TheUnlikelyToad 
"I want to Inspire, Motivate, and Challenge others to be their very best."
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I've tried a lot of routines during the last six years. The secret is to listen to your body and don't be afraid to try new things. Honestly, that handicaps so many people in my opinion. If I was afraid six years ago, I would never be the MAN I am today ;)
Basically my routine revolves around working 16 sets a week for large body parts and 8 sets a week for smaller body parts. I do this because there a few studies out there that support this for muscle hypertrophy while utilizing time under tension to your advantage (8-10 reps focusing on the negative). Breaking it down even further, workouts consist of 3 exercises each day which allows for a twice a week routine subscribing to the strategy outlined above implementing a 2 on, 1 off or a 3 on, 1 off protocol.
For instance, let's take a typical Back and Bi day. My three selected exercises might be: Iso High-Rows, Back Extensions, and Bicep Curls. For this particular day I would do 8 sets Iso High-Row, and 4 sets each of Back Exts and Curls. Since the upper portion of your back and lats cover a greater surface area 8 sets will be used where as only 4 sets will be needed for small areas. Using this routine twice a week will provide weekly set totals of 16 and 8 respectively.
Due to the body's ability to adjust and adapt to any type of training rather quickly it's important to vary your exercises frequently. For me, this is easier said than done as I'm limited to machine based equipment as a direct result of my lack of motor control and balance. What I have found to be most effective in this situation is to rotate between 2 to 3 different core exercises for a given bodypart every 2 weeks or 4 workouts. Using the example above, I would have 4 Back and Bi workouts based off the Iso High-Row machine before switching to a Lat Pulldown or a Seated Row for another round of 4 workouts.
I've found this 2 week protocol to be almost perfect in terms of progressive gains and gives me the ability to make smaller consistant gains within each micro-cycle. By the time I come back around training Iso High-Row again, almost a month has past. In a way, I have theorized this as a training layoff without the actual layoff of muscle stimuli. So once one comes back to aforementioned routine again, it's an adjustment. I have noted that at first I am slightly weaker missing my last months numbers by a few pounds or even reps. However after the first initial workout back, I can usually progress to the point where my training starts slowing again which coincides with the end of my two week cycle.
More to come later... |
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