Routine #1

This routine uses medium and heavy workouts for chest, back, thighs, shoulders, biceps, and triceps. It also throws in work for calves and abs. This is a 13 week schedule, utilizing a 2-on, 1-off, 2-on, 2-off schedule.

Below is a sample of the first two weeks of the routine. The 'B' workouts use heavy weights, and the 'A' workouts use a more medium weight. The 'X' workouts are when you do some ab and calf work. The black areas represent a day off. I've tried to schedule things so that, for example, you won't have heavy chest, shoulder, and triceps all in the same workout.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
chest B . A . . B . . .
back B . . . A . B . .
thigh . B . . A . . .
abs X . X . . X . X . .
calves X . X . . X . X . .
shoulders A . B . . A . B . .
triceps A . B . . A . B . .
biceps A . B . . A . B . .

For example, workout #1 would be heavy chest, calves, and medium biceps. Workout #2 would be heavy back, abs, medium shoulders, and medium triceps.

This routine is nice in that no two wokouts are exactly the same. There's lots of variety. Also, you never work two major muscle groups heavy in the same workout.

For heavy workouts I usually do 3 sets of 5 reps, trying to go to failure on the last set. For medium workouts I do 3 sets of 10 reps, trying to go to failure on the last set.

Here's an Excel spreadsheet for the entire 13 week program. This prints sideways on a legal size sheet of paper.



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