Routines
Here are a collection of lifting routines recommended for beginner and intermediate lifters.
These programs should be sufficient for those who are progressing linearly on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. Once you have maxed out your linear progression, it is advised to move onto a more advanced routine that is tailor to you and your goals.
- Starting Strength (recommended for beginners)
- 5/3/1
- nSuns
- Greyskull LP
- PPL
Diet & Nutrition
Recommended Reading
- Arnold Schwarzenegger's Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding
- Joe Weider's Ultimate Bodybuilding
- Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength
I have finally decided to methodically address the congenital shoulder deformity that caps my bench at around 90 pounds and my overhead press at around 60. (My “pull” lifts are fine… it’s only when I push that I risk dislocation.)
I’ve had to work around it my entire life. I’ve been fairly successful as far as functionality: I can lift what I need to lift in my day-to-day activities, but I’m not as strong as I’d like to be, and I have to consciously think about how to lift things that the rest of you would pick up without hesitation… maybe even with one hand.
My upper body lifting routine for the last few years has been pretty comprehensive: I worked strength, power, endurance, and flexibility within the constraints of my genetics, but I’ve gotten to the point where any significant further progress is unlikely. I always choose to stop before I get hurt.
So I made an appointment with one of the PTs at my gym who’s had Physical Therapy training. We’ve known each other for years and she understands my situation. She set me up with a new routine to strengthen the stabilizing muscles of my shoulder girdle, and I ran through the entire workout yesterday. It took me nearly two hours and I’m not sure we can be friends anymore. (Just kidding… she’s a total sweetheart.). I expect it to be a slow process, so I don’t anticipate noticeable improvements for weeks, nor major improvements for months, but I’m nothing if not persistent.
My goal is 135 on the bench, which is probably the most I’ll ever lift without surgery (which I have no intention to get).
Wish me luck.
Read MoreAs someone who deals with similar, issues, good luck. I also have zero desire to go under the knife again.
Only real advice I have is once you find a stretch/exercises that helps alleviate discomfort/pain, realize you'll likely be doing that activity multiple times a week for the rest of your life to feel good.
Thanks. My flexibility is off the charts, so I’m good there. That’s partly due to good genetics and partly due to a coach I had during high school who was an absolute fanatic about stretching. Regarding shoulder mobility; my typical pre-workout routine includes 25 back bridge pushups.
youtu.be/zdC674S3u80?si=ADNdv6pUZ-9sXG6z
(Not bad for a guy born during the Kennedy administration). It’s weird that I can do those at all, given the angle, but for some reason they rarely give me trouble, and when they do I just reposition my hands a little.
Anyway, I don’t have any chronic pain to work through… it’s only when I apply too much pressure to the GHJs at the wrong angle that things go sideways.
In other fitness news: I set a new DL PR at 360 a couple of weeks ago (I weighed in at 148 that day, I think), and I held a 13:30 plank last Friday. I have to give some of the credit to Danny Elfman for dragging me across the finish line … it’s all about the playlist when you’re holding a plank.
Alas, it was not Just Another Day.
youtu.be/nQusU0g9H-E?si=Xy0n08Ury3K6O9ch
Read MoreI went from a heavy 5-8 reps PPL routine to an upper and lower split. Four days a week with A and B days.
I ended up dropping my weights down to 40%-55% of my 1RMs and started shooting for 12-20 Reps per set, 3 sets a lift.
I'm back up to 50ish%-70% of my 1rm as I've consistently been adding on 10lbs to the big 5 (with slight variation) every four to five weeks as I work through the rep range.
Normally starting out around 3x10-12 and finishing out the month something like 14/16/20. I'm probably going to call it quits and move back to heavy weights and lower reps once i hit body weight for 20 reps on bench. At this pace it 2-3 months off as I'm due for deload week.
First time running this high of rep ranges and it honestly feels nice on my joints. The pump is insane.
Arms trained heavily because my arms just do not grow.
Shoulders, I simply look at a dumbell and my shoulders explode. Arms? Nah. Nothing makes them grow except extreme volume and food.
Similar with Chest.
Formatting...
Chest and tris, Back and Bis, Legs, Shoulders and Tris, Legs + whatever needs catching up
I basically do a 5 day split:
Chest and tris Back and Bis Legs Shoulders and Tris Legs + whatever needs catching up
Currently doing 2 sets of 8 - 12 reps (ish). Slow reps. Just grind them out til failure. Getting decent growth atm.
Anyone who's more of an advanced lifter in terms on body weight to 1RM standards care to share their routine?
Im in the process of trying to tailor a routine for myself since I've stalled out on liner progression and need to adapt with heavy and light days.
@Kloi I posted one.yesterday on the jacked tribe. It's from Reactive Training Systems and is an intermediate template you can use to design a routine.