Need help with workout plan

[kiltboy1675]

Im getting back into lifting after a 2 month break due to hockey. Im trying to get my strength back before I launch into a superdrol cycle this summer. Let me know what you think, if im missing anything or you see something that could be changed please let me know. Thanks

Chest and Triceps
Workout 1
• BB Flat Bench 4x10,8,6,6
• DB Incline Bench 4x10,8,6,6
• Incline DB Fly 4x10,8,6,6
• Nosebreaker 3x10,8,6
Workout 2
• DB Flat Bench 4x10,8,6,6
• BB Incline Bench 4x10,8,6,6
• Flat DB Fly 4x10,8,6,6
• Tricep Pushdown 4x12,10,8,8
Workout 3
• BB Flat Bench 3x4-6
• BB Smith Incline Bench 3x4-6
• Decline Machine 3x6-8
• Weighted Bench Dip 3x10
Back and Biceps
Workout 1
• Bent-over Row 3x10,8,6
• One Arm Row 3x10,8,6
• Straight Bar Curl 4x12,10,8,8
• Preacher Curl 4x12,10,8,8
Workout 2
• Cable Row 3x10,8,6
• Back Extensions 3x10
• Preacher Hammer Curl 4x12,10,8,8
• Straight Bar Curl 4x12,10,8,8
Legs
Workout 1
• Squats 4x12,10,8,6
• Leg Extensions 3x12,10,8
• Leg Curls 3x12,10,8
• Standing Calf Raise 4x10
Workout 2
• Leg Press 4x12,10,8,6
• BB Deadlift 4x12,10,8,6
• Hack Squat 4x12,10,8,6
• Seated Calf Raise 4x10
Workout 3
• Squats 3x4-6
• BB Deadlift 3x4-6
• Lunges 3x10
• Seated Calf Raise 4x10
Shoulder
Workout 1
• BB Shrug 4x10,8,6,6
• Overhead DB Press 4x10,8,6,6
• Lateral DB Raise 4x10
• Upright Row 4x12,10,8,8
Workout 2
• Military Press 4x12,10,8,8
• Plate Raise 4x10
• DB Shrug 4x10,8,6,6
• Shoulder Press Machine? 4x12,10,8,8
Misc.
Workout 1
• Lat Pulldowns 4x10,8,6,6
• Pullups 3x10
• Wrist Curl 4x10
• Rev. Wrist Curl 4x10
Workout 2
• Dips 3x f.
• One Arm Lat. Pulldown 4x10,8,6,6
• Wrist Curls 4x10
• Rev. Wrist Curls 4x10

[silverSurfer]

if you go to the scivation website there are free online books with diet and workout plans. useful information to help you plan a rounded workout plan.

[pantera101]

And read t-nation.com.They post a new article or two mon-fri,and you can go to article library to read old ones.Some times they have great useful articles that apply directly to you ,other times they don't.

[VolcomX311]

Increase the intensity of your lifts so you're pushing in the 8, 6, 5 rep range and you'll have greater strength implications then your current rep range.

Strength increases are primarily the result of increased muscle recruitment by motor units, also called, neural adaption(s) and this is best stimulated by high intensity lifts (heavy, heavy weight). Higher volume (high reps), create more microtrauma and stimulates an increase in myocin & actin within the myofilaments, this results in muscle hypertrophy. Intensity and volume have an inverse relationship, the higher the intensity, the lower your volume will become and vice versa. This interprets to, the heavier you lift, the more you stimulate your body to make strength adaption(s) and further away from hypertrophy. And on the other hand, the higher the volume (to an extent), the more you stimulate your body to make hypertrophic adaption(s), rather then strength.

You might even push the reps to a 6, 5, 4 rep range if your PRIMARY goal is strength. Then decrease your intensity and bump the volume back up to the 12, 10, 8 rep range to maximize hypertrophic adaption(s) when you're on cycle.

Building a good strength base is wise. If you build a strong strength base, you can perform higher volume reps with a higher amount of weight, which will result in greater hypertrophy, ESPECIALLY on Superdol.

Good luck

[VolcomX311]

Also, another primarily, "neural" strength adaption is increased firing rate of motor neurons, this has an effect on how fast your myocin & actin go through their contraction phases (sliding filament theory) which has an implication on strength. There are numerous relevant factors involved in strength apart from simple muscle size alone.

Your current rep range leans more toward hypertrophric adaption(s) then strength. It could mean the difference of up to 100lbs+ when your deadlifting 12 reps as oppose to 5. (As I see in one of your workout#2's)

[kiltboy1675]

Awesome, thanks. on cycle i want to put on as much mass as possible, so i will definitely bump up the reps to the 8-12 range. your right about strength, im gonna lower the rep numbers.

[VolcomX311]

Awesome, thanks. on cycle i want to put on as much mass as possible, will bumping up my reps to the 8-12 range do this better than the 4-6 range?

For hypertrophy (muscle size), yes. 12-8 rep range is primed, considering you're intensity is also on pair. It's not just about the volume, its the combination of volume x intensity that create a primed environment for a particular adaption (technically its the combination of Frequency, Intensity, Volume and Rest that you should take into consideration, but we'll ignore that for now)

4-6 rep range is more inclined toward strength then hypertrophy.

A general principle of resistance training, is that resistance training will have some effect on all levels of muscle adaption, power, strength, hypertrophy and endurance, but how you train will create a PRIMARY adaption of one of those aspects.

Adaption also follows that particular hierarchy of power, strength, hypertrophy, endurance. If you're performing power movements, yes you can hypertrophy, but primary adaption will be power [velocity], your secondary adaption will be strength, and your tertiary adaption will be hypertophy and lastly and least effected, but effected nonetheless will be endurance. The hierarchy also works the other way. If you're performing 20-25 reps, you're making primarily endurance adaption(s), secondary adaption will be hypertrophy, tertiary strength and lastly power

So the lower your reps in conjunction with increased weight, will move you closer to the strength zone and vice versa, the higher your reps, but still keeping a moderate intensity, the closer you move toward the hypertrophy zone on the scale of performance adaption(s).

So to answer your question in short, yes, 12-8 rep volume x's 65%-70% 1RM intensity when your on cycle. 4-6 rep volume x's 75%-85% intensity for your current program.

[kiltboy1675]

perfect thats the exact answer i was looking for.

[RoidRageX10]

For hypertrophy (muscle size), yes. 12-8 rep range is primed, considering you're intensity is also on pair. It's not just about the volume, its the combination of volume x intensity that create a primed environment for a particular adaption (technically its the combination of Frequency, Intensity, Volume and Rest that you should take into consideration, but we'll ignore that for now)

4-6 rep range is more inclined toward strength then hypertrophy.

A general principle of resistance training, is that resistance training will have some effect on all levels of muscle adaption, power, strength, hypertrophy and endurance, but how you train will create a PRIMARY adaption of one of those aspects.

Adaption also follows that particular hierarchy of power, strength, hypertrophy, endurance. If you're performing power movements, yes you can hypertrophy, but primary adaption will be power [velocity], your secondary adaption will be strength, and your tertiary adaption will be hypertophy and lastly and least effected, but effected nonetheless will be endurance. The hierarchy also works the other way. If you're performing 20-25 reps, you're making primarily endurance adaption(s), secondary adaption will be hypertrophy, tertiary strength and lastly power

So the lower your reps in conjunction with increased weight, will move you closer to the strength zone and vice versa, the higher your reps, but still keeping a moderate intensity, the closer you move toward the hypertrophy zone on the scale of performance adaption(s).

So to answer your question in short, yes, 12-8 rep volume x's 65%-70% 1RM intensity when your on cycle. 4-6 rep volume x's 75%-85% intensity for your current program.

so building muscle while doing 4-6 reps is not a possibility?

[VolcomX311]

so building muscle while doing 4-6 reps is not a possibility?

Of course it is.

[RoidRageX10]

Of course it is.

ok good. Becuase i love doing 4-6 reps. it keeps me lifting intense. 12 reps gets boring to be honest.

EDIT: But I'm going to have to switch it up right? other wise my body will adapt? If not, I always want to do 4-6 reps 2-3 sets

[VolcomX311]

I used the word PRIMARY adaption because nothing is exclusive. I just wrote about how resistance training has an effect on all levels of muscle performance, but you can make tweaks to emphasis a particular adaption, not make an exclusive adaption.

You'll have "greater" strength implications, then hypertrophic with lower volume, higher intensity, I never said exclusive implication.

Strength involves both neural, the mechanism behind the efficacy of your muscle and the quantity of myocin & actin you posses. Muscle size is just sheer quantity of myofilaments. Higher volume (in conjunction with appropriate intensity) results in greater microtrauma of myofilaments, which stimulates greater muscle growth. Higher intensity stimulates greater neural adaption(s) then it does muscle growth.

High intensity will induce hypertrophy, just as High volume will induce strength, but high intensity is more effective at producing strength, then it is at producing muscle and high volume is more effective at producing muscle, then strength.

Nothings exclusive, just emphasized.

[VolcomX311]

ok good. Becuase i love doing 4-6 reps. it keeps me lifting intense. 12 reps gets boring to be honest.

EDIT: But I'm going to have to switch it up right? other wise my body will adapt? If not, I always want to do 4-6 reps 2-3 sets

I think switching it up is primed for overall success.

High intensity is more fun in my opinion. I go through seasons where I am high, high intensity (8, 6, 5 reps) and seasons when I get more into bodybuilding (12, 10, 8 reps).

You don't "HAVE" to switch up "styles" of lifting if body adaption is your main concern. Switching exercises will do.

Motivation is better then any style really. If you're bored, no matter how superior your lifting style might be, you won't be giving it your 100% effort and dedication. If High Intensity keeps you motivated, stick with it. You can still hypertrophy, just not "AS" well, on the other hand, in my opinion, you'd grow more effectively if you were motivated by your lifting style due to dedication and effort level alone as oppose to doing a routine that leaves you feeling mental monotony

[VolcomX311]

But I want to re-emphasize, it's not about the numbers, 12, 10, 8 or 8, 6, 5 reps. Volume is crap if you're not lifting with the appropriate intensity in conjunction with the volume. Some people get caught up in the numbers of reps game and in my opinion lift like bit**s because what they're lifting is so damn light. Its not about hitting a rep range quota and making a mental decision to stop, its hitting that number with the right intensity that creates muscle failure at that number. Volume doesn't dictate anything without the Intensity factor.

[RoidRageX10]

But I want to re-emphasize, it's not about the numbers, 12, 10, 8 or 8, 6, 5 reps. Volume is crap if you're not lifting with the appropriate intensity in conjunction with the volume. Some people get caught up in the numbers of reps game and in my opinion lift like bit**s because what they're lifting is so damn light. Its not about hitting a rep range quota and making a mental decision to stop, its hitting that number with the right intensity that creates muscle failure at that number. Volume doesn't dictate anything without the Intensity factor.

I see where you are coming from. I really feel I can do more keeping it in the 4-8 rep range and give utter most intesnity.
I hate having to drop the weights just to get 12 good reps in. Its boring..

During my cut, I think I will do a 6-8 rep scheme with 3 sets, 2 exericses, but keep a 3:1:1 tempo.

How would that work?

[VolcomX311]

I see where you are coming from. I really feel I can do more keeping it in the 4-8 rep range and give utter most intesnity.
I hate having to drop the weights just to get 12 good reps in. Its boring..

During my cut, I think I will do a 6-8 rep scheme with 3 sets, 2 exericses, but keep a 3:1:1 tempo.

How would that work?

During your cut your diet and cardio will play a heavier role then your lifting.

Do what you do to stay motivated in the gym, get your diet and cardio on par and you can't fail.

[RoidRageX10]

During your cut your diet and cardio will play a heavier role then your lifting.

Do what you do to stay motivated in the gym, get your diet and cardio on par and you can't fail.

I have my diet set and the cardio will be intense.

Maybe I will do 10 reps if my lifting isnt AS important. Just gotta keep intensity up. Maybe drop a set or 2 or do less exericses. I'll see.