Post your routines!

[usmc3500]

Here is a workout my brother follows, hes a year younger than me, but hes a monster, especially for being like 17 or 18 now. He made this one up for me and I trust him, and it seems to be working, after only 2 weeks I have increased a lot with my weights and already look different, mind you, Every monday, weds, and fri I run atleast 3 miles (Because I am still active duty, those are PT days. Usually Monday is about a 5-6mile company run, weds is just a ~4mile "moto" run, and friday is anything from a mock PFT to football game/sprints)

It breaks down first into weeks

Week 1: 10-8-6 (adding weight each set)
Week 2: 5x5
Week 3: 5-4-3-2 (Adding weight each set)
Week 4: 3x3 (Heavy weights of course)
Week 5: Repeat over at week one

Then, the actual workouts you should do each day

there are only 2 core lifts each day
and then 5 auxillary lifts
and for the Auxillary lifts do 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps

Monday: Core lifts- Front Squat and Incline bench

and Monday Auxillaries: Choose 5 -- DeadLift, Glute-Ham machine(back hypers), DB jump squats, Neck, Overhead Squat, Leg curls, DB Flyes, DB flat press

Weds: Core lifts: Hex Bar Deadlifts (if you don't have a hex-bar then just use a regular bar) and Power Cleans

Wed Auxillary lifts: Choose 5 --- Barbell Lunges, Jerk Press, Leg Ext., wide grip pullups, Skullbashers, Tri. Pushdown, overhead tri. ext.


And, finally
Friday: Core Lifts -- Back Squat and Flat Bench Press
Auxillaries: Choose 5 -- Glute-Ham machine, Neck, Overhead Squats, Calf raises, Barbell curl, DB Curl

Stretch everyday for 10 minutes and twice on workout days


I always feel real good when I am done with this workout, and you can definately feel it when your done. If you want to just lose weight, I don't think this is quite targeting that, but for gaining mass/getting cut this should work good.

Losing weight, shit run alot every day, eat less, and run more. They did that in bootcamp I wasn't even fat (about 6'2" and 215lbs) and I came out about 170lbs... felt tooooo skinny though, and I was extremely weak with any type of weight lifting.
Now I am about 192 as of a day or so ago. I still don't eat exactly like I should, but I'm working on that, and its kind of hard.. sometimes I miss meals and shit due to work.

[KOU In3]

What's with all the people doing legs AND another major bodypart on the same day? Seems like a good way to minimize the progress on both your legs and the other part that's been paired with it that day.

But hey, I guess it's better than nothin'.

[Atomicles]

Do about 100 or so of the pull down the bar above your head and bring it to the back of your neck thing. varying weight, about 20-30 pounds. Then do the sit in the chair and push out the thing with you legs about 50 times.. varying weights, about 80-120 pounds. Then benchpress about 100 times. varying weights, about 30-40 pounds. Then do the sit down, put your legs in the thing and lift then till they're parallel with your torso thing. varying weights, about 20-30 pounds. I like to spread this out throughout the entire month . And I like to do sit-ups whenever I'm watching TV shows I don't like and have nothing else to do. Ok, so it's not really a routine, but it's what I do

[IdleSnake]

If you are doing the lat pull downs...from what i have heard it is not recommended to pull it behind your head. Reason is because it puts the muscle at an awkward position and get damange it. Can someone confirm that?

[ry@n]

Never heard that before Gene. I always did my pulldowns behind my head. Never noticed anything negative. I'll ask Arnold.

[kris]

Originally Posted by IdleSnake

If you are doing the lat pull downs...from what i have heard it is not recommended to pull it behind your head. Reason is because it puts the muscle at an awkward position and get damange it. Can someone confirm that?

yes, same with upright rows

[usmc3500]

Originally Posted by IdleSnake

If you are doing the lat pull downs...from what i have heard it is not recommended to pull it behind your head. Reason is because it puts the muscle at an awkward position and get damange it. Can someone confirm that?

True. Weight trainer for the USMC here atleast seems to think so, and I trust his opinion.

[usmc3500]

Originally Posted by KOU In3

What's with all the people doing legs AND another major bodypart on the same day? Seems like a good way to minimize the progress on both your legs and the other part that's been paired with it that day.

But hey, I guess it's better than nothin'.

Care to elaborate on your way of thinking here? How would working your legs and upperbody minimize the progress?

[IdleSnake]

That's what I thought. About the lat pull down behind the head.

[kris]

Originally Posted by usmc3500

Care to elaborate on your way of thinking here? How would working your legs and upperbody minimize the progress?

He prolly doesn't know that doing lower body exercises increases serum testosterone concentrations a lot. I've read that for people who wanna get bigger arms, they should work them out after working out the lower body. Most likely the same should happen for any other upper body part you do after a lower body workout. So it's not minimizing progress, unless let's say you do that everyday, not giving time for them to heal up...

I personally don't do that because I don't want super huge arms, plus I get way too tired after doing lower body to even consider doing some upper.

[KOU In3]

Originally Posted by usmc3500

Care to elaborate on your way of thinking here? How would working your legs and upperbody minimize the progress?

Basicly for the same reasont that you won't make more progress lifting weights for 3 hours than you would in an hour session. You want to get in, get out, and start recovering.

A proper leg workout should be grueling enough that your body should be run down and need to start recovering. It's kind of a Catch22. Either you're not working your legs hard enough or you're overtraining by doings legs and shoulders together.

It's the very reason you separate out the other body parts (frequently one major and one minor on the same day). Chest gets its own day (sometimes paired with something small), as does back, etc. So should legs.

[usmc3500]

I am going to disagree with that, and if you looked at my routine you would see that you only lift 3x a day, and you just have to actually push yourself. It is called muscle isolation, if you work your legs hard enough they should be sore.

Whatever works for you though, is what counts. I like the routine I am on, I seen good and quick results, and I don't get too sore.

[KOU In3]

You can disagree with me all you want. There are endless ways to 'work out' and you'll make progress with most of them. But not giving legs their own day will limit your leg development.

The vast majority of 'real' bodybuilders give legs their own day.

You might want to bear in mind that a marine workout is designed to build better marines. Although fit, marines (as a whole, not every last individual) tend to have good cardio and reasonable muscle mass but do not have truly developed physiques.

Not surprising that a marine style workout leads to fitness but not optimal muscle growth.

[Leo]

Originally Posted by KOU In3

You can disagree with me all you want. There are endless ways to 'work out' and you'll make progress with most of them. But not giving legs their own day will limit your leg development.

The vast majority of 'real' bodybuilders give legs their own day.

You might want to bear in mind that a marine workout is designed to build better marines. Although fit, marines (as a whole, not every last individual) tend to have good cardio and reasonable muscle mass but do not have truly developed physiques.

Not surprising that a marine style workout leads to fitness but not optimal muscle growth.

I'm going to agree with KOU In3 here. Marine/Army workouts are designed to build great soldiers, but it’s not optimal for muscle hypertrophy IMO.

Additionally I sort of agree with giving legs their own day. In your case you appear to be working them out to some degree every day, to me it looks like over training. Well whatever works for you I guess.

[usmc3500]

Where did I ever say it was a Marine/Army work out? You are putting words in my mouth.


For our NORMAL PT in the USMC all we do is jumping jacks, pushups, situps, and a shitload of running. If you just do what they tell you, you are just extremely slim and cardio. That is how they want you though, able to function on little food, run forever, and limber.

I don't really know what "real" body builders do, but I don't believe you are one so I will use what works for me. Also, what someone who I'm sure is probably stronger especially for age than most people here and knows his shit.

[KOU In3]

Originally Posted by usmc3500

Where did I ever say it was a Marine/Army work out? You are putting words in my mouth.

Sorry if I was wrong there. By the screen name and the reference to PT days it seemed as if it was a military inspired workout. I referenced it as such generally. If you want me to go through every last detail of it like a jerk and explain why a great deal of it is not optimal and you could be making more progress in considerably less time, I can do that instead.

Originally Posted by usmc3500

I don't really know what "real" body builders do, but I don't believe you are one so I will use what works for me.

As I stated initially
"There are endless ways to 'work out' and you'll make progress with most of them." and "But hey, I guess it's better than nothin'."

As for being a 'real bodybuilder' I put it in quotes for a reason. Me, I'm just a little guy. But I there is a certain amount of bottom line fact that's been researched out by the kinesiologists.

I suppose I could point to the certified personal trainers, advanced degreed kines majors, and competitive natural bodybuilders that I've worked out with and debated the subject with and all of which are in agreement on this subject.

Personally I'd put a lot more stock on the opinions of the gym owners, advanced degree holders, and competitors, than I would on your 'little brother'.

But hey, good luck in your workouts. If you like them, then continue with them.

[usmc3500]

KOU In3

Im going to apologize here, I re-read that later came off pretty harsh

After re-reading, a real body builder does work out 5 days a week, and does dedicate each day to a certain group of muscles, you are right.

The workout I am doing is more for athleticism and explosiveness. I don't really want to bulk up like a body builder does.

About my reference to PT, just that I go to the gym and do my workouts on the same days that we PT because all we do is long ass runs (maybe some pushups, stuff like that) and (again, to me personally) I feel:

1) More motivated, and eager to work out after I run, it pumps me up for it.
2) I feel like I gain more by running and doing the workout in the same day.
3) It also leaves all tues/thurs and the weekends open to do whatever I want then

Don't take this too much the wrong way I didn't mean to come off that bad in the last reply.

Also, the opinion of my "little brother" is also formulated from gym owners, degree holders, and competitors (its his hobby like cars are ours).. Not that he knows all or the best, but he does know what he likes to do.

Good luck to you too

[KOU In3]

Gotcha.

The squat jumps and medium distance running make perfect sense now in light of the athleticism and explosiveness goals.

I've noticed a similair thing too (in terms of increased lifting motivation) when I do my treadmill work before lifting instead of after as well. Although my cardio is still pretty poor in terms of being able to put in the mileage that you do.

Sometimes I lose track of the fact that not everyone has the same workout goals in mind at the gym (narrow minded me I guess). Sorry 'bout that.

[usmc3500]

It is okay, same problem here and after sleeping and then re-reading it, not how I wanted to come across

I only put in that milage because I have to, it was hard as hell in the beginning, but now it isn't so bad. I do need to get some new running shoes though now that I think about it. Music makes all the difference... I wish I was able to use it while I ran, but singing cadence somewhat helps.

[lecchilo]

Monday- Chest, abs, Run at least 2 miles
Tuesday- Back, biceps, at least 1 hour of cardio (any machine, sometimes i just go back and forth after 15-20 mins)
Wednesday- Shoulders, triceps, abs, Run at least 2 miles
Thursday- Legs
Friday- Chest, abs, run at least 2 miles
Saturday- sleep till 1pm then either rest or go to the gym to do some simple abs
Sunday- chest, abs, back, biceps, shoulders, triceps, legs, cardio (i wash my car then do a sprint to get in and move it once i see the cops)

I have only recently started doing this routine to build mass and so far it works, but mostly i've been just doing it to keep in shape.
I switch off days and exercises every week (above is 1st week, 2nd would be same order but diff. exercises, 3rd would be same exercises as week 1 but diff. order, etc you get the point)

p.s.- this goes for whoever adn whatever you're trying to do exercise wise... when you run, run outside, you use more muscles in your body and your muscles don't get into a routine fashion you experience on the treadmill.

does anyone know any good supplements for gaining weight ? nothing with steroids and all that tho. thanks