Final Bulking Routine - Advice please?

R

Roonaldo

0
Hi, I'm bulking and have been messing about trying to get a really good routine together for quite a while now - as some of you may know from another post. Anyways, heres my final routine, could you please feedback on whether you think its good, bad or could be improved...

With my main emphasis being on arms + chest, I want complete rest days straight after them, and have also added 3 sessions on abs and 2 HIITS, which will be 30 mins of intense running.

Evolution if you're around I would grately appreciate some feedback as you helped me a lot, figuring out what to do as I didn't really know much at first.

Mon: Chest + Abs
Tue: REST
Wed: Arms
Thu: REST
Fri: Legs + HIIT + Abs
Sat: Back/Shoulders
Sun: HIIT + Abs

Chest
1)Incline Flye
2)Flat bench press
3)Incline Dumbell chest press

all have sets of 1x10, 1x8, 1x6, then to failure.

Arms:

Biceps
1)Dumbell Curl
2)Hammer Curl
3)Barbell Curl

all have sets of 1x10, 1x8, 1x6, then to failure.

Triceps
1)Tricep Extension
2)Double Handed Tricep Extension
3)French Press

all have sets of 1x10, 1x8, 1x6, then to failure.

Legs:
1)Close Leg Squat
2)Romanian Deadlifts
3)Calf Raises
4)Leg Extensions

all have sets of 4x12 (don't want much bigger size as my quads seem huge from what little I've already done)

Back:
1)Bent Over Rowing
2)Stiff Leg Barbell Goodmorning
3)Single Arm Rows

All have sets of 5x8, with single arm rows also having one set to failure

Shoulders:
1)Shoulder Press
2)Lateral Raise
3)Seated Bent Over Rear Dealt Raises
4)Upright Rows

all have sets of 1x10, 1x8, 1x6, then to failure.

What do you think? is that a good amount of rest/too much? also is it ok to do back on same day as shoulders?

Thanks,
roonaldo
 
the back and shoulder day looks like it will take over an hour to do.that might be a little to much in one day.i read somewhere that after like 45 mins your body goes into cruise control and instead of shocking your muscles into growth your muscles are just surviving.
 
Speed, it's actually related to volume. Depending on volume and rest periods, cortisol levels can raise drastically causing an increase in protein degradation without a raise in protein synthesis. This leads to a catabolic environment.

Roonaldo, I would use 60 second rest times because you'll get the most bang for your buck relating to ATP replenishment. I would ditch the incline fly for a cable fly (if possible) and use a 2 second pause at the top and really work on squeezing. I would also do bench, incline db press, fly (in that order).

I would do a seated incline hammer curl. On the bb curl, stick a 2.5 pound plate between your arms and side so that your elbows stay tucked in. I would also stand against a wall to make sure you're not getting any sway or cheating the biceps from working fully.

I would use a close grip bench (14" grip width) instead of one of the extensions.

On calves-2X12 seated and 2X8 standing

I would add pull ups or lat pulldowns.

I would ditch the upright rows for shrugs.

Now, here's how I'd get creative for the back and shoulders. On back day, work your rear delts and on your arms day, work your front and middle delts. Change your back day parameters to a 4X8 but keep the delts with their paramaters. Superset your bicep and tricep movements with 45 seconds rest between movements.

As far as failure goes, just watch yourself for overtraining signs and if you start to get them, back off a bit on the failure method.

So, yeah...that's what I'd do if I was structuring a program for myself using your movements and set up. Hope I didn't throw to much at you as far as changes.

Remember to have some carbs after.
 
ok I'll have 60 sec rest time max, but is it ok to have less that if I really wanna push myself?

For the chest, I can do cable flye when I go to the gym, as I sometimes work at home and sometimes go to the gym. I'll also switch the order of the chest excercises so the flyes are after bench. I thought it was better to do flyes first because it tires your chest so it gets a real pounding from the bench?

As for triceps, arent you supposed to do both normal AND double handed tricep extensions because the double handed ones get the top/overhead part of the tricep or something? Do you think it will be alright if I keep my 3 current tricep excercises and just add the close grip bench as well? Also should i do the close grip bench first before the other exercises?

For the biceps:
1)by seated incline hammer curls do you mean lean completely back on the inclined bench while pulling the dumbell up? both arms at same time or one at a time?

2)for the barbell curl is it better to use a straight bar or one of those other ones with handles on?

3)for the dd curl should my hand be always facing towards my shoulder, or should i twist it in towards my body when I get to the top?


Really ditch the upright rows? i love them they kill your shoulders

Sorry i didn't fully understand how you want me to change my back day, because not totally sure whats working my lats lol.

If I drop the back sets to 4x8 from the original 5x8, would it be a good idea going to failure on the last set (which would probably only be like 7 or 8)?

By 'Superset' bicep & tricep movements do you just mean have very little rest between sets?

Thanks for your answers..
 
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It would be better to go ahead and push yourself on the bench and use the flyes for a fatigue movement. Actually, it's overhead extensions rather than double hand movements for the triceps that hit the heads that normally don't get hit. So, you might try overhead extension, skull crusher (or tricep pushdowns), and close grip bench. Since the tri's get used in your shoulder movements and chest, you don't need a lot of exercises to hit them. Three movements is good enough.

Biceps-yup, lean completley back and do 1 hand at a time. Remember to really flex through the movement. You'll be fine with either the straight bar or curved bar. I would twist your hand into your body (out towards your shoulder) on the top of the concentric motion for the db curls.

I was thinking for recovery issues that you should throw your back and rear delts together and your chest and medial/anterior delts together. bb row, 1 arm row, and lat pulldowns will work your lats. Just make sure on the upright row that you're using a wider grip and bring it up to the bottom of the pecs, this will work your rear delts and traps. The 4X8 would be good, just use failure on the last set of the 4X8.

The superset is do 1 set of a bicep movement, rest for 45 seconds, and then do 1 set of a tricep movement and then rest 45 seconds and then perform another set of a bicep movement. The 60 seconds rest time is a good rule of thumb but by shortening your rest periods for supersets of smalller body parts, you can get out of teh gym a bit faster.
 
alright cheers. General question; should i do the biceps first or the triceps? I'd prefer to focuss on the biceps more, or does it not really matter? Does Back come before shoulders as well?

I'm not going to do the superset though because I like to do all the sets of a movement on one arm and then do the same for the other arm so it gets a good seeing to, with little rest - also I usually take turns with a mate.

I'll just switch the double handed tricep extensions for close grip bench for now.

Cheers
 
since you want to focus on your biceps more then just do the triceps first to get it out of the way and then do the biceps........your back comes before delts..
 
ok thanks for the feedback. My routine looks good now. My only issue is with working my abs. I know I need a low body fat percentage for them to show properly but I wouldn't mind increasing the size of them so that the surrounding skin is like tighter.

My question is how do I go about doing weighted crunches and weighted reverse crunches without using some machine? I want to work my abs at home but the biggest plate I have is 5Kg which I doubt is enough. So, should i use a dumbell to weight my crunches and if so do i just hold it to my chest as i do them?

At the moment I'm doing 2 sets of 50 for both crunches and reverse crunches (as well as weighted side bends). That's too many isn't it? should I be aiming for about 15 when weighted?

Thanks for all your help guys!!
 
About the only machine I'd use to do any abdominal work is the cable machine.

Try doing weighted Russian twists, the 5 kg plate should be enough for a 3X8-12. You can use dbs for the weight and with the Russian twist, you'll be holding the plate in front of you with arms extended. The reverse cruches are you bringing your knees into your chest, right? You could slip a db between your ankles (or perform that movement with the cables with a straight bar between your ankles and that's called a pull in).
 
ok so i did my abs at the gym. There was a machine where you sit on it, put your elbows up against a pad and grip onto two handles behind your head and then pull the weight just using your abs. It felt good for the upper abs and I was able to up the weight so i could only do about 12 reps. Is this machine good for abs? because if so I'll stick to using this for my upper abs.

that'd just leave my lower abs. Yeah reverse crunch is me bringing my legs up to my chest. Could i really hold a dumbell between my legs? have you done it before? i just vision it falling when it comes over me and crushing me. I will try it later anyway, but i think i'll have to tape it to my legs or someting lol.

There is one more question i could do with having answered. Whats your opinion on bench pressing machines? I use ( i think its called a 'Smith'?) a machine where its still free weights on a bar as usual except the bar is in between two barriers so it can only go up and down and not to the side. Do you think this machine is good for my chest or would i be better off using a normal bench and barbell? its just that i heard something about it not targeting the surrounding muscles around the chest?

thanks
 
I think you'd be better off with cable crunches, hanging knee raises, weighted Russian twists instead of sitting on an ab machine. I generally do the reverse crunches that you mentioned on the cable machine with a bar between my ankles and pull some weight.

For bench, you're better off with a barbell and bench because you'll be working in three planes of movement instead of just one when using hte machine. Also, you'll engage your stabilizers and synergists more; free weights (in general) are just better than the machines.
 
The problem is, the gym i go to, although they have cables there isn't really room for getting on the floor and using it for your abs. People just use it for their upper body. Thats why i wanted to do my abs at home really because there isn't much good to use in the gym.

Anyway for now im gonna try and weight my reverse crunches at home, plus try out those russian twists, but for upper abs i'l have to stick to the machine for now - or try and hold a dumbell during regular sit-ups.
 
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