How Do You Train?

[ADTS]

I'm currently doing Chad Waterbury's Huge in a Hurry.  It's been an interesting read and I feel i've made some pretty good gains with it.  Carb-backloading just brings everything together.  Its a 3x week total body workout focusing on 3 big compound movements plus an isolation per workout.  As long as I'm gaining, i'm happy.  Plus it keeps me interested and I feel like I get a good workout each time.

Thats the perfect philosophy. Find a program you like and that works and keep doing it until you stop making progress.

[Jerad]

I train for powerlifting soo I train the big three, 5 days a week. I give bench 3 days a week cause it seems to recover a lot quicker than My legs do and I can focus different area's of the bench. Heavy full rom day, heavy lockout day, and generally an OH press day. Other than that I just follow prilepin's chart when deciding weights and just work my way up the percentages.

[jsleight]

I'm starting a 5X5 program, 5 sets of 5 reps, which allows for heavier weights to be used. Its similar to the 6 Weeks to Superhero Program from T-Nation, but not in complexes. I did the T-Nation program for a few weeks, but the gym that I use is set up horribly and it was hard to fit the program in around everyone else, which sucks, because it was a great program. The weight changes week by week for 6 weeks. Week one is 65% 1RM, Week 2 is 75% 1RM, Week 3 is 85% 1RM, Week 4 is 60% of 1RM, reducing the numer of sets to 2, Week 5 is Add five pounds to upper body lifts and 10 pounds to lower body lifts and beginning again at 65% 1RM, Week 6 is 75% of your new 1RM. The split for the 5X5 is as follows:Monday: Squat, Power Clean, Split Squat, Hanging Leg Raises (to failure)Tuesday: Bench, Dip, Bentover Row, Pull Up (to failure)Thursday: Deadlift, Front Squat, Back Raise, Plank (to failure)Friday: Overhead Press, Incline Dumbbell Press, Tate Press, One-Arm Row, Hammer CurlsI'll post a follow up in a few weeks and we'll see how its treating me  😀

[meier.2007]

I'm on a 4 day split which looks like this:Mon: chest + shouldersTues: legsWed: back Thurs: armsAbs and calves are trained 2-3 times per week. I follow John Meadows' principles quite closely which means using lots of intensity techniques, getting some blood into the muscle before doing compound exercises and varying volume and intensity over the course of 12 weeks. Free weights are used as well as machines and cable exercises. For arms I always do supersets, and sometimes I like to superset leg and calve exercises, too

[JR]

that 6 week to superhero thing is unrealistic unless you own the gym

[ADTS]

that 6 week to superhero thing is unrealistic unless you own the gym

Or live at the Biotest facility.....

[soulmind]

I already mentioned this in another thread but I'll put it here as well. I am doing the Mike O'Hearn Power Bodybuilding program with a little tweak.  The program is designed as five days on and two off.  I combine the back day with arms and the shoulder day with chest, leaving legs all to their lonesome.  It's built around the three power lifts (deadlifts, bench press, and squats) with bodybuilding moves used afterwards.  I'm doing CN right now and to avoid exhaustion I am having a carb night every five days.  I work out on CN and the two following days making it a three day on, two off program (kind of strange, but I've figured out a way to make it work).  My hope is to burn as much fat as possible while still allowing for gains on the CN by alternating which muscle group I use on CN.  So far it's going great and I am seeing gains and fat loss.  We'll see where I'm at at the end of twelve weeks.

[sckiely]

Just to clear up the 5/3/1 idea of being for powerlifting, it is not, it is for gaining EASY strength without being complicated, the main lift are all lifts everybody SHOULD be doing anyway if they want to transform their body!However it is adaptable to any endeavour you want, whether it be gaining size, losing bodyfat or Powerlifting! He has put out a separate book specific to PL and Football! I have implemented it with heaps of my clients for fat loss specifically! Do your main lifts and gain strength, Do some accessory work to add muscle, then focus on your choice of conditioning!Buy the 2nd edition if you get the program as it covers the semantics of different goals a little more! I personally used it most of last year, before CBL to add size then when i found CBL my results skyrocketed! I have posted my results after 3.5 months of CBL and 5/3/1 Photos as well! i did change programs in December to get my squat up big quick and before that i was a little leaner?

[Richard Schmitt]

So do you know if the Shockwave Protocol, that I've been doing, is a good training program to increase strength, add muscle, and lost fat? On Chest and Biceps days it has bench press, Legs have squats, and Back Days have deadlifts. Also it incorporates different exercises besides those.

[Naomi Most]

Just to clear up the 5/3/1 idea of being for powerlifting, it is not, it is for gaining EASY strength without being complicated, the main lift are all lifts everybody SHOULD be doing anyway if they want to transform their body!However it is adaptable to any endeavour you want, whether it be gaining size, losing bodyfat or Powerlifting! He has put out a separate book specific to PL and Football! I have implemented it with heaps of my clients for fat loss specifically! Do your main lifts and gain strength, Do some accessory work to add muscle, then focus on your choice of conditioning!Buy the 2nd edition if you get the program as it covers the semantics of different goals a little more! I personally used it most of last year, before CBL to add size then when i found CBL my results skyrocketed! I have posted my results after 3.5 months of CBL and 5/3/1 Photos as well! i did change programs in December to get my squat up big quick and before that i was a little leaner?

Love how 5/3/1 is turning up *everywhere* all of a sudden. It's a good system, and I use it myself for some of my lifts, but the way people are talking about it lately, you'd think nobody's done anything else, ever.

[Richard Schmitt]

I, Miss Naomi, am an exception =D

[sckiely]

So do you know if the Shockwave Protocol, that I've been doing, is a good training program to increase strength, add muscle, and lost fat? On Chest and Biceps days it has bench press, Legs have squats, and Back Days have deadlifts. Also it incorporates different exercises besides those.

I cannnot comment on the shockwave Protocol as i haven't tied it but after reading the E-book it looks great, however i am a big believer in sticking with something till it stops benefitting me! If it isn't broke then don't fix it! When my progress stops with 5/3/1 i plan on doing the Shockwave with the strength accumulation CBL program! I a going to be competing in my first Raw Powerlifting comp in May so i'm hoping i could get some info from Kiefer to best incorporate my nutrition for this!I Agree with you too Naomi, it is popping up everywhere, I think the reason it is doing that is due to its simplicity and variability! It is however NOT for everybody, I find basic movements very primal and i love lifting HEAVY! If this isn't your goal then it isn't your program, the main goal is strength all the other stuff i mentioned before like assistance work and conditioning is done to compliment this! But many of my Personal training clients would find this program way to BORING to do long termIt is basic and it does work, but there isn't much to it, I like simple and it works for me! But so many people think they have to go to the gym and do as many exercises as possible to get results! This is why i think SHOCKWAVE WILL BE AWESOME! it relies on progressive training and getting in and out of the gym as quick as possible, do what you need to and no more!Whatever program you choose make sure you use this principle, pick a few exercises for a body part 3-5 for big muscles 2-3 for smaller ones, and give it everything in those movements! Don't worry about being sore or going to failure, these do not always mean you are achieving anything anyway!

[Richard Schmitt]

I'm probably going to sound real stupid, but I'd rather ask it and it be answered and than not ask it, being left in the dark. What would be considered big muscles groups, and small muscle groups? The reason I ask is because the days I don't do any movements for Shockwave, I like to make a list of exercises that I can do inorder to workout more. I have at least one day of rest during the week. Either Saturday or Sunday

[sckiely]

@BigTex, getting results is as much about rest and recoveryas it is about training and nutrition! All good training programs will have a least 2 days of rest somewhere! Don't feel stupid asking questions, if you don't ask and you do the wrong thing and get nowhere, thats stupid!Looking through Shockwave if you do it as is you are doing enough! To start with it might not feel like it till you dial all your weights in and really push to get heavy on the main exercises! Once this happens and your weights are at a point where that last set of 3 is pushed balls to the wall, then you will notice!Consistency with a good program and nutrition schedule and ample rest are the foundations you need to build upon! Not doing extra work for the sake of it! I train so many people that want to do MORE STUFF? They have been coming to the gym for years but have not added weight to the bar or themselves in ages! As soon as they start on a simple progressive program, push hard on the basics they start getting results again!My point here is do Shockwave as is, i did say i haven't tried it myself, but the template and set up looks great! Give it 6-8 weeks before changing programs, give it time to work and give yourself time to learn how to really push through the sessions.As to your questions the big muscle groups are back, legs and chest, Thats why most programs will revolve around movements for these muscles. Squats, deadlifts, chin ups, shoulder press, Rows, bench press, lunges, these should be what you base most of your training around if you are fairly new to this! Throw in some isolation for shits and giggles each session and you should be sorted, train hard for about 45mins 3-5 days a week!In my experience the more often you train the shorter the session should be! Do not fall into the mind set that more is better, Better is Better  ;D

[6by6]

Just got the starting strength book and going to switch from stronglifts 5×5 to starting strength. Did some reading and seems starting strength is the og program and stronglifts is a cheap imitaion so I figure I would rather do the original program as opposed to a bastard child of it. Really nervous about incorporating the power clean but like they say “you gotta start somewhere.”  The book is really good so I am really excited right now and cant wait till my next gym day.  Hope all have a good xmas.

[Author]

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