Many of you probably got stuck with one training routine and you’ve been doing it for some time now.
Of course it’s hard to change your current workout routine when you get used to it.
Starting a new bodybuilding routine usually takes more effort and dedication than sticking with what has become comfortable.
But stop and look at yourself. Are you still making progress, gaining strength and muscle, because that’s why you work out in the first place, right ?
Why don’t you try this 4 day a week program ?
It’s a simple program that you can employ for the next 8-12 weeks.
The setup is a classic one: push movements on one day, pull movements on the next, legs/abs on the next day.
After a day of rest you repeat the cycle again. A three-week cycle would look something like this:
The workout routine
push/rest/pull/rest/legs/rest/push – week 1
pull/rest/push/rest/legs/rest/pull – week 2
legs/rest/push/rest/pull/rest/legs – week 3
Like we said, you could follow this workout routine for a total of 8-12 weeks.
If after this period of time you can still increase the weights – stick to it, don’t change it.
For more experienced lifters and those trying to break through a plateau, or simply increase muscle mass in their bodies, try doing 3-4 sets of 5-6 reps per exercise.
Increase the weight in a pyramid manner and go to failure only on the last set.
Lifting heavier weights will activate more muscle fibers, increase anabolic hormone production helping overall muscle growth.
Because you are going to incorporate some low rep sets, going too light will not do you any good either.
Pick a weight that you can lift for 8 reps to failure and then stop at the 6-th rep.
As far as exercises, here are some ideas to get you started:
Push – Incline bench press, flat bench press, dumbbell presses, military presses, skull crushers, dips.
As accessory exercises you can use side and rear shoulder raises and triceps pushdowns.
Pull – Deadlifts, bent over rows, wide grip pull ups, lat pull downs, biceps curls.
Legs – Squats, stiff leg deadlifts, hamstring curls, lunges, leg press.
A good practice is to keep a training log by your side get and mark how many sets, reps, and weights you are lifting.
To experience real muscular progress, you need to be continually increasing the weight you are lifting.
Try to increase poundages every couple of weeks, even if that increase is just 2 pounds or less.
Try to compete with yourself and beat the training log every two or three weeks.
ok you said push movements on one day,and then pull movements the next day, legs/abs on the following a rest day and then repeat the cycle. But the work out routine example your showing says otherwise. It says push/rest/pull/rest/legs/rest/push.So which is it?
Sorry, that was a typo Jennifer. It’s good to have a day of rest between the workouts. Just as the routine example says.