Lifting 5 months, need routine advice. Thanks

[tekno17]

The Point of this thread = Reccomend me a good routine for my goals/level--

What routine would you recommend for someone at my level whose primary goal is mass gains? Thanks! Want to stop being a noob routine hopping

I am 5 months in, I am 20 years old, 5"11, and weight has gone from 72kg to 82 kg. Bench has gone from 30kg for 3 to 70 kg for 3 rep, and squat from 55kg for 5 to 100kg for 5 reps.

Mostly been just hitting compounds hard, but I was a dumb noob who was about muscle confusion, and swapped my accessories (pulldowns, curls, etc) all the time. So hardly progressed on them . Which i think lead to me having shitty gains

Here is an before and after relaxed. And one of me flexed and pumped.

This is pumped and flexed lol

Here are more details.
-Did Gymnastics for 2 years and built up alot of flexibility and body weight strength.
- Started GYM 5 months ago and mainly focused on compounds movements with lots of accesories
- Worked well for a while, but I kept changing accessories and never progressed on them just on the compounds
- Progress has started stalling
- Looking for a good routine to following long term, so i dont keep second guessing my training.
- I am only aiming for aesthetics/mass. But I realize progressively upping weight/getting stronger is needed to build muscle.

 

[Shrek]

What ever your doing is working. You've definitely added some size.


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[tekno17]

What ever your doing is working. You've definitely added some size.


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I made up my own sort of routine. Pretty much 4-5 days in gym, trying to hit compounds twice a week. I was really inconsistent though with exercise selections....

But I want a more set and successful routine to stay consistent with.

Only reason I have gained is because i got a good diet in place.

 

[Shrek]

Post your current routine. Maybe we can tweak it.


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[Big Mick]

Training seems to be working. Made some decent gains.

Compound lifts are good.

 

[tekno17]

Post your current routine. Maybe we can tweak it.


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------Umm, the point of this thread was so that you experienced guys could reccomend me a good routine/ split for my goals of mass/aesthetics and for my level. ------

-- Can you do that please?

I never had a set routine. I go to the gym 4-6 days a week and work my ass off. Hit Compounds about 3x5, then do a fuck tonne of volume with accesory work lol. I am getting annoyed without having a set routine, and I need help finding good routine/split to stick with that fits my goals (aesthetics) /level

 

[Goosey]

You want to be thick as a brick, and just as dense, well, read on.

Three days a week, carefully note the schedule.

Monday
Bench Press
Narrow Grip Bench Press
Dumbbell Row
Plate Raise

Thursday
Bradford Press
Hise Shrug
Dumbbell Curl
Wrist Curl

Friday
Squat

Two 2 day breaks. A lot of road work and eating can be done on four off days. Get busy.

 

[NJA82]

^^^ Just doing squats alone on one day per week is not ideal, i would be recommending him be benching and squatting at least twice a week with a lot of rows in there to balance to pressing out.

Not to start a war but there are much better programs out there to stick to long term that will cover his goals and not require much thought.

OP Considering you are still in the Beginner stage I would suggest something like Steve Shaw`s long cycle beginner muscle and strength program ( google it ) You could stick to that for the entire duration and by then you would put on a lot more mass and be ready for something a bit less volume such as what silverback has suggested.

 

[Goosey]

^^^^
The Bradford press helps the bench press.

This is for the absolute beginner who wants to biuld thiickness, pressing behind the head will negate any shoulder issues down the line.

As I said, this routine is best suited for the beginner.
Some might say it's not a good idea to press behind, I would say to them how and where do you hold the bar when squatting?

Excluding the dead-lift is a specific trick.

Most people don't squat, even fewer dead lift.

I figure that most will at least try to squat once a week.
The dead lift is just plain tough, and with all that upperbody stuff, they would half ass the effort.

Better to devote yourself to the dead lift rather than have it as an after thought.

Anyway, that's my input, there are many, many programs and templates and fads, for a 20yo there are many many years of lifting ahead, muscle should be built slowly.

My thoughts behind this is, many injuries are not acute (sudden) but are cumulative in nature.
That means that over time, over repetitions of deleterious lifting practice, some tissue or structure undergoes degenerative changes.

When you start to feel the pain, the damage has been done, and it is often not reversible.

Cartilage, for example, does not remodel quickly, and degenerates with age even without extra abuse.

Jon Cole once said;
The most important test a lifter has to pass
is the test of time.

 

[Troyboy]

deleterious

i like this word, this is a good word.

 

[tekno17]

@ SilverBack I have been deadlifting, squating, and benching almost twice a week already. GOt some old school powerlifters at my gym who have helped me learn the movement and get the technique down. I love squats and deads lol

Any other suggestions guys? Or something you have had alot of success with?

 

[Goosey]

@ SilverBack I have been deadlifting, squating, and benching almost twice a week already. GOt some old school powerlifters at my gym who have helped me learn the movement and get the technique down. I love squats and deads lol

Any other suggestions guys? Or something you have had alot of success with?

I knew I'd be wasting my time.

Tekno17

If you want suggestions, you need to give detail.

Sit down with those "old school power lifters" and have a good conversation with them.

 

[tekno17]

I knew I'd be wasting my time.

Tekno17

If you want suggestions, you need to give detail.

Sit down with those "old school power lifters" and have a good conversation with them.

Sorry mate, let me give more details. Also, those powerlifters told me it took them ages to build muscle mass compared to guys running splits. But they said they were 3x as strong as them and all they cared about was being as strong as possible , and because of this they can help me with technique but not with planning a routine suited for my goals.

Here are more details.
-Did Gymnastics for 2 years and built up alot of flexibility and body weight strength.
- Started GYM 5 months ago and mainly focused on compounds movements with lots of accesories
- Worked well for a while, but I kept changing accessories and never progressed on them just on the compounds
- Progress has started stalling
- Looking for a good routine to following long term, so i dont keep second guessing my training.
- I am only aiming for aesthetics/mass. But I realize progressively upping weight/getting stronger is needed to build muscle.

 

[Big Mick]

- Started GYM 5 months ago and mainlys focused on compounds movement with lots of accesories
- Worked well for a while, but I kept changing accessories and never progressed on them just on the compounds
- Progress has started stalling
- Looking for a good routine to following long term, so i dont keep second guessing my training.
- I am only aiming for aesthetics/mass. But I realize progressively upping weight/getting stronger is needed to build muscle.

Looking at the above statements you seem to wise beyond your years, and I wish I was this educated on training when I was your age. If you stick to this and follow through you should go a long way.

I am 5 months in, I am 20 years old, 5"11, and weight has gone from 72kg to 82 kg. Bench has gone from 30kg for 3 to 70 kg for 3 rep, and squat from 55kg for 5 to 100kg for 5 reps.

Mostly been just hitting compounds hard

As mentioned before your gains are good both in muscle size and strength gains, and your training philosophy seems solid ie hitting the compound lifts hard, don't be a curl monkey like most young blokes are.

@ SilverBack I have been deadlifting, squating, and benching almost twice a week already. Got some old school powerlifters at my gym who have helped me learn the movement and get the technique down. I love squats and deads

This is probably where your gains came from. It seems like you have probably got carried away on the accessory work from what you mentioned earlier.

Have you considered a strength training/body building template??

May be try the 5/3/1 Boring But Big, designed to build strength and muscle, being lean like you are, the results in appearance should be almost instant. I have only just discovered and started this three weeks ago, and absolutely love it so far. It's only training 4 days per week allowing for week ends off, and a rest day on Wednesdays, which is great (remember you GROW while resting not while in the gym busting your arse) and best of all it allows you to squat/bench/dead lift/press twice a week, one heavy session and one light session of each each week.

All your reps and weights are set out for you, so no guess work needed. Weights are added every month, so progression is linear and you will get stronger every single week until you stall in progress which will be a long while away for you as you have plenty of gains to be made yet. Progression is slow but steady so you will hopefully avoid any injury.

Like I said I only been running this for three weeks, but I think I will stay on it for a while. Just make sure your diet and protein intake is up to scratch.

Here is the Boring But Big 3 Months challenge that I am doing at the moment:
T NATION | The Boring But Big 3-Month Challenge

And here is the basic 5/3/1 training guide:
T NATION | How to Build Pure Strength

There are also PDF's available of the above training books if you ask around on the forum

OR

Try the full body beginners program training three times a week Mon/Wed/Fri till you hit you lifts of 100kg Bench, 140kg squat and 180kg dead lift, and then move on to the 5/3/1 training template:

http://ausbb.com/strength-training/24184-beginners-program.html

OR

Look up Arnold's Golden 6 Routine, and follow that:

Why You Shouldn’t Do Arnold Schwarzenegger Style Volume Workouts | Muscle and Brawn



Hope this helps, only you can decide what sort of training you enjoy, no good going on a routine you hate as you won't stick to it.

 

[Shrek]

Bravo [MENTION=8428]Big Mick[/MENTION];




Sent from Pluto Space Station

 

[Goosey]

Splendid.

 

[tekno17]

Try the full body beginners program training three times a week Mon/Wed/Fri till you hit you lifts of 100kg Bench, 140kg squat and 180kg dead lift, and then move on to the 5/3/1 training template:

http://ausbb.com/strength-training/24184-beginners-program.html
.

Wow, thanks for that lengthy write up!
I am not that wise, I just saw two types of people in my gym. Curl monkeys with no legs, and strong powerlifters and decided to follow the power lifters advice to focus on compounds.

Umm, I tried the full body approach for a couple weeks once before. I didn't like that style of training, I love having a bit more acceorry work.

Is 2 plate bench, 3 plate squat, 4 plate dead neccessary to get the most out of 5/3/1 routines?

I am up for trying it though. Just wondering which would be more usefull for body building goals between the Beginner Routine and Arnolds. Saw arnold uses alot of 5x5, whereas the other one used 3x10 or 3x8 which I thought mass gains were best in 8-12 range.

 

[Big Mick]

Mate they will ALL work, I don't think any of those routines are superior to one another, it is what YOU enjoy.

I have never done the Arnold Routine, I did follow the beginner program for a while and I did get my lifts, but found it too much for me to squat dead lift and bench press and press every session, I did not have the energy to put my best effort into all the lifts, and found I was not recovering fast enough, and eventually ended up tired and worn out and I was not looking forward to training

Then went to a six day split which I found boring and I lacked guidance till I came across the 5/3/1 which I really love at the moment, I really look forward to hitting the gym and smashing that compound lift and then do my accessory work which is pretty basic but definitely seems to be doing the trick. So any workout where you are having fun and you enjoy doing will do.

Take your pick.

 

[jj80]

I'm a bit like you. I got really good progress doing compounds twice a week.
I got to like a 120kg bench after 6-8 months.

I found it really hard to get beyond this point and I've had ups and downs.
Ups seem to come when I'm really good with my diet and train with lots of volume.
Downs are when I do less volume, eat too much (then have to cut for too long), or get injured.
Also I've found doing sets for the upper body with 1-2 minute breaks (2 mins max) is better than loads of really long breaks with heavy sets. I make sure I do heavy sets with long breaks but also lots of 'accessory' work with 1-2min breaks.

I'm still doing compounds twice a week (deads once though) and trying to add a lot of accessory volume. I havent found a better routine for me. So I would just say keep doing what you're doing, keep a journal to try and beat on a month by month basis, and don't pig out then have to cut.

Oni's done pretty well out of the people here lately and I believe he just tries to increase his volume. It's apparently what the Sheiko routine does too.

 

[Snoochies]

Yep as others have said, enjoyment should be first priority for the simple fact you will keep going back to it and progressing.

I went from starting strength earlier this year because I loved it, changed my whole routine around to do Tough Mudder and hated that training. I am now doing my first ever cut and tried to do a standard body building split and also the beginner routine on here and both I didn't enjoy and so went back to starting strength and love it again. I'm motivated and can put max effort into each workout.

There are alot better workouts out there but the best one will always be the one you can do consistantly.