Most importantly, I'm have started to squat again. I did 90kg back squat for 4 sets of 5 reps yesterday. Although it wasn't hard, I'm taking it slow. I have switched from deep Olympic squats to Powerlifting squats. I'm hoping to get to 110kg or 120kg in the next 5-6 workouts and work at that weight for the next 1 month.
A month ago, I was cribbing about my knee injury and about how the gym near my home is not good enough. But thanks to that, I am trying new workouts. All my earlier workouts were built around squats. Now, I can't squat as much as I used to (due to the injury), and can't deadlift heavy (the barbell isn't good, no proper plates). So I am focusing on improving my upper body strength and a little bit of conditioning. Although it is still a bit early to vouch for the routine, I am going to do it anyway.
My earlier routines usually contained several compound exercises- squat, deadlift, bench press, military press, push press, barbell rows and pullups/pulldowns. I used to go for 3-5 sets of 2-5 reps for those exercises and call it a day. But now I am doing it in a totally different way. I have included cluster sets, singles, dynamic sets and complexes.
Cluster sets: For proper muscle growth, both weight and reps are important. But its hard to hit more reps with heavy weights. In a cluster set, you break down a set into 2-4 mini-sets with a little break between these mini-sets. I usually do it this way- In each set, I do 2 reps, rest for 20 sec, do 3 more, rest for 20 sec, and then 2 final reps. Between sets, I usually rest for about 2 or 2.5 minutes (I decide on a rest period stick to it). The set I just described is a 2-3-2 set, a total of 7 reps. I sometimes hit 2-3-2 sets, sometimes 2-2-1 sets. Two days back, I benched 90kg for 4 sets of 2-1-1. I am training without a spotter, so I have to limit my sets to only those with which I'm completely confident.
Singles: They are just that- single reps. Each set has only 1 rep. Between each set, I usually take about 45-60 seconds rest.
Dynamic sets: These sets are to build speed. The idea is to push a light weight (~50% of max) as fast as possible. I usually go for 3 reps in these sets.
Complex: Complexes are for conditioning. I take a barbell- either 30kg or 40kg loaded, and do a series of exercises. The exercises I am currently using are - Power clean, Jerk, Back squat, Military press, Good mornings, Barbell rows, Deadlifts. A typical complex will be 30kg x5 reps. In that set, I do 5 cleans, then 5 jerks, then 10 back squats, then 5 presses, then 5 good mornings, then 5 rows and finally 10 deadlifts (I do twice the number of reps for squats and deadlifts). I use complexes for fat loss, conditioning, endurance and cardio.
In a typical workout, I use 1 main compound movement, and 1 or 2 assistance movements for that muscle. Till last week, I used to load up on both the main and assistances. But now, I'm going heavy on the main movement, and going for light fast reps with the assistances. I am not posting any pics yet, but the cluster sets have really been a revelation. They are great for both strength and building muscle. As for warm up, stretching and warm down, I have totally abandoned stretching and warming down after workout. My warm up consists only of performing 2-3 sets of benchpress or push press for 20-30 reps with empty barbell.
If my work sets in bench press are of 85kg, I do something like
20kg: 3 sets of 20-30 fast reps (warm up)
40kg: 8-12 reps
55kg: 5 reps
70kg: 2-3 reps
75kg: 1 rep
80kg: 1 rep
85kg- Good to go.
The weights between 20kg and 85kg are usually decided by what plates are lying around.
My workouts go something like this:
I train on all weekdays, and take off on the weekends- that's 5 days of training per week.
Day 1
Flat bench press - Complex sets: 80% for 5 sets of 2-2-2
Inclined dumbbell press (Chest -Assistance 1) 2-3 sets of 5-8 reps
Dumbbell pullovers (Chest -Assistance 2) 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps
Close grip bench press - 3 sets of 5 reps
Back squat- 4-5 sets of 5 reps
Skull crushers (Triceps -Assistance) 2 sets of 5-8 reps
Day 2
Push press - Singles : 5-10 sets
Dumbbell/Military press (Dynamic, superset with push press) : 5-10 sets of 3 reps
Dumbbell upright rows (Deltoid- Assistance 1): 3 sets of 4-8 reps
Dumbbell lateral raise (Deltoid- Assistance 2): 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps
Lat pulldowns: 4-5 sets of 4-8 reps
Kroc rows: 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps
Forearm, biceps curls: 3-5 sets of 5-10 reps
Clean complex - 3-5 sets of 4-5 reps for each exercise
Day 3 same as Day1
Day 4 same as Day 2
Day 5
Power clean and Jerk - Upto 60kg
Power snatch - Upto 40kg
Bench press/ Push press - Dynamic sets: 10-12 sets of 3 reps each
Dynamic assistance work
Squat- Light weight
For Day1 and Day2, I use heavy weights on the main movements. For Day3 and Day4, I reduce the weight slightly (by 5% to 10%) and increase volume slightly.
In the first 2 days of this week, I have done bench press for cluster sets of 2-1-1, and Push press for 5 singles of 85kg (supersets with 5 dynamic sets of 45kg for 3 reps). I hope to hit new PRs in about 3 weeks- 110kg in bench press and 95kg in push press.
A month ago, I was cribbing about my knee injury and about how the gym near my home is not good enough. But thanks to that, I am trying new workouts. All my earlier workouts were built around squats. Now, I can't squat as much as I used to (due to the injury), and can't deadlift heavy (the barbell isn't good, no proper plates). So I am focusing on improving my upper body strength and a little bit of conditioning. Although it is still a bit early to vouch for the routine, I am going to do it anyway.
My earlier routines usually contained several compound exercises- squat, deadlift, bench press, military press, push press, barbell rows and pullups/pulldowns. I used to go for 3-5 sets of 2-5 reps for those exercises and call it a day. But now I am doing it in a totally different way. I have included cluster sets, singles, dynamic sets and complexes.
Cluster sets: For proper muscle growth, both weight and reps are important. But its hard to hit more reps with heavy weights. In a cluster set, you break down a set into 2-4 mini-sets with a little break between these mini-sets. I usually do it this way- In each set, I do 2 reps, rest for 20 sec, do 3 more, rest for 20 sec, and then 2 final reps. Between sets, I usually rest for about 2 or 2.5 minutes (I decide on a rest period stick to it). The set I just described is a 2-3-2 set, a total of 7 reps. I sometimes hit 2-3-2 sets, sometimes 2-2-1 sets. Two days back, I benched 90kg for 4 sets of 2-1-1. I am training without a spotter, so I have to limit my sets to only those with which I'm completely confident.
Singles: They are just that- single reps. Each set has only 1 rep. Between each set, I usually take about 45-60 seconds rest.
Dynamic sets: These sets are to build speed. The idea is to push a light weight (~50% of max) as fast as possible. I usually go for 3 reps in these sets.
Complex: Complexes are for conditioning. I take a barbell- either 30kg or 40kg loaded, and do a series of exercises. The exercises I am currently using are - Power clean, Jerk, Back squat, Military press, Good mornings, Barbell rows, Deadlifts. A typical complex will be 30kg x5 reps. In that set, I do 5 cleans, then 5 jerks, then 10 back squats, then 5 presses, then 5 good mornings, then 5 rows and finally 10 deadlifts (I do twice the number of reps for squats and deadlifts). I use complexes for fat loss, conditioning, endurance and cardio.
In a typical workout, I use 1 main compound movement, and 1 or 2 assistance movements for that muscle. Till last week, I used to load up on both the main and assistances. But now, I'm going heavy on the main movement, and going for light fast reps with the assistances. I am not posting any pics yet, but the cluster sets have really been a revelation. They are great for both strength and building muscle. As for warm up, stretching and warm down, I have totally abandoned stretching and warming down after workout. My warm up consists only of performing 2-3 sets of benchpress or push press for 20-30 reps with empty barbell.
If my work sets in bench press are of 85kg, I do something like
20kg: 3 sets of 20-30 fast reps (warm up)
40kg: 8-12 reps
55kg: 5 reps
70kg: 2-3 reps
75kg: 1 rep
80kg: 1 rep
85kg- Good to go.
The weights between 20kg and 85kg are usually decided by what plates are lying around.
My workouts go something like this:
I train on all weekdays, and take off on the weekends- that's 5 days of training per week.
Day 1
Flat bench press - Complex sets: 80% for 5 sets of 2-2-2
Inclined dumbbell press (Chest -Assistance 1) 2-3 sets of 5-8 reps
Dumbbell pullovers (Chest -Assistance 2) 2-3 sets of 6-10 reps
Close grip bench press - 3 sets of 5 reps
Back squat- 4-5 sets of 5 reps
Skull crushers (Triceps -Assistance) 2 sets of 5-8 reps
Day 2
Push press - Singles : 5-10 sets
Dumbbell/Military press (Dynamic, superset with push press) : 5-10 sets of 3 reps
Dumbbell upright rows (Deltoid- Assistance 1): 3 sets of 4-8 reps
Dumbbell lateral raise (Deltoid- Assistance 2): 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps
Lat pulldowns: 4-5 sets of 4-8 reps
Kroc rows: 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps
Forearm, biceps curls: 3-5 sets of 5-10 reps
Clean complex - 3-5 sets of 4-5 reps for each exercise
Day 3 same as Day1
Day 4 same as Day 2
Day 5
Power clean and Jerk - Upto 60kg
Power snatch - Upto 40kg
Bench press/ Push press - Dynamic sets: 10-12 sets of 3 reps each
Dynamic assistance work
Squat- Light weight
For Day1 and Day2, I use heavy weights on the main movements. For Day3 and Day4, I reduce the weight slightly (by 5% to 10%) and increase volume slightly.
In the first 2 days of this week, I have done bench press for cluster sets of 2-1-1, and Push press for 5 singles of 85kg (supersets with 5 dynamic sets of 45kg for 3 reps). I hope to hit new PRs in about 3 weeks- 110kg in bench press and 95kg in push press.
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