Is my workout routine ok?

freddisier

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I know is still there for it is the focus, for example ur program do nto have bench press but incline dumbbell press. You also said u wanna focus on upper body. so u are like taking your desserts as your main, then treat your main as desserts. i know u wanna buckup your upper body as u say it cannot progress much compared to your lower body.

hmm sometimes it may not be the program that u need to change. For example if your BP stalled could it be because your technique is not correct? or sometimes ppl have phobia over certain lift. I was once phobia over squats because i had a few falls while doing it initially then i stop doing it for quite a while scared that i might fall again.


yes I don't do bench press, cos i'm a coward. i know. I mostly work out alone and I dunno anyone, so I keep thinking that the bar would fall on my chest cos my upper body is really weak, especially on those last reps. I've just joined a private gym, so hopefully I can get somebody there, like a staff, to help me spot. So yes, I plan to try bench press very soon.

you might seem to think my main courses have become desserts, but in fact, I build that plan around those main courses.

my upper body workout focus on OVH press, barbell rows, dumbell press, just add in some curls and flys.
lower body workout focus on squats and deadlifts, just add in calf raise and leg press.
 

galapogos

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@galapagos

so am I right in deducing from your post that, if somebody cannot squat/deadlift 1.5x his body weight, they should just stick to a full body workout?

That is not the right deduction. A person should stick to a good novice program, which is invariably a full body program with the basic compound lifts, if he is a beginner. Your stats, which include your squat/deadlift numbers, tell us that you're a beginner.
 

freddisier

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my workout focus on the same set of exercises as a good novice program SL5x5. does it really matter that much if I just split them it a different way?
 

BeaRzwalken

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follow 5x5 SL o_O, looks like it but the key important thing is not there.... cos sl 5x5 you squat 3 times a week o_O

and for sl you will have to go super heavy ask times goes by
 

freddisier

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yep, i get it now, it's because i don't squat enough while squat is the most important exercise in body building. is it right? thanks
 
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BradLee

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yes I don't do bench press, cos i'm a coward. i know. I mostly work out alone and I dunno anyone, so I keep thinking that the bar would fall on my chest cos my upper body is really weak, especially on those last reps. I've just joined a private gym, so hopefully I can get somebody there, like a staff, to help me spot. So yes, I plan to try bench press very soon.

you might seem to think my main courses have become desserts, but in fact, I build that plan around those main courses.

my upper body workout focus on OVH press, barbell rows, dumbell press, just add in some curls and flys.
lower body workout focus on squats and deadlifts, just add in calf raise and leg press.

I'm sorry if u feel offended. As u ask for opinion, i am just letting u know my opinion by drawing some analogy and past experiences. So all the best for your workout journey!!!
 

BeaRzwalken

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yep, i get it now, it's because i don't squat enough while squat is the most important exercise in body building. is it right? thanks

let me clear it abit compound weight exercise are the ones that help a lot, single target exercise help you balance up ur body.... Bodyweight exercises help with mobility, Balance + fat burn ( HIIT)

this is how I see it, not too sure if I will get smack by the veterans here but this is how I believe it is
 

freddisier

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I'm sorry if u feel offended. As u ask for opinion, i am just letting u know my opinion by drawing some analogy and past experiences. So all the best for your workout journey!!!

no i'm not offended. i do think that i'm such a coward for not doing bench press myself. but i just can't help it, thinking i would get seriously injured one day with that bar upon my body. :(

I really appreciate your comments and feedback really, cos I know I lack experience myself. Gosh, it's like crawling in the dark. I just wish I had a friend who knows this stuff well. :( Cos there's really a lot of question I want to ask. even really petty ones. :(
 

Gentooist

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If you attempt to do split or some other fancy stuff, you may end up with too much volume or risk injuring yourself by incompatibly grouping certain exercises together.

There are many more answers you can research and discover rather than just simply switching routine. SL 5x5 can make you bigger definitely. It is designed short and simple for a reason. If you find it boring, maybe you aren't trying hard enough. Your deadlift and squat shouldn't be the same weight anyway, so something is not right. Also, since you aren't bench-pressing, then you weren't following the routine at all in the first place.

So it is suffice to say, follow any novice routine template that you pick strictly and keep pushing yourself for gains. Do not try to skip certain exercises or modify it yourself.

I get stuck with the bar on my chest sometimes (unexpectedly) but generally people are nice enough to notice and help me. Obviously, just don't let the bar freefall on you. I also ask someone to spot me be it gym staff or someone nearby me when I am pushing for new PR.
 
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BradLee

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no i'm not offended. i do think that i'm such a coward for not doing bench press myself. but i just can't help it, thinking i would get seriously injured one day with that bar upon my body. :(

I really appreciate your comments and feedback really, cos I know I lack experience myself. Gosh, it's like crawling in the dark. I just wish I had a friend who knows this stuff well. :( Cos there's really a lot of question I want to ask. even really petty ones. :(

I am working out alone too without any spotter. I am not really comparing but just to let u know i do BP 100 over kg alone, i am not boasting or what but just to let u know it can be done. Of course there are times when u up the weight u get worried, even till now i do. But seriously there shouldnt be having a bar droping on your chest unless u are using open grip, or some freak accident, which can even happen with spotter around. If u are careful and using close grip, the very very most u fail at last rep cannot push anymore, your palm is still below the bar and u can just lower it down. Naturally there will be ppl coming to your rescue, it happens to me a few times. Even the gym is empty, what u need to do is roll the bar to your thigh and sit up. Thats it. At times when i up the weight, i try to look for trainers or someone to spot me is because i wanna spare myself for the embaressment for having the bar stuck at my chest.
 

derrickgyn

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1) why are you only training 3x a week?
2) 2 upper days and 1 lower day for a novice is bad. You need to work your lower body a lot more than your upper body, at least for the time being.
3) too many unnecessary exercises
4) your 2 upper days should focus on 2 different aspects of the upper body. Push/pull, or horizontal/vertical movements
 

freddisier

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If you attempt to do split or some other fancy stuff, you may end up with too much volume or risk injuring yourself by incompatibly grouping certain exercises together.

There are many more answers you can research and discover rather than just simply switching routine. SL 5x5 can make you bigger definitely. It is designed short and simple for a reason. If you find it boring, maybe you aren't trying hard enough. Your deadlift and squat shouldn't be the same weight anyway, so something is not right. Also, since you aren't bench-pressing, then you weren't following the routine at all in the first place.

So it is suffice to say, follow any novice routine template that you pick strictly and keep pushing yourself for gains. Do not try to skip certain exercises or modify it yourself.

I get stuck with the bar on my chest sometimes (unexpectedly) but generally people are nice enough to notice and help me. Obviously, just don't let the bar freefall on you. I also ask someone to spot me be it gym staff or someone nearby me when I am pushing for new PR.


well, saying that i wasn't following SL5x5 AT ALL is a bit unfair. Plus, not everybody's physique is the same, so I say it's fair if I altered SL5x5 a bit while still following the root of the program, which is full body workout, 5x5 volume and progressive load. I'm not an expert but who's to say dumbell press is that inferior to barbell bench press. you work similar groups of of muscle, while dumb bell can allow even more natural range of motion. a lot of people still say bench press is overrated.

so far, I've made pretty good progress with SL.. and as I get familiar with the lifts and know what and how they can help, I just thought I can use them in a different way, to better suit my body shape and personal goals.
 

freddisier

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1) why are you only training 3x a week?
2) 2 upper days and 1 lower day for a novice is bad. You need to work your lower body a lot more than your upper body, at least for the time being.
3) too many unnecessary exercises
4) your 2 upper days should focus on 2 different aspects of the upper body. Push/pull, or horizontal/vertical movements

from my research on internet, people like me, ectomorph, hardgainers, skinny dudes... you name it, shouldn't train more than 3 times a week.

is it just a myth or should i work out more?
 

derrickgyn

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from my research on internet, people like me, ectomorph, hardgainers, skinny dudes... you name it, shouldn't train more than 3 times a week.

is it just a myth or should i work out more?

From my experience the more frequently you can train, the better. You just need to watch your recovery, but for a beginner like you it is close to impossible to bring yourself to overtraining because of the weight you use and the intensity you can generate. The reason why beginners should not train too much is probably rooted in the fact that beginners tend to get sore very easily, and might lose interest.

The more you train, the more progress can be made quickly. Try a 4 day upper/lower.
 

derrickgyn

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Btw, somatotypes are nonsense. Everybody is a mix, don't be too quick to push the blame to "ectomorphism" that you are skinny. If you train hard and eat lots you wont be an ectomorph.
 

XanderBuilt

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6528f3f143a1db743a30a3c4443d35c8.jpg


guess which one

McLovin...amiright?
 

XanderBuilt

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I call BS on body fat measurement. If you don't know how to program i doubt you have an accurate BF measurement. Not always but high probability.
 

freddisier

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i dont know. I dont even care much about it. I dont have a tummy and my body looks pretty lean. that's on my result check up about 3 weeks back so I just throw it out there. I dont think im the skinny fat type.
 

xerref

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My picture in the lean and bulky thread is around 14-16% bf. Guesstimated.. Most people underestimate their BF tbh.

FWIW, you're only as big as the weights you lift. Don't shortchange yourself and pigeonhole yourself with somatypes and all that nonsene.
 
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