Been weightlifting for 2 years. Typically I will do a strength or Olympic lift followed by a circuit or cross fit type finisher. This got me stronger and lean but am still pretty skinny with. Looking to add some mass now and decided on a HST cycle. Setting up a A/B workout. Here is what I have for the A/B workouts. Thoughts? Workout A Legs: Squat Chest: Flat Bench Tricep: Dips Lats: Pull Ups Shoulder: Seated Shoulder Press Back: BB Bent Over Rows Abs: Toe to bars Bicep: DB Bicep Curls Traps: Upright Cable Row B Workout Legs: Deadlift Chest: Incline Bench Tricep: Tricep Pulldown Lats: Lat Pull Down Shoulder: DB Lateral Raises Back: Lat Tower Low Row Abs: Sit Up Wall Balls 14lb Bicep: Lat Tower Curls Traps: BB Shrug Thoughts on the programming?
Welcome @geckoman to HST, Personally I would drop the bicep curls from Routine A and Lat tower curls and tricep pushdowns from Routine B as arms will get plenty of work from the compound exercises (I would leave dips in as too good an exercise to drop IMO) you have selected, I would also drop upright cable row from A and move shrugs from B to A as your traps will be getting worked doing deadlifts. I would also add another squat movement to Routine B as I feel that deadlifts is more back related than legs although others may not agree with me. Assume that you are training 3 days a week, so how are setting up your incrementation.
Thanks for the reply! Yes, 3 days per week. week 1: 15 x (1 or 2 sets, not sure as I see different things) week 2: 15 x (1 or 2) week 3: 10 x 3 week 4: 10 x 3 week 5: 5 x 5 week 6: 5 x 5 week 7: 3 x 5 (not sure on sets for weeeks 7-8. Picked 3x5) week 8: 3 x 5 Thanks for your suggestions.
I feel that weeks 5 onwards maybe a bit ambitious, I would start at 3 sets of 5 reps and see how you feel.
I'll plan on adjusting volume as I go based on how I feel and if I can complete the sets. I'll start with something like this. week 1: 15 x 1 (Volume = 15) week 2: 15 x 1 (Volume = 15) week 3: 10 x 2 (Volume = 20) week 4: 10 x 2 (Volume = 20) week 5: 5 x 4 (Volume = 20) week 6: 5 x 4 (Volume = 20) week 7: 3 x 5 (Volume = 15) week 8: 3 x 5 (Volume = 15)
I agree, deadlifts, althought a great exercise, and they do work pretty much every muscle in your body, and it does work your legs well, I find its better at developing the back, and traps. Also I don't add full deadlifts until the 10 rep stage, mainly because its a very taxing exercise, and find it very draining on the CNS, also I can hardly breathe by the time I get to the 15th rep, no matter how light I go. So for the 15 rep cycle I substitute with SLDL. I would also drop the isolation work on the arms as Mick said. they get tons of work from most push and pull movements. Even things like shrugs develop your forearms. If your looking for another squat movement, I would suggest front squat, zercher squat, or hack squat. Good luck. Keep us posted!