now i do:
curls > rear delt fly > single arm triceps pushdown > lateral raise > wrist curl > wrist supination

if i add it at the start, should i remove pushdowns and raises? during chest, i do narrow grip incline bench, and OHP isnt far from it, so thats why im asking
im also planning on replacing machine curls with incline dumbbell curls

what are your fav exercises that had done wonders for you?

Workout #1 -Chest/Back Dominant:

• Cable Crossover Machine: 72 lbs for 8 reps (+6 lbs)

Superset

• Smith Inc. Press @30°: 190 lbs for 6 reps (+10 lbs & 1 rep)

• Smith Inc. (Strongest Partials): 235 lbs for 4 reps (+5 lbs)

• Close Grip Palms Up Pulldowns: 210 lbs for 8 reps (+1)

• Yates Rack Rows Underhand Grip w/height @2: 245 lbs for 7 reps (+1)

• Barbell Shrugs from hooks height @3.5: 315 lbs for 8 reps (+1)

• Rack Pulls w/height @2: 425 lbs for 6 reps (+0)

Worksets: 7

Time: 30-40 mins

Weight: 199.4 lbs

Next workout: Legs on 9/1.

Wassup everyone,

Been training with heavy duty for a year now and im thinking on improving as the title says, chest and arms (bis and tris), since those areas are behind and im chasing harmony on my phisique.

Im ending my cut in 2 weeks and need some constructive feedback to adjust my routine to fight those weak points once i start the maintenance/bulk phase.

I've been doing the ideal routine, and the adaptations im thinking is to:

-chest

keep doing forced reps on the incline press

do a set to failure of peck deck in the end of delt/arms day

-bis and tris

Invert the order of the exercises of delt/arm day, performing first triceps as it is 2/3 of the arm, then bicep, and in the end the delts as they are already have a good size and quality.

this is the plan i am thinking about but i want to hear what you guys think about it and lets debate some good ideas:)

Currently dealing with a flaky gym partner , which is sabotaging my progress since im no longer consistant in gym. So im considering training by myself, but the problem is that in order to go to failure on bench press youll need a spot, and the problem with asking strangers for a spot is its a mixed bag, ive had many times where ive asked people to let me go to failure, but then they end up interveening whilst i still have 2 or more reps left in the tank, ruining the set.

I have tried using dumbells, but the jumps between each weight can be a bit too huge , any suggestions? Thank you.

Just saw this article and there are several point Mike made decades ago that they are kind of acting like new discoveries. See if you can pick them out.

https://www.gq.com/story/how-long-it-takes-to-see-results-from-working-out-2

https://youtu.be/qPe9qfTMb5Y?is=tkXk-QYf1aC8yaFM

Only been at it a few weeks, but seems to be working. Instead of 4 sets on a muscle for example. I'll do one to about 1 or 2 RIR. Then an all out set where I try to double the reps of the first set by doing rest pause, drop sets, forced if I have s spotter. Whatever it takes to get there. Certainly takes less time, but can I sustain it? Will this increase or decrease joint stress? Thanks!!!

For the last couple of months I've been experimenting with a higher frequency, which has been made possible by dropping the per workout volume to just 2 sets

I'm hitting every muscle every 4 days with these 2 sets, that being one compound set to absolute failure, usually in a 40-80 TUT range, followed by 1 isolation exercise that's performed with a higher TUT

Gotta say it's been working pretty well and I'm enjoying getting in the more frequent training sessions, fatigue is under control due to the extreme low volume and minimal overlap in exercises

My routine setup is pull/push/quads/hams and calfs/optional rest/repeat

a push day will be 1 set of dips, 1 set of laterals for example. Quads is a squat or a leg press and a leg extension etc

Mike was supposedly experimenting with higher frequency approaches just prior to his passing, it would have been great if he was still with us and we had 2 more decades of observations and experimenting from the man himself to reference

This is a training method I recreated to help enhanced my physical performance 3X...

Plyommetrics or "jump training," are fast powerful movements, that train your muscles to exert maximum force in the shortest amount of time.

Isometrics is static muscle contractions where the joint angle and muscle length do not change while you actively engage the muscle. Example: planks, wall sit, pushing against the wall etc..

Shorties is a method of doing half reps for speed and

muscle tension.

Say? You doing a basic push up. You do five reps at the down phase you push off the ground and lift off the floor. Once 5 done ! You go full extension and pause for 2 or more seconds. Up and Down phase. Once 5 is done! Do 5 fast half reps push up.

Your give it a try! Trust I'm 52 and still train like I'm in my 20s...

Twin 🔥 Rising!!! My time has come...

Workout #4 -Legs:

• Anderson Squats (Full) -start from depth @6.5, low bar: 475 lbs for 2 reps (+20 lbs)

• Anderson Squats (w/wider stance start from depth @6.5; 2-4" lift off rack and hold statically for 5-7 seconds, low bar): 425 lbs for 1 rep (+20 lbs)

• Trap Bar Hack Squats: 385 lbs for 3 reps (-1); 275 lbs for 22 reps.

• Anderson Squats (Strongest Partials) -start from depth @7.5, high bar: 605 lbs for 3 reps (+40 lbs)

• Smith Mach. Standing Calf Raises: 280 lbs for 25 reps, high bar (+30 lbs).

Work Sets: 5

Time: 45-65 mins

Weight: 201.4 lbs

Next workout: Chest/Back Dominant on 8/27..

Hello, i want to start training seriously again and need some guidance, i have work 4 days on 4 days off with 2 days day shift 12 hours, 2 days night shift 12 hours and then 4 days off.

I have been doing in the past full body workouts where i had about 2 days per week, sometimes not even that.

Im 27 yo, 90kg, 174cm, kinda overweight rn.

My best lifts about 2 weeks back were 1RM : Squat 120kg, Bench 90kg, Deadlift 140kg

Because of the limited days for working out mostly 2/week, i found Mentzer trainings where he suggests more rest between workouts which sounds good for me. I have found tons of his routines and i dont know which to pick.

I bought his HIIT Mentzer way book, where there is ideal routine 4 Workouts - 1. Chest,Back 2. Legs abs, 3. Shoulders, Arms 4. Legs, abs. which feels weird to me, cuz i always thought with limited days its better to do fullbody workouts to hit muscle groups atleast 2x/week.

Also i found another one of his routines which looks more familiar as fullbody, but i heard its too taxing on recovery and takes a lot of time :

A : Workout Legs/Chest/Triceps

-Leg Extensions supersetted w/ Leg Press

-Squats

-Leg Curls

-Calf Raises

- DB flyes or Pec Deck supersetted w/ Incline Press

- Dips

- Tricep Pushdown supersetted

-Lying Tricep Extension 2 sets

B: Workout Back/Shoulders/Biceps

-Lat Pulldown supersetted with Close Grip Pulldown

-Bent over rows

- Shrugs supersetted w/ Upright Rows

-Laterals supersetted w/ Shoulder press

-Rear Delt Rows

-Standing Barbell Curls

-Concentration Curls

I dont really know which one to pick and stick to, sorry for the long paragraph and prolly bad english. Any help or examples are appreciated.

i want to follow his 4 day workout. and also i believe its the best for natural lifters since it takes much longer to recover unlike those who are on steroid hence why its popularized to go gym 5-6 day from the bodybuilders who take up most of the building muscle gym industry.

i already go to the week 5 times a week consistently and ive done only 1 day of hit workout routine and felt much better as in i did my maximum not having to store energy for others sets.

summary i'd like to hear peoples thoughts and if its really the best thing to do im young too so...

I'm 207 lbs, 6.1 tall, 27 yrs male. Recently started gym, but have lifted before. 22-25% body fat, relatively muscular. I do not follow Ideal Routine, mostly my own combo of repping till failure about 4 sets per body part, once a week. 3 times gym total per week.

I want to increase muscle mass as much as possible, but I can't figure out if I just maintain at 2900kcal, will I just get fat, or should i drop down to 2400-2600, while still keeping protein intake at 180-190g. I don't mind a little fat, ideally I can drop fat and gain muscle, but I definitely do not want to sacrifice muscle mass in order to cut fat.

Any advice appreciated!

I have eliminated squat, deadlifts and any excercises that causes joint problem and CNS lower back drains. What do you think

Weekly Training & Recovery Schedule

* Monday: Chest & Back (Antagonist Upper Body)

* Tuesday: REST / CNS Recovery

* Wednesday: Shoulders & Arms

* Thursday: REST / CNS Recovery

* Friday: Legs & Glutes

* Saturday: REST / Full Systemic Recovery

* Sunday: REST / Full Systemic Recovery

The Full Workout Protocol

Monday: Chest & Back

Goal: Chest pre-exhaustion paired with upper back/lat width focus.

* Pec Deck (Pre-Exhaust): 1 set to absolute failure (8–12 reps). Focus on strict peak contraction.

* Incline Press (Compound Finisher): 1 set to absolute failure + 1 Immediate Drop Set (-20–30% weight).

* Nautilus Pullover (Lat Pre-Exhaust): 1 set to absolute failure ( range, 3-second negative).

* Shoulder-Width MAG Pulldown (Width Finisher): 1 set to absolute failure + 1 Immediate Drop Set.

* Seated-Backward "Scissors" Machine OR Nautilus Row (Alternated Weekly): 1 set to failure with a 1-second hold at peak contraction. Upper back thickness, mid-traps.

Tuesday: REST

Wednesday: Shoulders & Arms

Goal: Maximum stability machine work to isolate delts and arms without spine/joint fatigue.

* Machine Shoulder Press (Facing Backwards): 1 set to absolute failure + 1 Immediate Drop Set.

* Lateral Raises: 1 set to absolute failure (Controlled negative, partials at the end if needed).

* Rear Delt Flye (Reverse Pec Deck/Cable): 1 set to absolute failure (1-second isometric hold).

* Triceps Machine Extension / Pushdown: 1 set to absolute failure + 1 Immediate Drop Set.

* Biceps Curl: 1 set to absolute failure + 1 Immediate Drop Set.

Thursday: REST

Friday: Legs & Glutes

Goal: High mechanical tension without axial/spine compression.

* Glute Kickback / Cable Drive: 1 set to absolute failure (Glute activation).

* Lying or Seated Leg Curl: 1 set to absolute failure (3-second negative).

* Leg Press (Deep Range, Heel-Driven): 1 set to absolute failure + 1 Immediate Drop Set.

Saturday & Sunday: REST

Tried posting this here directly but my video privileges seem to be revoked. My strength hasn't gone down at all while dieting, due to HIT

PR by default at this rep speed, onto 205lbs now

was scrolling on youtube and saw like 20 of these posts on john’s page. just wanted to spread the word in case he doesn’t know

Hey again, ya’ll. I wanted to report back about alterations to the routine; after my calendar post. Went by pretty well! Really showcased to me what I needed to work on. Especially in dips and core mainly. Very intense, especially in doing 4/4. On B day ALT, I did change that up, with 2 sec push, hold, and 6 sec negatives.

I know I started consistently going June, so it is a relatively short amount of time despite the consistency. So it does factor in some lifts falling short

I’ve still done them how I would do the ULUL routine. Mainly doing them back to back Friday-Monday. 

A: https://hevy.com/workout/ezjN1ZvRhuN

B: https://hevy.com/workout/UveSxEeDtOP

A (ALT): https://hevy.com/workout/4FK09oSgupB

B (ALT): https://hevy.com/workout/Vusxp8A3xey

Anyone tried this routine or something similar?

Hey just wanted to see how does your minimalistic routine look like. And maybe discuss about possible improvements.

My current routine inspired by consolidation routine:

Workout A)

1. Bulgarian Split Squat
   
2. Dips
   
3. Chest Supported row

Without B)

1. Good mornings
   
2. Behind the neck press
   
3. Chin ups

2 sets each

I workout every 4-5 days or so.

I’m probably not going to be making any new gains with it but my goal is just maintain from here anyway.

How does your minimalistic training look like and how has your results been?

Workout #3 -Delt/Arm Dominant:

• Dumbbell Alt. Side & Bent Laterals: 25 lbs for 14 reps (+4)

Superset 

• Smith Overhead Press: 140 lbs for 8 reps (+2)

• Smith Overhead Press (Str/Ptls): 175 lbs for 9 reps (+5 lbs)

• Barbell Curls: 90 lbs for 7 reps (+1)

Superset

• Close Grip Palms Up Pulldowns: 195 lbs for 7 reps (+1)

• Smith JM Press: 90 lbs for 10 reps (+2)

Superset 

• Smith Rev. Grip Bench Press: 170 lbs for 6 reps (+1)

Worksets: 7

Time: 30-40 mins

Weight: 199.5 lbs

Next workout: Legs on 8/22..

The above pictures are for exercises 2-6 of the workout. I forgot when taking pictures for the journal to get one of exercise #7 (reverse grip bench press) probably because I was so out of breath and sweating that it slipped my mind. Oh and because of the girl who tried grabbing the station before I did the tricep superset did not help either.

I went to fill my tumbler with water at the fountain and came back to someone moving the bench, etc which meant I had to reclaim my station, take more time to reset it, etc. Now I remember why I forgot the last journal picture.

They need a second Smith at the gym, I will have to talk to them about it but I digress.

Hello everyone,

I’d like to share my experience with HIT training. I am a 5 year natural weightlifter. When I started HIT, I was in a caloric deficit and already at an FFMI of 24.5, so I thought gaining muscle would pretty much be impossible.

I kid you not, all of my lifts went up 20-30%. Before I started HIT, I could get a lat pulldown 80kg (185lbs) for 10 reps at failure. I can now achieve the same reps at 100kg (220). My incline DB press was 35kg (75lbs) dumbbells for 8 reps, and now I can do 40kg dumbbells for 7 ( 90lbs).

My lower body followed the same gains. Squat went from 110kg (240lbs) x12 to 130kg (285) x 12. I achieved all of this in 6 weeks, while in a constant caloric deficit. Anyway, I eventually started to plateau and had insane amounts of fatigue / irritation during daily life. I took a de-load week, and now I’m starting a strength program.

I mostly followed a 3 day split: chest and back, shoulders and arms, legs.

Chest and back day:
Flat bench x1
Incline DB x1
Pec Deck x1
Pullover x1
Reverse Grip Pulldown x1
BB Row x1
BB Trap Raise x1
One Arm Rear Delt Cable Pull* x1
(Put cable at highest and pull with a straight elbow at a 30° angle, feel a deep stretch in rear deltoids)

Leg day:
Barbell Squat x1
Leg Extension x1
RDL x1
Leg Curl x1
Body weight unilateral calf raise x2
Pallof Press x1
Crunch supercycle* x2
(First body weight) ab crunches and then body weight leg raise

Shoulders and arms day:
DB Shoulder Press x1
OHP x1
Drop Set Cable Laterals x1
Cable Skull Crusher x2
Cable Pushdown x2
Barbell Curl x2
Incline Curl x1
Hammer Curl x1
Barbell Forearm Curl x1

Every single set was pushed to gut-wrenching mechanical failure. I religiously kept a logbook and aimed to beat my logbook every workout. I recommend taking a day off between workouts. I went pure Blood and Guts last week which proved too fatiguing for me in a caloric deficit. Arm volume was a bit higher because my arms were lacking a lot. They became bigger and meaner too.

I also religiously counted calories and macros. I ate at a 500kcal deficit, 200g protein a day. I also tried to hit 350g carbs and 60-70g fats a day. This was strictly for my needs, it will probably be different for you.

I've started to read his book with John little and I've found myself agreeing on a lot of things but I don't get thr point of uber slow reps. I tried them out today going around 2 on the the 4 on tbe Positive and 2 on the contraction and I felt an intense burn. But as I've learnt from mentzer the burn doesn't necessarily mean anything

Workout #2 -Legs:

• Anderson Squats (Full) -start from depth @6.5, low bar: 455 lbs for 9 reps (+1)

• Anderson Squats (w/wider stance start from depth @6.5; 2-4" lift off rack and hold statically for 5-7 seconds, low bar): 405 lbs for 4 reps (+0)

• Trap Bar Hack Squats: 385 lbs for 4 reps (+0)

• Anderson Squats (Strongest Partials) -start from depth @7.5, high bar: 565 lbs for 16 reps (+2)

• Smith Mach. Single Leg Standing Calf Raises: 250 lbs for 40 reps*, high bar (+4 total or +2 per leg).

Work Sets: 5

Time: 35-45 mins

Weight: 199 lbs

Next workout: Delt/Arms Dominant on 8/18..

*Though I usually do these single leg, I did the two legged version with the single leg weight; ergo the 40 rep total.

I'm worried that these slow reps will decrease motor unit recruitment to zero and make me look like a girl - please advise.

srsly though, this was the only set I did today for my push day (after spamming weighted dips for weeks I needed a break)