Lifting Break

So as I mentioned, I am taking a week off from the gym, just to recuperate.

I've been considering some changes to my workout when I go back and will incorporate some of them and save some for later.

So what am I doing?

I have been doing a three day split based on the big three lifts: bench press, squat and deadlift.

I also have been splitting my workouts into maximum effort days and dynamic days. On max effort, I try to increase my maximum weight lifted either in reps (but not past 4 or 5) or actual weight. On dynamic days, I take about 50-60% of my 1 RM (how much I can lift once) and do multiple sets of explosive lifts for only a few reps, 3 or 4.

Reps are few because that range is most conducive to increasing power, as opposed to size or endurance.

Basically one day tries to force the body to accomodate more weight, the other day tries to make the body more efficient and explosive in terms of output of force.

On each day I start off with a warm up stretch, a pretty short one, then I start with a warmup set on the above exercise (depending upon the day. I've been benching on Sunday because there don't tend to be a lot of people in and so the benches are free) so half my maximum lifting weight for about 12 reps. I stretch some more, doing static stretches and then grab weight equal to either what I maxed last time, or slightly less. Then I increase the weight or not depending upon how I feel. So far I've been doing well at increasing every time.

It's important to note that most people when they first start will see rapid gains virtually regardless of what they do.

After the primary exercise, which I will do either 3 sets on a ME day, or 8-10 sets on a DE day, I have a few other exercises to do.

I picked a couple exercises for the main muscle groups and just organized them in a way that seemed good.

So I do: incline bench press (chest), military press (shoulder), arnold press (shoulder), bent over barbell rows (back), pullups (back) and squat variant (legs). So each workout day I have three main exercises. In these exercises I only do 2 sets for the most part, although I have been trying to increase my pullups and so have been doing 3 sets.

Then I have some tertiary exercises, some stuff for grip and my ab exercises (generally incline situps - weighted, or hanging leg raises, or attempted half-dragon flags).

I also have listed dips (for triceps), calves and biceps. But I don't actually find myself doing these for the most part. The reason being that all of the primary and secondary exercises are compound movements, meaning that they all incorporate the use of multiple muscle groups working in conjunction and not a single muscle working in isolation (eg bicep curls). So when I do bench press I am also working triceps, when I do pullups I am also working biceps, etc. At the amount I'm lifting everything is pretty much in balance and no special focus is requried to restore balance by specifically exercising an isolated muscle group, no matter how much it might be nice for vanity purposes to do lots of bicep curls...

Since starting to workout in February, I have changed my routing three times to what I've not mentioned. I've doubled my once meagre strength into a now passable strength, but definitely feel the need for more.

To be precise, I am 150lbs at not quite 6'.
I am now bench pressing 2x 55lb dumbbells. But switching to barbell for the next 5 weeks to change things up a bit.
I am squatting 135lbs.
I am deadlifting 180lbs.

And really I'm not happy about any of those. I really want to be able to bench about 200, squat about 235 and deadlift about 250. I'd be happy with that.

But I am happy about the improvement that I've had and with careful eating and the occasional shaking up of my routing I look forward to continued improvement up until I reach my goals or change them as I change my focus.

Posted by hugin at Junio 21, 2004 04:57 PM