My Bulk Routines

[Icarus]

OK I have read a lot of posts and heard a lot of conflicting information so Id like your help at a more custom routine for me. I’m 19 and 5’11 and 175 pounds and a bit of a hard gainer. My main goals right now are to bulk up and I have been suggested these two routines and I need to know which is better. Thanks if you can help.


Routine 1

Monday – Legs
Squats
Leg Press
Hamstring Curls
Leg Extensions
Calve Raises

Tuesday – Off

Wednesday – Chest, Shoulder, Triceps
Bench Press
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Lateral Shoulder Raises
Flies
Skull Crushers
Cable Pushdown

Thursday – Off

Friday – Back and Biceps
Weighted Pullups
Lat Pulldown
Upright Row
Barbell Curls
Preacher Curls
Deadlifts

Saturday – Cardio and Abs
Basketball
Weighted Crunches

Sunday – Off


With this routine Id be doing heavy weight at 3 sets of 8 reps per exercise. But I feel that I am doing too much in a day and not doing enough exercises per body part. I don’t want to overtrain since I find it kind of hard to gain muscle. But I was told to focus on compound movements and get A LOT of rest.




Routine 2

Monday – Chest and Triceps
Bench Press
Incline Press
Flies
Skull Crushers
Cable Pushdowns

Tuesday – Legs
Squats
Leg Press
Hamstring Curls
Leg Extensions
Calve Raises

Wednesday – Off

Thursday – Back
Weighted Pullups
Lat Pulldown
Seated Cable Row
Upright Row
Deadlifts

Friday – Shoulders and Biceps
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Lateral Shoulder Raises
Barbell Curls
Preacher Curls
Shrugs

Saturday-Off

Sunday-Cardio and Abs
Basketball
Weighted Crunches


I would do 3 sets of 8 reps per exercise. I worry about overtraining here and not having enough time to recover. My chest is hard to work because I always hit my shoulders so I am afraid Id overtrain them. Im worried about only having 2 days off and not focusing so much on compound movements but like that Im not doing too much in one day and get a variety of exercises.




So help. I realize that I am going to have to eat like whole cows and bails of hay everyday and get a lot of rest, but I want to bulk up and don’t want to over train or just do isolation movements. Also any help at taking the forearm out of bicep curls would be appreciated.
Thanks.

[DARKSEID]

I would try and see what works for you, just as an opinion though this past bulking cycle for me was only 3 days a week with just compound movements and I got great results.

[Icarus]

I would try and see what works for you, just as an opinion though this past bulking cycle for me was only 3 days a week with just compound movements and I got great results.

Would you post it please?

[Icarus]

is this thing on?

[LM1332]

i like the sencond one more cause in the first one it seems like you are over working your tris big time

[Icarus]

i like the sencond one more cause in the first one it seems like you are over working your tris big time

What if I dropped the skull crushers?

[jerseykid23]

OK I have read a lot of posts and heard a lot of conflicting information so Id like your help at a more custom routine for me. I’m 19 and 5’11 and 175 pounds and a bit of a hard gainer. My main goals right now are to bulk up and I have been suggested these two routines and I need to know which is better. Thanks if you can help.


Routine 1

Monday – Legs
Squats
Leg Press
Hamstring Curls
Leg Extensions
Calve Raises

Tuesday – Off

Wednesday – Chest, Shoulder, Triceps
Bench Press
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Lateral Shoulder Raises
Flies
Skull Crushers
Cable Pushdown

Thursday – Off

Friday – Back and Biceps
Weighted Pullups
Lat Pulldown
Upright Row
Barbell Curls
Preacher Curls
Deadlifts

Saturday – Cardio and Abs
Basketball
Weighted Crunches

Sunday – Off


With this routine Id be doing heavy weight at 3 sets of 8 reps per exercise. But I feel that I am doing too much in a day and not doing enough exercises per body part. I don’t want to overtrain since I find it kind of hard to gain muscle. But I was told to focus on compound movements and get A LOT of rest.




Routine 2

Monday – Chest and Triceps
Bench Press
Incline Press
Flies
Skull Crushers
Cable Pushdowns

Tuesday – Legs
Squats
Leg Press
Hamstring Curls
Leg Extensions
Calve Raises

Wednesday – Off

Thursday – Back
Weighted Pullups
Lat Pulldown
Seated Cable Row
Upright Row
Deadlifts

Friday – Shoulders and Biceps
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Lateral Shoulder Raises
Barbell Curls
Preacher Curls
Shrugs

Saturday-Off

Sunday-Cardio and Abs
Basketball
Weighted Crunches


I would do 3 sets of 8 reps per exercise. I worry about overtraining here and not having enough time to recover. My chest is hard to work because I always hit my shoulders so I am afraid Id overtrain them. Im worried about only having 2 days off and not focusing so much on compound movements but like that Im not doing too much in one day and get a variety of exercises.




So help. I realize that I am going to have to eat like whole cows and bails of hay everyday and get a lot of rest, but I want to bulk up and don’t want to over train or just do isolation movements. Also any help at taking the forearm out of bicep curls would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Stick to compound movements and put them first in your routines. Try Standing Military Press for shoulder strength and width. I see Deadlifts are last, they should be first in your back routine (IMO). I like the second routine better by the way. Make sure you get a decent amount of sets in for your compound exercises/main mass builders (bench, deadlifts, squats, presses). You can try Hammer Curls to take the forearms out of Bicep Curls, or try the EZ-Curl Bar.

[Ron Swan]

I did a M-W-F thing for about a year and got all my natural size back, but I also put on a lot of fat.

I also ate like like a pig too.

[Icarus]

I did a M-W-F thing for about a year and got all my natural size back, but I also put on a lot of fat.

I also ate like like a pig too.

what are you on now?

[nickrizz]

could these bulking routines work well when you are not on anything?

[Icarus]

could these bulking routines work well when you are not on anything?

yeah good question


any ideas? I want to keep natural

[Matto20]

i actually ran a four-day-per-week bulking routine last winter and gained 25 pounds naturally over the span of two months. probably only 1/3 of it being fat.



its great being 20 years old!!!!

[nickrizz]

what was your diet like matto?

[Matto20]

it wasn't very clean, but at my age i could get away with it. for example, after my workouts i often ate a whole box of velveeta shells n cheese and ate a 10-ounce steak. i ate TONS... it was great! a junk bulker. but at my age with my metabolism i was able to get away with it. next time i will eat much less trans/saturated fats and sodium and bulk using some actual "scientific knowledge" about dietetics (and 400mg primo/wk).

[Ron Swan]

Icarus,

I haven't used an effective anabolic supplement in 10 years. For several years I just played around and kept in shape. But decided to get busy last year. I went from 210 @ 15% Bf to 250 @ 18% Bf.

I ate chicken, steak, potatoes and protein shakes and concentrated on the basic lifts. I don't squat or do deadlifts, which is heresey around here, but I have different goals than most of the bros.

My bench went from 225 to 350 and shoulder press from 115 to 225.

But remember, I had a good foundation to start with and I'm 30. IMO, your peak growth time is after 25.

Right now I'm on a 4 on 1 off routine which helps me lose fat easier.

[znak]

I did the workout below for 6 months. I added 35 pounds and really completely changed my body. I went from tall and slim (175) to being a pretty big guy (6'1" 210).

Each exercise is a pyramid. On the last two sets if you can do only 6-8 reps, you are on track. Think heavy. Leave nothing on the table. You should be a ragdoll when you leave the gym. Workout takes 45 minutes.

Monday and Friday
Dead lifts 6 x 10
Squat 6 x 10
Weighted pull ups 6 x 10

Wednesday and Saturday
Military 6 x 10
Bench 6 x 10
Weighted dips 6 x 10

Nothing fancy, Just straight core compound exercises.

If you eat right (3,000 calories a day), it will work. Period.