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[Natan]

I iwant to change my 4 days a week routine (muscle groups split) for a one day on one day off ..so week 1 is 4 days at the gym week 2 is 3 days. Alternating between l/body and u/b workout

I have consciusly decided not to do much biceps since it is disproportionately big, it has taken over my arm so I just wanna mantain biceps and doing forearm and triceps work ...this is what i'm thinking of doing for 8 weeks (midway I will gove some variation as in changing BB for DB or something like that , maybe change a couple of exercises)

pls advice me

workout a


Warm up One Leg Squat 1 x 16 then Bridge
*BB DL 3 x 12
*BB Lunge 3 x 12
Calves Press 2 x max
LPD w/r/g + change grip r&p 2 x max
Core Ball Circuit (2 circuits 5 mins each)
Cardio 5 mins HIIT
Stretches

workout b

Warm up Push ups 1 x max
Rot Cable (ext/int/diag) Left to Right 1x 8 each
*BB Row (r/g) 4 x 12
*BB Declined Bench 4 x 12
DB Delts Triset
Lat/Front/Overhead 3 x (6/6/6)
Close Grip Bench 3 x 12
Cable Forearm Curl 2 x max
Cardio 15 mins HIIT
Stretches (5 mins)

workout c = same as workout a

woprkout d
Warm up Push ups 1 x max
Rot Cable (ext/int/diag) Left to Right 1x 8 each
*BB Row (r/g) 4 x 12
*BB Flat Bench 4 x 12
DB Bent Over Flye 3 x 12
Bench Dips 3 x max
Standing DB Forearm Curl 2 x max
Cardio 15 mins HIIT
Stretches (5 mins)


thanks a lot for all your help

[swanso5]

workout a


Warm up One Leg Squat 1 x 16 then Bridge
*BB DL 3 x 12...3 x 6 - 8
*BB Lunge 3 x 12
Calves Press 2 x max
LPD w/r/g + change grip r&p 2 x max...pull ups if you can
Core Ball Circuit (2 circuits 5 mins each)
Cardio 5 mins HIIT
Stretches

workout b

Warm up Push ups 1 x max
Rot Cable (ext/int/diag) Left to Right 1x 8 each
*BB Row (r/g) 4 x 12
*BB Declined Bench 4 x 12
DB Delts Triset...raisea are useless...try push presses
Lat/Front/Overhead 3 x (6/6/6)
Close Grip Bench 3 x 12
Cable Forearm Curl 2 x max...wouldn't do these if arms are already to big...try plate pinch gripping for grip strength instead maybe
Cardio 15 mins HIIT
Stretches (5 mins)

workout c = same as workout a

woprkout d
Warm up Push ups 1 x max
Rot Cable (ext/int/diag) Left to Right 1x 8 each
*BB Row (r/g) 4 x 12...db row as already doing this or inverted row
*BB Flat Bench 4 x 12
DB Bent Over Flye 3 x 12...take out
Bench Dips 3 x max
Standing DB Forearm Curl 2 x max...grip work
Cardio 15 mins HIIT
Stretches (5 mins)


not enough legs though

[Natan]

thanx

pull ups instead of LPD = I tried to do pull ups but I can't get past 5 pull-ups hpowever hard I try...I read Arnold saying that in this cases he would recomend working on the LPD until u can do 10 or 12 reps of your bodyweight on the machine then go to the pull-up bar...Im 67kg and can do only 50kg LPD!...my goal is to move on to the pull-ups as soon as I can

push press instead of raises = the triset for delts is lat raise/front raise and overhead press, i thought combining this 3 movements would be a good time eficcient idea specially because of my very weak shoulders...why r raises useless?... everyone seems to be doing them

plate pich= I think I will do as u say because my grip is one of my weakest points..but on the other hand I was thinking that if Im dont do any forearms work at all wouldnt that reverse my biceps gains?..I dont want my biceps to grow any bigger for the next few months until the rest of my body catches up but conversely I dont want to loose any muscle at all..pls advice me

DB Row = I will do as u recomend and maybe the DB will also help me iron out strenght imbalances

DB Bent over fly= why no good?

I know there is not enough legs but I would have to sacrifice something else in order to introduce more legs work and at the moment Im trying to deal with my many strenght imbalances ...ie I have overdeveloped quads and biceps and the rest of my body is too weak

thanx again

[swanso5]

pull ups do sets of 3 until you can't do 3 reps with equal rest btw each set...once you can do 10 sets, do sets of 4 than 5 etc...in about 6 sessions you should be able to almost double your reps to 8 - 10 i'd think...

look at the wt you can do side raises compared to the wt you could seated db press and that's why they're no good and i don't do them...

you can't do much forearm work w/out taxing the upper arms and wrist curls are shit...grip is very importnat and i should do it but i don't...maybe try wrist rollers...bi's will still get trained with back movements so they will maintain at the very least...

bent fly - same reason as other raises...maybe try face pulls for rear delts...

if you have overdeveloped quads than you must under developed hams and glutes...just re read the program and i missed the workout c so disregard that

[Natan]

to make it easier I decided to do abs at home 3 times a week 15 mins workout ....is it true that unlike other muscles u can actually train abs everyday?

[swanso5]

no, 2/week is fine but don't do any crunches...ever

[Natan]

dont understand what u mean by not crunches...

this is what Im doing at the moment Leg up 3 x 15
weighted sit up 3 x 15
bycicel 3 x 30
I do them by circuits and resting one minute after circuits...when Im doing them they feel hard and intense but next day there is no pain no nothing I can't really feel i worked them

[swanso5]

read this:


http://www.ericcressey.com/newsletter72.html

and besides they're basically useless...you won't get sore in the abs from anything generally so don't worry about that

after the Eric Cressey article search "The Real Core Exercise" by Mike Boyle and get back to me

[Natan]

well I think u r right about crunches beign useless but i will also add BORING ...actually boring crunches was the reason I had given up exercisin my abs... now I know it was a mistake and Im trying to correct it.
since i wanna do abs at home I think I will just use the DBs, the swiss ball, and the medicine ball ...there a few non-crunches exercises u can do with those

I will get back to u as soon as I read that article

cheers

[swanso5]

i haven't trained abs for years seriously...how are you paying for it???

you'll wanna do Prone Ab Brace, Side Ab Brace, Deadbug variations and the odd leg raise / reverse crunch movement but get most stimulation form squats, deads, cleans and standing shoulder presses for mine

[Natan]

when u say u haven trained abs for years do u mean that u havent trained your core for years?... they say that a weak core will drag your gains down elsewhere as a strong core is vital to weight lifting...

Im now confused

[swanso5]

yes that's what i mean...there's a difference btw training abs abd training the core though...i associate crunches and such as abs training but stabilistaion, leg raises, rotation stuff as core

a weak core will drag your gains down yes...

one thing almost always overlooked is the fact that the ab / core muscle's main function is not to crunch, leg raise or twist but to STABILISE THE SPINE so think squats ecspecially...if your weak than you'll simply fold up like an accordian, your back will sore as shit and you'll skinny as shit

this is why isometric holds (prone ab brace etc) and exercises where the your core must resist rotation (think keeping your shoulders perfectly level during db rows) are the way to go

also you'll get stronger in the middle simply by lifting heavy too which is what i do

does that clear it up???

[Natan]

thnx swanso5

sorry i took so long to reply... was in the middle of changing jobs and many other issues that kept me crazily busy but now Im back in control

i understand wot u mean by core excercises and i agree,, ,,crunching is simply not an everyday natural move,,, we dont need to crunch.

could u pls send em a link to any such core training?.. I'm looking for a list of abs exercises to pick from but is mostly crunches i keep finding on my search

gracias

[swanso5]

search 21st Century Core Training by Mike Robertson

[Natan]

thnx!