So I recently decided, since I 'm not really losing weight at the rate I want, to change up my training programming.
Before, I've mainly been focused on powerlifting style training, with some accessory work thrown in for volume. I guess you could call it powerbuilding, since it took mostly from powerlifting training and stole a little bit from the bodybuilding side of the the fitness world. This has been great for strength purposes, and the big four lifts have definitely shot up while doing this, but hasn't really resulted in the fat loss I want. My general antipathy towards a lot of cardio probably hasn't been helping there.
I've also hit a pretty harsh plateau in my overall strength gains. Not enough to make me back off, but definitely endlessly frustrating.
So I've decided to pursue a couple of training cycles of pure bodybuilding/hypertrophy. Guess you could say I'm going back to my training roots, though I'll hopefully be a bit more intelligent with my choices of exercise and overall training volume.
So this is what I'm thinking for my coming training split. I've tested out a couple of workouts, and I'm feeling good so far, but only time will tell.
Monday: Chest, Triceps, Forearms
The purpose of this workout is mainly to work the triceps, which contribute slightly to any chest movement anyways, before I hit bench press. A rotation between flat bench, either dumbbells or barbell, incline bench and close-grip will keep the larger muscle group from adapting to much. Deep, heavy dumbbell flys afterwards will stretch the pecs out after the main mover and aid with widening the pecs, ideally giving the muscle a more 3d look. Occasionally rotate in a pullover, either using a dumbbell or barbell.
Triceps will be worked before chest, pre-exhausting them and limiting the contribution they can give during the main lift. This will have two main movements, the classic skullcrusher and the tricep pushdown. Both of these movement stretch the tricep in different ways, hopefully developing a "fuller" muscle as a result. Rotate in a french press and an overhead tricep press every other workout.
Forearms will be hit last and hard. Wrist curls and reverse wrist curls should lead to fuller forearm development. Through in a couple of sets of grip trainers before set, and rotate in wrist rolling.
Training will thus be structured like this:
Thirty minute warmup cardio.
Tricep Pushdown/Overhead Press: 3 sets of 12 reps. Really control the weight and feel the muscle contraction. If a pump sets in, shake the arms out. Excessive pump, while a great feeling, can limit the range of motion and the overall contraction.
Skullcrusher: 3x12
Bench Variation of choice: 3x12
Dumbbell flys/Pullover: You guessed it 3x12
Forearm superset: Wrist curls/reverse wrist curls/grip trainer - 3x12 of each exercise.
End with thirty to forty-five minutes of cardio.
Tuesday: Back, Hamstrings, Glutes
The main mover here is going to be some variation of deadlift. Since the deadlift is so reliant on glute and hamstring drive, with a much more limited reliance on the lats, rows get to go first. Either heavy dumbbell rows with straps, as the purpose here isn't to work the grip, or barbell. The purpose here is to increase overall back thickness with a horizontal row. If barbell, use the high cable machine or assisted pullup machine first, to limit overall switching between stations. These movements will help to increase the width of the lats.
Deadlifts will be next. Standard, Sumo, Romanian, or stiff legged. Doesn't matter, as heavy as possible with straps. Rotate between the variations on a workout by workout basis. Movement needs to be slow to really feel the contraction and stretch of the hamstring. Good mornings will either precede or follow the deadlift.
Finish up with heavy hip thrusts to really fry the glutes and hamstrings.
Vertical row I.E. Pullup or high cable: 3x12
Horizontal row I.E. Heavy dumbbell/barbell row or low cable row: 3x12
Deadlift: 3x12
Good Morning: 3x12
Hip Thrusts: 3x12
Wednesday: Off or some form of yoga program to stretch everything out.
Thursday: Repeat Chest Day. Rotate exercises as necessary.
Friday: Quads, Shoulders/Upper Back, Biceps.
This workout will begin with curls, as there is no carry over to the main mover and thus it will not effect it. Heavy hammer curls if I want to get a little extra work with the forearms, otherwise strict heavy barbell curling followed by either a dumbbell preacher curl or bench supported dumbbell curl. These movements emphasize different heads of the biceps, and rotation should help it really pop with the heavy barbell straining the muscle the hardest.
Follow with squats. Front squats and back squats will be the main two variations, with belt squats, v-squats, or hack squats occasionally thrown in. Leg extension will follow sometime after the shoulders are worked, or band assisted reverse nordics will be rotated in. Either Bulgarian split squats or walking lunges will be used to develop better balance and throw in some unilateral work.
Shoulder will be using either a conventional military press or behind the neck bench supported smith machine press. The smith machine press will help to carve out the rear delts and help develop more power for the conventional. Because of the back support, you can add on more weight than you otherwise could and it isolates the shoulder by taking leg drive out of the equation. Superset with dumbbell lateral raises.
Finally finish out with the upright row to help carve out the upper back. If done carefully and under control, the upright row is a phenomenal exercise for this purpose. Superset with lighter shrugs.
I think you get my rep scheme by now.
Saturday: Repeat hamstring day.
Sunday: Off or some form of yoga program to stretch everything out.
Some weeks I may sacrifice a chest day or a hamstring day to throw in another quad focused day.
Hopefully, paired with significantly increased cardio, this will get me where I want to be. A hypertrophy focused program should
lead to increased size in the muscles, making them more energy intensive, than the strength programs I was running before.
Let me know what you guys think, and I'll keep you posted on overall progress.