Basic low vol/high freq. workout....opinions

[msucurt]

Hello all. This is "stolen" from massmatters on another bb site. I have read alot about max-ot, and this is somewhat of a derived version. Basically, i want something that is gonna be very simplistic, basic, as i am working out in my gargage gym. I am also a teacher and football coach, so my time is very limited. Anyway, what are your opinions of this routine? Seems pretty sound and hits bodyparts directly and indirectly 2x/week. Enough of me rambling......here it is.....

MASSMATTERS: "I was using a max-ot style routine I made up and my dip went from +55 for 3 sets to +135 for the same. I gained 13lbs on top of that. I gained size, but I thought I'd be MUCH bigger dipping 135lbs. either way I'm not complaining. I'll just have to shoot for +200lbs.

anyway, I'm starting up a low volume/high frequency routine that is very basic ( as are all my routines ) and my goal is to progress in the exercises as fast as I can. I've done a low volume/high frequency routine in the past and it worked well, even though my diet was terrible.

here's what it looks like:


PUSH DAY:

inc. bench: 2x6-8
seated military: 2x6-8
dips: 2x6-8
db calf raise: 2x6-8 (they're easy on the lower back)

PULL DAY:

squat: 2x6-8
deads: 2x6-8
pullups: 2x6-8
bb curl: 2x6-8

frequency:
.................M......W.....F
wk1..........ps.....pl.....ps
wk2..........pl......ps....pl
etc...

There u go.....if u indeed follow somewhat of the same lifting principle, what substitutioins would u suggest if any.....just want other ideas.

thanks everyone.

 

[msucurt]

wow...no one has opinions? ok

Hello all. This is "stolen" from massmatters on another bb site. I have read alot about max-ot, and this is somewhat of a derived version. Basically, i want something that is gonna be very simplistic, basic, as i am working out in my gargage gym. I am also a teacher and football coach, so my time is very limited. Anyway, what are your opinions of this routine? Seems pretty sound and hits bodyparts directly and indirectly 2x/week. Enough of me rambling......here it is.....

MASSMATTERS: "I was using a max-ot style routine I made up and my dip went from +55 for 3 sets to +135 for the same. I gained 13lbs on top of that. I gained size, but I thought I'd be MUCH bigger dipping 135lbs. either way I'm not complaining. I'll just have to shoot for +200lbs.

anyway, I'm starting up a low volume/high frequency routine that is very basic ( as are all my routines ) and my goal is to progress in the exercises as fast as I can. I've done a low volume/high frequency routine in the past and it worked well, even though my diet was terrible.

here's what it looks like:


PUSH DAY:

inc. bench: 2x6-8
seated military: 2x6-8
dips: 2x6-8
db calf raise: 2x6-8 (they're easy on the lower back)

PULL DAY:

squat: 2x6-8
deads: 2x6-8
pullups: 2x6-8
bb curl: 2x6-8

frequency:
.................M......W.....F
wk1..........ps.....pl.....ps
wk2..........pl......ps....pl
etc...

There u go.....if u indeed follow somewhat of the same lifting principle, what substitutioins would u suggest if any.....just want other ideas.

thanks everyone.

 

[natiels]

I would avoid doing deads and squats on the same day. Seems like both those exercises are really tiring almost full body workouts. Doing deads before squats would compromise your squats and visa versa.

Just my opinion on it. Maybe others have had success doing something like this, but i wouldnt recommend it.

 

[hypo]

OK, here's my advice.

You have the right idea with the low volume. However, your exercises need to be even more generalized. For example, BB curl is a waste of time and energy. Your bis should be getting zapped in the 4+ sets of back work. As natiels mentioned, move squat to push day.

If your goal is truly to progress through the weights as quickly as possible (meaning rapid strength acclimation is your goal here), you need to drop all those 6-8 reps and replace them with 5 or so, maybe even 3.

If I were to write up your schedule myself I would change it to:

Push:
Full squats 3 sets
Calf work 3 sets (make sure you stand on a platform so the heel can descend and stretch)
Incline DB: 3 sets
Dips: 2 sets
Arnold Press: 2 sets

Pull:
Deads: 3 sets
BB Row: 3 sets
Straight leg dead: 2 sets
Pullups: 2 sets

that should about cover all the bases. You could throw in a leg day too so you could get some more sets in on them, if you want.

 

[msucurt]

hypo...i like the other exercises you put in there....thanks.....

if my main goal is to gain mass over strength (although one comes with the other), woulndt it be better to up my frequency...say maybe do two weeks of 2 sets @ 10reps....4 sets @ 8reps....etc....like this.....

2x10, 4x8, 2x8, 3x6, 2x6, 4x4, 2x4. Work hard, then back off.

what u think? i just wanna make sure my reps are high enough that i am gaining mass at the optimal amount...hope u understand that..

thanks

 

[hypo]

No, you want to keep all variables constant so you can accurately monitor the one variable that matters in this case: the exercise weight (hopefully increasing).

Your "2x10, 4x8, 2x8, 3x6, 2x6, 4x4, 2x4" might work if you reversed it around so the 2x4 comes first and the 2x10 last. That way, you would stick with a constant weight and go through the 7 weeks increasing the reps. Again the idea is the same, keep all variables constant except for one (in this case the rep scheme). I would stick with our original idea though.

3 sets of Incline DB, for example, at only 4-6 reps may not sound like much, but if the 4-6 reps are truly intense at a heavy weight for you that is all the muscle needs, really!

Try this: dedicate 8 weeks following that schedule I typed out above using 4-6 reps per set. If you can't get 4, it's too heavy. But if you can get more than 6, it's too light. See? try to stay around 5 reps with perfect form. And don't waste too much energy on warming up; of course make sure you are warm and stretched before lifting but don't go overboard. What you're going to do is increase the weight 5 or 10 lbs each week depending on exercise. Deads, Sl deads and squats 10 lbs, most others 5 lbs. Really put your all into getting that next 5 lbs up.

this is what I did for about 12 weeks with great success, and the basic principles apply to a hypertrophy program, which means as long as you EAT a LOT you will gain weight quite nicely. Once you get used to it, you can change up the exercises every 6 weeks or so to prevent stagnation.

 

[msucurt]

ok, thanks hypo...i appreciate your help. I have always been a big advocate of lifting heavy with no more than 6-7 reps. I just wanted something that was gonna hit my muscles 2x per week, but yet not OVERTRAIN. That is why i was asking if on MONDAY i should hit chest directly with incline and on thurs hit it indirectly with CG bench. But, im not and im just gonna stick with the same exercises to keep it simple. So, how does this look?

Push-----monday, thurs
Full squats 3 sets
Calf work 3 sets (make sure you stand on a platform so the heel can descend and stretch)
Incline DB: 3 sets
Dips: 2 sets
Arnold Press: 2 sets

Pull----tues, fri.
Deads: 3 sets
BB Row: 3 sets
Straight leg dead: 2 sets
Pullups: 2 sets

wed: OFF

Does that look ok?

 

[hypo]

way too many squats and deads for one week. You could maybe get away with that if you skip every other squat and dead so you only do each once a week. So, you could do:

Push (with squat)
Pull
off
off
Push
Pull (with dead)
off
off
repeat

limiting yourself to a traditional weekly schedule isn't always good.

you can also of course put different exercises in the other push and pull days. Some of my favorites are DB row, parallel grip pullup, shrugs, rack deads for pull, and decline bench, close grip bench, front squat, and military presses for push.

 

[hypo]

or you could also do

Pull
Push
Legs
Off
repeat.

 

[msucurt]

dang, im really frustrated now....lol. I just want a routine in which i workout a bodypart 2x/week....and not overtrain....heck, im even thinking about a good 5x5 program that works a bodypart 2x a week. Do u have anything in mind? I know u are getting tired of the questions, but just wanna add some more lbs....

1. simplistic
2. thorough
3. quick
4. not overtrain.

thanks