After this summer vac, I wasn’t sure how to start my next cycle. Problem is, with my last cycle (in which all workouts were to-failure and beyond) I didn’t really get what I wanted. My general condition was a feeling of constant fatigue. Furthermore, I was not able to increase significantly my poundage in any exercises.
My diagnosis: I was in overtraining.
That being said, I decided to trade some intensity with volume. Here what my new program looks like.
Day 1 – Full body workout in a circuit
Warm-up
- Trapbar Deadlift: 15 reps
- Dip: 12 reps
- Chinup: 10 reps
Repeat the above once. I take almost no pause between exercises in the circuit.
Day 2, 3 – Aerobic workouts
20 min jogging (heart rate at around 65-85%) on the treadmill one day and 20 min interval (alternating high intensity/active rest) on the stationary bike the other day.
Day 4 – Upper body workout again in a circuit
Warm-up
- Dip: 12 reps
- Flat bench Dumbbell Fly: 10 reps
- Chinup: 10 reps
Repeat the above twice. And again with minimum pause between each set.
L-Fly: 3 sets of 10 reps.
Ab work.
That’s it!
I do all 4 days in a week, on weekdays. Even if I make more sets, it takes me roughly the same time in the gym. The reason is, pauses are much shorter than before. And I get a bonus: some cardio effects.
The reps listed above are, except for Deadlift, Dumbbell Fly and L-Fly, the target reps. This means that if I can make the target reps for all my sets, I will add some weight in the next workout for that exercise.
As I will progress in my cycle, I will certainly have to chop off some volume. This will go on until I’m back in a to-failure approach. Ultimatly, in some future time, I will have to stop, take a break and resume with a new program/cycle.
A final note: I only do leg or lower body once per week. I get enough training with my aerobic workouts; which are all legs.
Until next post, Lift Consciously 