Barbell training page

[BennettC]

So i'm going to going back to the gym finally after a month of strict bodyweight training. I used to do the split, chest, arms, legs, back, abs but I have been reading doing a full body workout with all the bigs ones. front squat, bench press, deadlift, cleans, ect would be more beneficial than doing a split. also one day ill focus more on lower body back squat, stiff leg deadlift, leg press, calf raises. Its my understanding that ill get much more out of this three days a week and doing isolation with the barbell and other dumbbell and machine stuff. Ill also be doing other exercise everyday like swimming, sprinting, cycling, walking with a weighted vest

Thoughts? Suggestions?

[David Garner]

I think most of the beginner programs focus on 5-6 compound lifts. I'm doing Stronglifts 5x5 now, but Starting Strength is similar. If you're beyond that, I'll defer to others since I'm a beginning lifter myself. But if you're just starting out, I'd suggest taking squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press and either row or power clean, and alternating workouts over a 3 per week schedule. Here is mine:

Workout 1:

Squat
Bench Press
Row

Workout 2:

Squat
Overhead Press
Deadlift.

Week 1, Workout 1 is Monday and Friday and Workout 2 is Wednesday. Week 2, they flip, and Workout 2 is Monday and Friday, and Workout 1 is Wednesday. Alternate going forward, etc.

[primalrob]

hitting the whole body with the big lifts is great, but i can't say whether or not it's better than splits. just from a time perspective, though, you can cover a lot of muscles with those big group lifts and have more days to other things. check out programs starting strength and stronglifts.

[BennettC]

So I have been reading on stronglifts 5x5 website and im impressed. this is the regimen im going with, i may add in the front squat and power clean though. with warm-up with calisthenics too

[EvRevFit]

*Palpatine voice* Goooooooooooood. Doooo the Strongliiiifts.

[BennettC]

Lol at EvRevFit. I'm super stoked about this program guys. I feel like its one I will be very happy with, can stay with, and am positive I will see massive gains. I'm going for that Arnold Schwarzenegger physique. I used to do the 6 day slip doing very high reps, often 20 rep squats and I see the difference in programs already. Its the tension output that matters. I will also continue to swim, walk, sprint, bike ect. on days I'm not weight training. I also have been slipping up with the diet these last couple days as I was traveling and indulging in some dark chocolate and other things. Haven't stayed on top of the calories like I'm supposed to. What matters is I have a plan and I'm loaded up with good nutritious food. Local free-range eggs, raw milk, kerrygold butter, wild Alaskan salmon, beef liver, steaks, green tea, ect. Hopefully gonna make an order from U.S. Wellness soon and get some better beef. I like the pet burger as it has added heart and liver and is just over $4/lb

[Abu Reena]

Stronglifts isn't going to give you the Arnold physique. 'roids plus lots of reps doing isolation exercises and living in the gym will give you the Arnold physique.

I'm not a fan of Stronglifts. Too much volume and too much weight too quickly. Starting Strength is a somewhat more sane approach.

[EvRevFit]

I'm not a fan of Stronglifts. Too much volume and too much weight too quickly. Starting Strength is a somewhat more sane approach.

How are you measuring volume? Total volume is a bit different from volume load (total weight lifted), which is what you would be looking at for a heavy lifting program. Last I checked, StrongLifts recommends starting with the empty bar no matter what your current maxes are and adding 10lbs per workout. This also isn't dogma. You could add 5# per workout if you don't want to progress as fast. That's starting off at a much lower volume load than SS. It all depends on what works best for the individual. My standard recommendation is to try it for a couple weeks and then come to your own conclusion about it.

[BennettC]

Stronglifts isn't going to give you the Arnold physique. 'roids plus lots of reps doing isolation exercises and living in the gym will give you the Arnold physique.

I'm not a fan of Stronglifts. Too much volume and too much weight too quickly. Starting Strength is a somewhat more sane approach.

I really don't see how it too much too quick. He is very adamant that you start with an empty bar. Even Though I am somewhat of an experienced lifter, Ive been out of it for ab 2 months now doing body weight training so I am going to start with an empty bar. Even though I know I can still bench 135. It's also my understanding that Arnold originally trained this way before moving on to his crazy split routines.

[adamm]

Abu Reena is correct, Stronglifts won't give you the Arnold physique. Stronglifts will get you stronger, and pack on some mass, but it is a beginner program. Arnold got his physique by a mix of both high volume low weight and high weight low volume training, but his capacity (willpower, genetics, whatever you want to blame) was insane. He would train for two hours twice a day! He did not get his physique from the 'roids. Back then roids were used only really during cutting to preserve mass, not to turn yourself into a horse (like today's bodybuilders, who stay on the juice all year round).

--Me