Originally posted by fietser_ivana
Wow.. Maelstrom.. sounds interesting. Complicated too..
Its a 22 week routine with three different workouts (give or take a week). One for cardio, power and size/strength. Not too complicated when you look at it like that.
So, considering that I've been on the Body-for-Life program for only 3 weeks (3 days WO, 3 days cardio , not 20 mins but 45 mins) with upper body on Mon-Fri-Wed and lower body on Wed-Mon-Fri and just switched to the one above, when should I switch to any one of the routines you mention..
That is a mix of routine two and three depending on intensity. If you aren't failing on the possitive than I would clasify that as my routine three which means you are ready for power routine number 1
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I'm trying to shed about 8-10 kg of weight after having attained my normal fit but still obese summer weight of 72-73 kg.
Routine 1 while looking like it won't do much cardio wise does burn TONNES of calories due to the pure intensity of it. It is very brutal and you should have someone who you the exercises in proper form. Here is a more detail breakdown.
1 BACK
light - hyperextension no failure (streches and relaxes my very overworked lumbars)
medium - barbell row (power and size on upper and lower back)
heavy - deadlift (this is a calorie burner and works hams, butt, lumbars and upper back. This IS the second best exercise to do for the whole body behind the squat)
2 - CHEST
light - flyes (stetch position light weight not failure)
medium - dumbell press
heavy - bench (I don't like these due to should injuries so I am super careful)
3 - LEGS (I LOVE LOVE LOVE hurting my legs)
light - superset leg ext and leg curl (I get a thick and deep pump)
medium - leg press no failure. Just to pump them up more
heavy - leg press...I kill them...brutal...pain...ahhhhh
This was the most effective routine I have ever done for burning calories and putting on power and strength...
In March the season will be in full swing and from then on I will need to recover from cycling in the weekends .. am planning to limit myself to 150K per ride, but for the 200-300-400-600 K BRMs and try to work up to 2 150K rides on both Sat & Sun ... starting from e.g. 75K on Sat and 0K on Sunday..
BTW, I will be in California & Oregon in February where I will combine training on the bike with working out..
This leaves only Dec & Jan.. not a lot of time to try out your routine-split!
Perfect time to push your power and strength...you will have a lot of time to recover by doing something similar for 6 weeks to my power section. The thing with power workouts that people don't always realize is it doesn't ALWAYS relate to size. Power relates to muscle fibres and speed...so if you gain power you won't always put on muscle weight.
I'd be very grateful to see that chart of you with extrapolations.. I will be doing sets of 6 reps from now but play by intuition so that I'm more or less exhausted by the end of each set and fully exhausted at the end of the 4th set (20-6-6-6).
It is 5 or 7 years old from a magazine. I 'think' I have a hardcopy somewhere around. I haven't done any personal training in years so most of my white papers are packed away.
Hmmm quit the isolated exercises and focus on compound exercises.. what on earth do you do for the quads if you hate the squat.. I would like to do the squat, but my achilles tendons are so short that I tumble over backwards..
Have you tried placing a small weight (stand on the edge of a metal plate) under your heels. This usually prevents over stretching...
Edit: I thought about the front squat as an alternative!
If you can do them, try it. I fell over a lot..my balance for some reason sucks on this exercise.
Luckily it is the hamstrings where I need to work on most of all.. I have gone back to clipless (Speedplay!) just 1,5 month ago!
I feel my hamstrings all the time now! Deadlifts for you madam! yessir!
Lunges instead of leg presses on a medium day would work too. You don't use much weight but you hit very difficult to reach muscles. Walking lunges kick ass (literally). I do 3 sets of 12 walking across my house. My gf always busts a gut because of the grunting and groaning...