Weightlifting for Kiwis - Discussion and support regarding the art of swole

  • 🏰 The Fediverse is up. If you know, you know.
  • Want to keep track of this thread?
    Accounts can bookmark posts, watch threads for updates, and jump back to where you stopped reading.
    Create account
Ive been lifting for almost a year now and I was wondering if i should up my volume or not. My current routine is 3-4 times a week. Chest and Back, Legs, Arms and Shoulders, and if im feeling good an extra Arms and Shoulder day. I do 2 to 3 sets all to failure in a rep range of usually 6 to 8 sometimes 4 on big compounds. Since i mostly work out at home I really only do free wieghts and some body weight stuff (like dips). I know no matter what you do you cant really get faster gains (other than steroids obviosuly which im not doing) but i was wondering if maybe higher volume could help or if I should just keep doing what im doing?
 
Bob Faget said:
Ive been lifting for almost a year now and I was wondering if i should up my volume or not. My current routine is 3-4 times a week. Chest and Back, Legs, Arms and Shoulders, and if im feeling good an extra Arms and Shoulder day. I do 2 to 3 sets all to failure in a rep range of usually 6 to 8 sometimes 4 on big compounds. Since i mostly work out at home I really only do free wieghts and some body weight stuff (like dips). I know no matter what you do you cant really get faster gains (other than steroids obviosuly which im not doing) but i was wondering if maybe higher volume could help or if I should just keep doing what im doing?
Click to expand...
You shouldn't be doing 2 to 3 sets to failure. The last set should be to failure
 
Bob Faget said:
Ive been lifting for almost a year now and I was wondering if i should up my volume or not. My current routine is 3-4 times a week. Chest and Back, Legs, Arms and Shoulders, and if im feeling good an extra Arms and Shoulder day. I do 2 to 3 sets all to failure in a rep range of usually 6 to 8 sometimes 4 on big compounds. Since i mostly work out at home I really only do free wieghts and some body weight stuff (like dips). I know no matter what you do you cant really get faster gains (other than steroids obviosuly which im not doing) but i was wondering if maybe higher volume could help or if I should just keep doing what im doing?
Click to expand...
The way I was taught to do splits was Legs, Push (bench press, overhead press, tricep extension, etc), Pull (rows, curls, lat pulldowns, shrugs, flies, etc).

2 sets of 6-8 (sometimes 4) reps seems like not a lot unless you're doing like 12 different exercises per workout.

Doing every set to failure and reaching failure in 4 reps means you're trying to lift way too heavy. Stop ego lifting and actually do some proper work.
 
The Crescent King said:
Anybody else watching the Arnolds? The only competitor I'm familiar with is Sam Sulek, but he's not going to win obviously.
Click to expand...
I really don't find bodybuilding as a spectator sport interesting at all anymore. There isn't anybody worth following now that Cbum is done and Sulek isn't there yet (as if someone could understand why). Everyone else is just uninteresting. The open is just full of guys who are juiced to the tits to be as big as possible but have zero conditioning. The entire women's divisions are just there so a bunch of women can claim a prize and sell their diet plans to middle age women
 
22 Rimfire said:
I am now you prompted me to watch online, thanks. From the pre-judging, he looks set for 2nd place with Vissers taking the win.
Click to expand...
A lot of people are dogging on Sam for his posing. In the side turn Wesley did mog him a little, but that's to be expected. I thought Sam looked great, especially relative to his last show, but his waist/midsection is quite blocky compared to the shoulder/waist ratio of the other competitors. According to Greg Doucette Sam is placing 7th or 8th.
 
The Crescent King said:
A lot of people are dogging on Sam for his posing. In the side turn Wesley did mog him a little, but that's to be expected. I thought Sam looked great, especially relative to his last show, but his waist/midsection is quite blocky compared to the shoulder/waist ratio of the other competitors. According to Greg Doucette Sam is placing 7th or 8th.
Click to expand...
I have no confidence in my own assessment here, I just can't deny that Vissers at minimum looks better.
 
Arnold Classic 38 - 2026 Classic Physique Results.PNG

Boom. Much lower for Sam than I expected, but I can see why after the group lineup/posedown.
 
Last edited:
Picked up some dumbbells and like 200 lbs of different sized weight plates, and my poverty gym is basically ready. I need to figure out a squat rack situation but for the meantime I can probably replaced barbell back squats with something else.
 
VargReallyDidNothingWrong said:
Picked up some dumbbells and like 200 lbs of different sized weight plates, and my poverty gym is basically ready. I need to figure out a squat rack situation but for the meantime I can probably replaced barbell back squats with something else.
Click to expand...
Don't cheap out on a rack, just check craigslist/ebay/facebook/whatever every day. Don't cheap out on something that could seriously hurt you.
 
Yeah I'
dick brain said:
Don't cheap out on a rack, just check craigslist/ebay/facebook/whatever every day. Don't cheap out on something that could seriously hurt you.
Click to expand...
Yeah I see them being sold for 150-250 bucks pretty regularly but I can't afford it yet and I'm not sure where I'd put it anyway, not enough room in the garage right now.
 
Bob Faget said:
lifting for almost a year now and I was wondering if i should up my volume or not
Click to expand...
You have already had a couple replies on this, none of which are wrong, but here’s something more comprehensive.

If you’ve been lifting for a year and asking this question it is likely that you’ve notice progress slowing down. This is normal as you will always adapt to the stimulus you’re subjecting yourself to, so you should change something if you want to see progress continue. Doesn’t have to be volume though, you can also change the movements you’re doing. Small changes like going from skull crushers to behind the neck dumbbell tricep press can change the angle and forces enough that you feel like a newbie again and growth returns. Research some common alternatives to the exact lifts you’re doing and try some substitutions. You’d be surprised.

People have all sorts of reasons for working out at home - so this may not apply or be possible for you - but if you can do it I recommend actually joining a gym. As a 1 year old lifter you won’t be horribly out of place, and you will learn a LOT. Just watching what other guys do will open up a world of knowledge and, once you’re somewhat of a regular, you’ll have people gladly sharing their tips and advice and all sorts of things that will propel you forward.

And to give a more direct response to your question, 4 days a week really is the minimum unless you have a super physically demanding job or are really seriously practicing another sport. I also think you’re light on sets. I always pick 5-6 lifts, then do 1 light warm up set of 15+ reps then 3 working sets of 10-12 reps where the last 1 or 2 reps is a huge struggle. Don’t worry about all this ‘failure’ or RiR stuff, just get though your 3 working sets feeling like you didn’t leave anything on the table. After my 5-6 lifts I’ll throw in some basic body weight movements to hit little stabilizers and abs like crunches, leg raises, that kind of stuff. Keeps your physique balanced.

I hope there was something helpful for you in there. No matter what you end up doing, just stay consistent and don’t stop (even if it seems like you’re plateauing for a bit) the fastest, strongest, fittest people are the result of the long term grind not any one routine or trick.

Great name BTW.
 
Haven’t watched Sam in like 2 years but I liked his bare-bones approach to lifting, just heavy sets to failure instead of 20 variations of a curl because you gotta hit every muscle fiber, bro. Glad he made it to the Arnold’s and hasn’t died from whatever stack he used to be on making him red and hyperventilating from simply talking.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom