so...why not do lots of push ups, chin ups and dips.
try this... three times a day, morning, noon and night u do push ups, chin ups and dips. do about 70% of what u can max at and really focus on ur technique. Make sure that u never get tired or fatigued and u dont get "the burn" after doing them. this will ensure that u will be able to perform to ur best through out the day. If u want to increase ur push ups, chins and dips do this.
i also recommend u look at The Naked Warrior by Pavel. or go to dragondoor.com
For lower back strength the best exercises are goodmornings and the deadlift variations.
Evolution: Great advice; I agree almost 100% with all of your suggestions. The one thing I take exception to is the splits you proposed. Your splits are very effective; however I would be more inclined to suggest a full body workout 3 days a week using HUGE power movements (squats, deadlifts, lunges, bench press, push press, pull ups). It appears to me that this guy needs to develop something very quickly. Personally I would suggest 4 weeks of high volume, followed by 6 of your plan.
Adler-Thanks man. The one thing that might concern me that I hadn't taken into consideration is the endurance aspect if the competition is for reps. I agree with the fullbody splits in most cases, however this is more of a chest and back strength specialization (which is hard to do) and so I thought more emphasis should be given to chest and back while decreasing volume in the lower body.
Since we have 10 weeks, this will need to be split up (as we both agree), however I'm thinking of moving him to two upper body days and one lower body/core day. The best notion is to increase both absolute and relative strength, (along with speed, however speed being the hardest to train) while some disagree that absolute strength has a carry over to relative strength, there will be some at the very least.
The other thing is I might have gone overboard on the explosive/ballistic stuff since once the motor units are fully activated (i.e. during the first exercise) they can only decrease their ability to fire. Sooo...what are your thoughts on one day of absolute and one day of endurance and move him into explosive/ballistic?
This is turning into an interesting discussion.
Life Changer, don't change anything just yet. We'll get this figured out for you by the end of the week.
Since we have 10 weeks, this will need to be split up (as we both agree), however I'm thinking of moving him to two upper body days and one lower body/core day. The best notion is to increase both absolute and relative strength, (along with speed, however speed being the hardest to train) while some disagree that absolute strength has a carry over to relative strength, there will be some at the very least.
The other thing is I might have gone overboard on the explosive/ballistic stuff since once the motor units are fully activated (i.e. during the first exercise) they can only decrease their ability to fire. Sooo...what are your thoughts on one day of absolute and one day of endurance and move him into explosive/ballistic?
This is turning into an interesting discussion.
Life Changer, don't change anything just yet. We'll get this figured out for you by the end of the week.