2 day week help..

[sidestep]

guys, just wondering if anyone could help me out here.

because of a new job I can only train 2 times a week Wednesday and Thursday.

im using the abbreviated training style of stuart mcrobert this is what im guna do.


workout 1

squat x 3
pulldown x3
bent rows x 3
one arm row x 2
bicep curls x 3
hammer curls x2

workout 2

incline bench x 3
flat bench x 3
side laterals x 3 superset with shoulder press
skull crushers x 3
Extensions x 2

you think its ok…..

[sidestep]

wow 4 views in 5 hours this forum is dead

[UberSteroids]

Sup man,

Well the forum is definitely not DEAD, just not a perfect timing.. most of the monsters are either lifting their asses off at the gym or hunting for meat to eat. You know not just bunch of forum rats

Back to your qestions,

I think this is a good plan, just make sure you hit it really hard each time, since you will have plenty of time for your body to recover.

I would add some military shoulder presses for workout 2.

Also I understand that you dont have time, but while you have all this time off from lifting, why dont you do some good workout by doing pushups with different hand placements, some triceps on the chair etc.

All it takes is minutes which I think you can find the time for if you REALLY want to workout.

Take care man.

[sonnygll]

I would do the exercises in pairs that don't use the same muscles. A little something like this.

day 1
bench press 8 sets
paired with
bent over row 8 sets

squat 8 sets
paired with
calf press 8 sets

day 2
incline bench 8 sets
paired with
pulldowns 8 sets

romanian deadlift 8 sets
paired with
8 sets of direct shoulder and arm exercises of your choice

Other than calf press NO MACHINES! if you are working out 2 days a week, you don't have time to waste on machines. You need to get maximum bang for the buck.

Go a little short of failure with 1 minute rest. Like 75% of 1RM for 8 reps for example.

[sidestep]

I would do the exercises in pairs that don't use the same muscles. A little something like this.

day 1
bench press 8 sets
paired with
bent over row 8 sets

squat 8 sets
paired with
calf press 8 sets

day 2
incline bench 8 sets
paired with
pulldowns 8 sets

romanian deadlift 8 sets
paired with
8 sets of direct shoulder and arm exercises of your choice

Other than calf press NO MACHINES! if you are working out 2 days a week, you don't have time to waste on machines. You need to get maximum bang for the buck.

Go a little short of failure with 1 minute rest. Like 75% of 1RM for 8 reps for example.

well im very confused with this routine lol as it looks to me I would be training the same muscle groups 2 days straight no? Bench day one, then incline the next day two ?

And what’s with 8 sets is that the magic number.

What’s the protocol, thinking, behind this routine thanks.

[Ronnie Rowland]

guys, just wondering if anyone could help me out here.

because of a new job I can only train 2 times a week Wednesday and Thursday.

im using the abbreviated training style of stuart mcrobert this is what im guna do.


workout 1

squat x 3
pulldown x3
bent rows x 3
one arm row x 2
bicep curls x 3
hammer curls x2

workout 2

incline bench x 3
flat bench x 3
side laterals x 3 superset with shoulder press
skull crushers x 3
Extensions x 2

you think its ok…..

The routine you have is not going to work well. You'll make better gains by doing only one exercise per body part so specific adaptations will occur when doing low volume. Try the routine below-

Wednesday:
Chest-Incline bench or flat press (5 sets)
Shoulders-over head presses (5 sets)
Back-pull-downs (3 sets) and rows (3 sets)
Traps-dumbbell shrugs (3 sets)


Thursday:
Biceps-bicep curls (5 sets)
Brachialis-hammer curls (3 sets)
Triceps-Skull crushers (5 sets)
Squats (5 sets)

[sonnygll]

well im very confused with this routine lol as it looks to me I would be training the same muscle groups 2 days straight no? Bench day one, then incline the next day two ?

And what’s with 8 sets is that the magic number.

What’s the protocol, thinking, behind this routine thanks.

No, you aren't training the same ones. Upper body is split between vertical and horizontal plain. Lower body is split quad and ham dominant. There is a lot of overlap, but that is with any routine. You are doing so much compound to get the most bang for your buck. You are doing a lot of sets to get enough volume to help you in only 2 days. It is designed to be done in an hour. This is half of a high frequency training protocol. It is a training protocol used frequently by Chad Waterbury and Alwyn Cosgrove, who are 2 famous and brilliant coaches. 8X8 at 75% with short rest is a fairly common part of different higher volume programs. A little less then the 10x10 of Charles Poliquin's german volume training, but loaded heavier.

After this merciless pounding, your body will need a few days to recover.

Keep in mind, flat bench is a pectoralis sternal exercise, while incline is petctoralis clavicular. Front delts and triceps are used both days, but you need that accumulated fatigue because you aren't doing much isolation. While bent over rows and pulldowns are both general back exercises, rows are more rear delt, trap and romboid heavy, where as pulldowns are more focused on the lats. Same thing with squat and Romanian deadlift, both are general lower body, both work glutes and hips pretty well. But 1 is more quad focused and the other is more hamstring.

This way is better then doing upper/lower for example, because with only 2 days you need as much volume as possible. With that kind of volume having squat and Romanian deadlift on the same day could be too much for the lower back.

So that is the reasoning behind this workout.

[sonnygll]

The routine you have is not going to work well. You'll make better gains by doing only one exercise per body part so specific adaptations will occur when doing low volume. Try the routine below-

Wednesday:
Chest-Incline bench or flat press (5 sets)
Shoulders-over head presses (5 sets)
Back-pull-downs (3 sets) and rows (3 sets)
Traps-dumbbell shrugs (3 sets)


Thursday:
Biceps-bicep curls (5 sets)
Brachialis-hammer curls (3 sets)
Triceps-Skull crushers (5 sets)
Squats (5 sets)

not trying to be harsh, but this wouldn't work too well. Not enough volume for sure. Then it is either flat OR incline which leaves out part of the chest. Then you go to a general shoulder exercise that is front delt heavy, where his time could be better spent working those same muscle AND the other part of the chest. You get both pulldowns and rows, but just not enough. with the overhead press and little rowing doing this long term would create an imbalance between the front and rear delts. Then isolation for upper traps? Why not work it along with the rest of the traps and other back muscles?

Day 2 the only good thing here is squats. Then there is a lot of arm isolation. Not very effective when arms can be worked with trunk muscles in compound pushing and pulling movements. Then there is also nothing for hamstrings. Long term working of quads and not hams will cause a very painful muscle imbalance where the patella is pulled outwards. Lots of knee problems.

[sidestep]

Exultant this is looking interesting sonny, im going to have a proper read when I get home tonight.

[InsaneInTheMembrane]

Personally, I think legs are being way overlooked in the previous suggestions. Besides, for a 2x week schedule, you also might consider a push day and a pull day.

Example:

Push Day:

Squats/Leg Press - 3 sets (Quads)
Leg Extensions - 3 sets (Quads)
Bench Press/ DB Press - 3 sets (Chest)
Incline db or bb / Decline db or bb - 2 sets (Chest)
Flyes of any kind - 2 sets
Shoulder or Military Press - 3 sets (Delts)
Tricep extensions - 2 sets (Triceps)
skull crushers - 2 sets (Triceps)

20 sets total


Pull day:

Dead lifts or stiff legged DLs - 3 sets (Hams/Glutes/Lats)
Leg Curl (seated or face down) - 3 sets (Hams)
Chin up or Lat Pull down - 3 sets (Lats)
Any kind of Row (Tbar, cable, db) - 3 sets (Lats)
DB Lateral raises - 3 sets (last set drop set till failure) (Delts)
DB or BB Bicep curl - 2 sets (Biceps)
preacher curl - 2 sets (Biceps)
hammer curl - 2 sets (Branchialis)

21 sets total

You can switch the order of the exercises around every week to switch primary emphasis..for example, heavy squatting as first exercise for push week 1 and heavy bench press as first exercise for push week 2. Basically, you can go low rep (6-10) and heavy for the first 10-12 sets but intensity will fall and you can go higher volume for the remainder. Also, week by week, you can switch up similar range of motion exercises like from DB to BB, angles (like from incline to decline db presses), handles (like from t-bar ro db rows), grips (narrow, wide, shoulder width for squat, leg presses, bicep curls, etc...) or pacing (super-sets, compound sets, drop sets, etc...)

20 sets is doable but tough and should not take you more than 75 minutes

Abs and calves I would do on your spare time on other days... dont need equipment to do ab exercises and just buy some dumb bells and an elevated platform to keep home to use for calves.

good luck

[Ronnie Rowland]

not trying to be harsh, but this wouldn't work too well. Not enough volume for sure. Then it is either flat OR incline which leaves out part of the chest. Then you go to a general shoulder exercise that is front delt heavy, where his time could be better spent working those same muscle AND the other part of the chest. You get both pulldowns and rows, but just not enough. with the overhead press and little rowing doing this long term would create an imbalance between the front and rear delts. Then isolation for upper traps? Why not work it along with the rest of the traps and other back muscles?

Day 2 the only good thing here is squats. Then there is a lot of arm isolation. Not very effective when arms can be worked with trunk muscles in compound pushing and pulling movements. Then there is also nothing for hamstrings. Long term working of quads and not hams will cause a very painful muscle imbalance where the patella is pulled outwards. Lots of knee problems.

I actually increases his volume by 2 sets per major exercise. It was my understanding rthat the exercises he listed were the only exercises he was going to do???

Over-head presses work all 3 heads of the deltiods not just the front. But, mostly front and side. I thought I did add traps with back but will look again.

I would do the split a bit different with more exercises and I agree he could use more for rear deltoids/lats now that you brung this to my attention. I'll take another look at it and re-post when I get a chance. I'm getting slammed at the gym, etc.

[sonnygll]

I actually increases his volume by 2 sets per major exercise. It was my understanding rthat the exercises he listed were the only exercises he was going to do???

Over-head presses work all 3 heads of the deltiods not just the front. But, mostly front and side. I thought I did add traps with back but will look again.

I would do the split a bit different with more exercises and I agree he could use more for rear deltoids/lats now that you brung this to my attention. I'll take another look at it and re-post when I get a chance. I'm getting slammed at the gym, etc.

Even more important is something for hamstrings. Always good to balance out quad and ham focused lifts.

One good thing for shoulders is a superset of clean and press with rear delt row. That gets the whole thing pretty nice. Even a little extra for traps, all 3 heads are used as stabilizers.

Of course many people can't do cleans, so it's not always a good recommendation for everyone.

[Ronnie Rowland]

guys, just wondering if anyone could help me out here.

because of a new job I can only train 2 times a week Wednesday and Thursday.

im using the abbreviated training style of stuart mcrobert this is what im guna do.


workout 1

squat x 3
pulldown x3
bent rows x 3
one arm row x 2
bicep curls x 3
hammer curls x2

workout 2

incline bench x 3
flat bench x 3
side laterals x 3 superset with shoulder press
skull crushers x 3
Extensions x 2

you think its ok…..

Do you train at a gym and do you plan to do hams and dead-lifts? We need more info!

[sidestep]

Do you train at a gym and do you plan to do hams and dead-lifts? We need more info!

no! im training at home “saves me time” got everything I need, just doing the basic exercises Iv trained in a gym for bout 6 years b4….

iv got 3 benches, about 200kg of weight, squat rack, can do dips ect, you think I should put dips in on chest day.

[Ronnie Rowland]

no! im training at home “saves me time” got everything I need, just doing the basic exercises Iv trained in a gym for bout 6 years b4….

iv got 3 benches, about 200kg of weight, squat rack, can do dips ect, you think I should put dips in on chest day.

I see.......When using a very low volume approach it's best to stick with only one exercise (your most productive exercise) for each major bodypart. However, you can priortize a body part by doing more sets/exercises. If you want to place extra emphasis on the chest then by all means add a second exercise which in your case could be dips. Reduce the sets to be performed on bench presses down to 3 and add 3 sets of dips (6 total work sets for chest).