Routine #3

This is a program I used once after a lay-off of not working out for a few months. The idea is quite simple. I selected 5 of my favorite lifts (benchpress, dumbbell press, T-Bar rows, cross-bench pullovers, and squats), selected the number of workouts (in this case, 90), selected a low weight for each lift to start with, and selected a "goal weight" I wanted to achieve at the end of the 90 workouts.

I used a spreadsheet to gradually work from the beginning weight to the ending weight. At first, when the weights were light, I increased the weight every workout. As things got heavier, I'd increase the weight every other workout. I always did sets of 10 reps.

I started doing 3 sets of 10 reps of each lift. Since the weights were pretty light, I worked out every day, and on a weekend, sometimes twice a day. As the weights got heavier I would do only 2 sets of 10, and work out every other day. Towards the end I was doing only 1 set of 10 (my goal) for the selected weight. The frequency of workouts depended on how rested I felt. I always tried to work out at least 3 times a week.

I found this to be a pretty flexible plan, since I based the number of sets and number of workouts on how heavy the weights were, and how I felt. (All weights are in pounds, and the weight for the dumbbell press is the total for both dumbbells.) Here's what I did:

Do 3 sets of 10

Do 2 sets of 10

Do 1 set of 10

WO #

Benchpress

Dumbbell Press

T-Bar Rows

Cross-Bench PO

Squats

1

95.00

80.00

90.00

65.00

140.00

2

97.50

82.50

92.50

65.00

142.50

3

100.00

85.00

95.00

66.25

145.00

4

102.50

87.50

97.50

66.25

147.50

5

105.00

90.00

100.00

67.50

150.00

6

107.50

92.50

102.50

67.50

152.50

7

110.00

95.00

105.00

68.75

155.00

8

112.50

97.50

107.50

68.75

157.50

9

115.00

100.00

110.00

70.00

160.00

10

117.50

100.00

112.50

70.00

162.50

11

120.00

102.50

115.00

71.25

165.00

12

122.50

102.50

117.50

71.25

167.50

13

125.00

105.00

120.00

72.50

170.00

14

127.50

105.00

122.50

72.50

172.50

15

130.00

107.50

125.00

73.75

175.00

16

132.50

107.50

127.50

73.75

177.50

17

135.00

110.00

130.00

75.00

180.00

18

137.50

110.00

132.50

75.00

182.50

19

140.00

112.50

135.00

76.25

185.00

20

142.50

112.50

137.50

76.25

187.50

21

145.00

115.00

140.00

77.50

190.00

22

147.50

115.00

142.50

77.50

192.50

23

150.00

117.50

145.00

78.75

195.00

24

152.50

117.50

147.50

78.75

197.50

25

155.00

120.00

150.00

80.00

200.00

26

157.50

120.00

152.50

80.00

202.50

27

160.00

122.50

155.00

81.25

205.00

28

162.50

122.50

157.50

81.25

207.50

29

165.00

125.00

160.00

82.50

210.00

30

167.50

125.00

160.00

82.50

212.50

31

170.00

127.50

162.50

83.75

215.00

32

172.50

127.50

162.50

83.75

217.50

33

175.00

130.00

165.00

85.00

220.00

34

177.50

130.00

165.00

85.00

222.50

35

180.00

132.50

167.50

86.25

225.00

36

182.50

132.50

167.50

86.25

227.50

37

185.00

135.00

170.00

87.50

230.00

38

185.00

135.00

170.00

87.50

232.50

39

185.00

137.50

172.50

88.75

235.00

40

187.50

137.50

172.50

88.75

237.50

41

187.50

140.00

175.00

90.00

240.00

42

187.50

140.00

175.00

90.00

240.00

43

190.00

142.50

177.50

91.25

242.50

44

190.00

142.50

177.50

91.25

242.50

45

190.00

145.00

180.00

92.50

245.00

46

192.50

145.00

180.00

92.50

245.00

47

192.50

147.50

182.50

93.75

247.50

48

192.50

147.50

182.50

93.75

247.50

49

195.00

150.00

185.00

95.00

250.00

50

195.00

150.00

185.00

95.00

250.00

51

195.00

152.50

187.50

96.25

252.50

52

197.50

152.50

187.50

96.25

252.50

53

197.50

155.00

190.00

97.50

255.00

54

197.50

155.00

190.00

97.50

255.00

55

200.00

157.50

192.50

98.75

257.50

56

200.00

157.50

192.50

98.75

257.50

57

200.00

160.00

195.00

100.00

260.00

58

202.50

160.00

195.00

100.00

260.00

59

202.50

162.50

197.50

101.25

262.50

60

202.50

162.50

197.50

101.25

262.50

61

205.00

165.00

200.00

102.50

265.00

62

205.00

165.00

200.00

102.50

265.00

63

205.00

167.50

202.50

103.75

267.50

64

207.50

167.50

202.50

103.75

267.50

65

207.50

170.00

205.00

105.00

270.00

66

207.50

170.00

205.00

105.00

270.00

67

210.00

172.50

207.50

106.25

272.50

68

210.00

172.50

207.50

106.25

272.50

69

210.00

175.00

210.00

107.50

275.00

70

212.50

175.00

210.00

107.50

275.00

71

212.50

177.50

212.50

108.75

277.50

72

212.50

177.50

212.50

108.75

277.50

73

215.00

180.00

215.00

110.00

280.00

74

215.00

180.00

215.00

110.00

280.00

75

215.00

182.50

217.50

111.25

282.50

76

217.50

182.50

217.50

111.25

282.50

77

217.50

185.00

220.00

112.50

285.00

78

217.50

185.00

220.00

112.50

285.00

79

220.00

187.50

222.50

113.75

287.50

80

220.00

187.50

222.50

113.75

287.50

81

220.00

190.00

225.00

115.00

290.00

82

222.50

190.00

225.00

115.00

290.00

83

222.50

192.50

227.50

116.25

292.50

84

222.50

192.50

227.50

116.25

292.50

85

225.00

195.00

230.00

117.50

295.00

86

225.00

195.00

230.00

117.50

295.00

87

225.00

197.50

232.50

118.75

297.50

88

227.50

197.50

232.50

118.75

297.50

89

227.50

200.00

235.00

120.00

300.00

90

227.50

200.00

235.00

120.00

300.00




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