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Hey everyone!I took my starting picture today and I identified that my legs and abs are very substantially developed, but I have little twigs for arms. I follow a 5/3/1 program as follows.Wednesday: 5/3/1 Chest/Bench Press + Upper Body accessory workThursday: 5/3/1 Deadlifts+ Lower Body accessory workSaturday: 5/3/1 Military Press + Upper Body accessory workSunday: 5/3/1 Squats + Lower body accessory workI am nixing my cardio with the exception of possibly 1 day per week of HIIT to control glycogen from backloading, but I wanted to get your guys' ideas about how I could work my shoulders and back more in this program. The 5/3/1 program is set with chest press, deads, military presses, and then squats, but the accessory work is what I can play with...Any thoughts? I'm sick of my twigs and if I'm putting on muscle, I want a sexy back. 😉
Add more accessory work where it's needed, that's really all there is to it.
Great!!! Thats what I was thinking! Thanks! 🙂
Yes just lift heavy for mass and strength and get good accessory work in. Maybe 3-4 movements with the Hypertrophy rep scheme. 8-12 reps are good. Emphasize on those lifts. Squeeze and concentrate on the movements.
How many sets of 8-12 reps? Right now I'm doing 5...
For hypertrophy 3-4 sets per exercise is typically fine, unless your body responds best to higher volume, then you might go 5-7 on SOME exercises (see programs like "FST-7"), or 5x5, or even 10x10 ("GVT").Keep to around 24 sets total, per workout. That seems sufficient volume for most. I am a high volume guy... HIT-style lifting (think Blood & Guts, Heavy Duty or Demon Training) do not work for my body. 24 sets is usually enough to kick my @$$ on every bodypart aside from legs.Then again, my legs are highly developed, were big before I even began lifting, and they prefer serious torture from me.Cory
Lol torture is not a bad thing. 😉 I love tearing my legs to shreds but then again, maybe that's why they're much more developed than my upper body. I can't squat my body weight with my legs.. Can barely lift a 35 lb dumbbell with my arms.I worked with Bog Tex last night to come up with a Shockwave protocol for myself because I decided I need something new... I posted it in my Density Sexiness log... I'd love your feedback! 🙂
I always found that to add mass on the upper body requires a lot of back and tricep work. For every upper body day do dips, shrugs, and rows. It is also very important to train the rear delts. Go balls to the wall on these exercises. At the end of the workout toss in some lateral raises and curls if you feel like it. Chest, shoulders, and biceps really do not require that much attention in my opinion.
I always found that to add mass on the upper body requires a lot of back and tricep work. For every upper body day do dips, shrugs, and rows. It is also very important to train the rear delts. Go balls to the wall on these exercises. At the end of the workout toss in some lateral raises and curls if you feel like it. Chest, shoulders, and biceps really do not require that much attention in my opinion.
How does this workout look? I finalized it last night and think it will be good... And by all means, feel free to add in any suggestions or extra moves I can do to help balance my upper body...Day 1: Chest and Bis1. Bench Press: Warm Up: 3 sets 102. Chest Press Machine: ELECT: 5 sets 33. Decline Bench Press: ELECT: 5 sets 34. Dumbbell Pullover: Normal: 2 sets 85. Bench Press: All out effort: 1 set 26. Lat Pull Downs: Normal: 3 sets 87. Barbell Curls: ELECT: 5 sets 38. Close Grip Chin Ups on rubber rope: 3 sets 39. Hammer DB Curls: Normal: 2 sets 1010. Tricep Rope Pushdown: Normal: 2 sets 10Day 2: Legs and Core1. Sumo Deadlift: Warm Up: 3 sets 82. Leg Extensions: Warm Up: 3 sets 123. BB squats: ELECT: 5 sets 34. Angled Leg Press: ELECT: 5 sets 35. BB Squats: All out effort: 1 sets 26. Hamstring Curls: ELECT: 5 sets 37. Stiff Legged Deadlift: 2 sets 108. Seated Calf Raises: Normal: As fast as possible: 100 reps9. Angled Calf Press on Leg Press Machine: Normal: 3 sets 810. Standing Calf Raises: Normal: 3 sets 1211. Ab Wheel: Normal: 3 sets 1012. Cable Wood Chops: Normal: 2 sets 1013. Landmines with BB: Normal: 3 sets 20 Day 3: Shoulders and Traps1. Chest Stretch: Warm Up: 2 sets 30 seconds2. Cable Side Lateral Lifts: Warm Up: 3 sets 10 (or use light dumbbells)3. Smith Machine Shoulder Press: ELECT: 5 sets 34. DB Upright Row: ELECT: 5 sets 35. Side DB Lateral Raises: Normal: 2 sets 86. Push Press with BB: 1 set 27. Floor Close Grip Press: ELECT: 5 sets 38. Dips with weight plate: Normal: 2 sets 109. Standing Concentration Bicep Curls: Normal: 2 sets 10Day 4: Back and Core1. Lat Pull Downs: Warm Up: 3 sets 102. Dead Lift: Warm Up: 2 sets 83. Dead Lift: ELECT: 5 sets 3 (Lower BB slowly, pull up quickly)4. T-Bar Row: ELECT: 5 sets 35. Dead Lift: All out effort: 1 set 16. Close Grip Lat Pulldowns: Normal: 3 sets 87. DB Shrugs: ELECT: 5 sets 38. Standing Wide Grip Row: ELECT: 5 sets 39. Rear Back Fly with DB: Normal: 3 sets 1010. DB Bench Press: Normal: 2 sets 1011. Ab Wheel: Normal: 3 sets 1012. Cable Wood Chops: Normal: 2 sets 1013. Landmines: Normal: 3 sets 20ELECT: Lower the weight slowly, explode up quickly. Subtract 25 lbs from your 1 RM. Start with that weight. Then each set, add 5 lbs. Keep moving to the next set; don't rest.Normal: Lift heavyAll out effort: 1 RM
I always found that to add mass on the upper body requires a lot of back and tricep work. For every upper body day do dips, shrugs, and rows. It is also very important to train the rear delts. Go balls to the wall on these exercises. At the end of the workout toss in some lateral raises and curls if you feel like it. Chest, shoulders, and biceps really do not require that much attention in my opinion.
+1Yeah, don't neglect any body part, not even Posterior Delts. Balanced physiques are the most aesthetic physiques. Not to mention, under-developing ANYTHING will lead to weak links in the chain, and injury down the road.For instance, you'll know the guys who lift only what they can see (chest, arms, etc.) -- they tend to walk with their upper body 'sloped' forward. They neglect their entire posterior chain! That, or they don't train it properly b/c they cannot see it, or 'feel' it. They just go through empty motions, and never develop that imperative connection.The big moves for the upper body are: Bench Press, Military Press, Deadlift and Bent-Over Row. That said, DL hits lower, body as well. Focus on getting REALLY good with those moves, and Squats (for lower body). Toss in some accessory work like curls, extensions, etc. You should be good to go.As you develop more muscle, then you can fine-tune specific physique weaknesses w/ specific isolation movements, intensity techniques, and perhaps hitting certain body parts twice a week.Cory
I always found that to add mass on the upper body requires a lot of back and tricep work. For every upper body day do dips, shrugs, and rows. It is also very important to train the rear delts. Go balls to the wall on these exercises. At the end of the workout toss in some lateral raises and curls if you feel like it. Chest, shoulders, and biceps really do not require that much attention in my opinion.
+1Would you say that the routine I posted above covers all those bases? I think its very balanced... plus its Keifers recommended one for backloading, thus I'm attracted to it... (PS... I've been doing the 4 major movements for a while, so thats note an issue)Yeah, don't neglect any body part, not even Posterior Delts. Balanced physiques are the most aesthetic physiques. Not to mention, under-developing ANYTHING will lead to weak links in the chain, and injury down the road.For instance, you'll know the guys who lift only what they can see (chest, arms, etc.) -- they tend to walk with their upper body 'sloped' forward. They neglect their entire posterior chain! That, or they don't train it properly b/c they cannot see it, or 'feel' it. They just go through empty motions, and never develop that imperative connection.The big moves for the upper body are: Bench Press, Military Press, Deadlift and Bent-Over Row. That said, DL hits lower, body as well. Focus on getting REALLY good with those moves, and Squats (for lower body). Toss in some accessory work like curls, extensions, etc. You should be good to go.As you develop more muscle, then you can fine-tune specific physique weaknesses w/ specific isolation movements, intensity techniques, and perhaps hitting certain body parts twice a week.Cory
I always found that to add mass on the upper body requires a lot of back and tricep work. For every upper body day do dips, shrugs, and rows. It is also very important to train the rear delts. Go balls to the wall on these exercises. At the end of the workout toss in some lateral raises and curls if you feel like it. Chest, shoulders, and biceps really do not require that much attention in my opinion.
+1The back of the body is easily the most important in basically everything. Personally, I have found the best way to train my back is to emphasize hard contractions. The sets and reps don't matter as much as the contraction and ensuing pump/fatigue.
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