Basic strength/size routine

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posted by SMBLSBGARMS

Take it or leave it, criticize if you want. I'm posting my basic routine because I've noticed a lot of beginners try to lift according to the stuff they've read in Flex magazine. This is my basic, back after a long layoff, strength/size routine. I'll change it up a little when I get back to being more advanced, but this has worked in the past and is working now. (I'm not on gear now)

Monday legs
squats 5 sets 12,12,10,8,8 reps
machine hack squats 5 sets 8-10 reps
straight leg deadlifts 5 sets 8-10 reps
stomach

Teusday chest, biceps
bench press 5 sets 6-8
incline dumbell press 5 sets 6-8 dropset on final set

barbell curls 4 sets 8-10 cheat a little last set only
seated dumbell curls 4sets 8-10
reverse grip cable barbell curls 3 sets 8-10

Wednesday off

Thursday back,triceps
wide grip chins 4 sets to failure spotter can hold feet for forced reps
deadlifts 4 sets 6-8 reps
t-bar rows 4 sets 8 reps
close grip pull downs 4sets 8-10 reps

nose breakers 4 sets 6-8 reps
overhead tricep extensions 4 sets 6-8 reps
rope pull downs 3 sets 8-10 dropset last 2
crunches

Friday shoulders, calves
dumbell military press 4 sets 6-8
dumbell laterals 4 sets 8 dropsets
barbell shrugs 4 sets 10-12

standing calf raise 5 sets 10-15
donkey calf raise 5 sets 10-15
seated calf raise 4 sets 12-15

stomach

Sat, Sun off

I do change things up regularly but always keep the basic compound mass builders in there.It should be said my body type is tall, kinda skinny, hardgainer. Variations of this basic routine and a lot of food brought me from 6ft 165lbs at 20yrs old to 235lbs at 28 yrs old 18in. arms.

posted by brsett

I've gone ahead and switched to HST -- but I'll tell you, I'm pretty much convinced that fixing your diet is more important than the actual layout of your workout.

To me, that is the number one thing I've learned on this board -- I have to figure out how to maintain a diet for growth. The problem of course is that diet isn't easy to modify like gym time -- it's an all day, every day thing.

posted by SMBLSBGARMS

Diet and rest are almost more important than your routine. I didn't post this so much for experienced guys as for the newbies. I feel bad when I see some skinny 19yr old kid doing endless reps of concentration curls or cable flys just like his heroes in the magazine and can't figure out why he doesn't grow.
Or, almost as bad, doing some crazy, advanced, for juice babies only routine that overtrains him into the ground.
Lifting (especially for beginners) doesn't have to be fancy, the same basic exercises that have always worked still work.

posted by brsett

My question has always been: are those real routines in Flex or completely fabricated. Obviously those routines would never work for someone not on *immense* amounts of juice -- but even if you were juicd to the gills, would you work out like that. Of course, to note how much genetics has to do with it, Dan Duchaine said several pros used to smoke up before lifting every day (to be fair, I have no idea what lifting while stoned would really be like).

I haven't looked in a Flex since 1998 (at least), so things may have changed I guess.

posted by SMBLSBGARMS

Well, about 3 years ago I had been training hard nonstop for 2yrs. Between being more experienced, steroids, and eating EVERYTHING, I trained more and harder than that without overtraining. Steroids do make a big difference in your recovery.

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