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Like most of you (I guess), in my quest for building a great physique, I′m always looking for that mysterious ′Perfect Routine′ (sounds familiar?). Currently, I think these are the best routines, at least for me:
ROUTINE #1
DAY 1:
1. Barbell Squats
2. Parallel Bar Dips
DAY 2:
1. Close-Grip, Palms-Up Chin-Ups (Pullups)
2. Regular, i.e., Bent-Legged, Deadlifts
Notes:
Basically, it′s the Athlete′s Routine or Improved Consolidation Routine. I only mixed things a bit up to my personal preferance. I like combining Squats with Dips (pushing exercises) and Chins with Deadlifts (pulling exercises, although Deadlifts also involves some pushing with the legs). And I HAVE to start with Chins, because otherwise they would suffer.
ROUTINE #2
DAY 1:
1. Barbell Squats
2. Parallel Bar Dips
3. Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raises
DAY 2:
1. Close-Grip, Palms-Up Chin-Ups (Pullups)
2. Regular, i.e., Bent-Legged, Deadlifts
3. Standing Calf Raises
Notes:
This is the same as Routine #1, only I′ve added two isolation exercise for overall ′balance′ – although at this point I′m still not sure whether it′s really necessary to include them. I′ve also been thinking about including Seated Military Presses instead of Dumbbell Laterals, but they should rather be done on Day 2 (after Deadlifts) because of overlap with Dips on Day 1. Calf Raises could be done on Day 1 then (after Squats or after Dips).
ROUTINE #3
DAY 1:
Chest:
1. Incline Dumbbell Flyes
2. Parallel Bar Dips
Delts:
1. Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Triceps:
1. Lying Triceps Extensions
DAY 2:
Legs:
1. Leg Extensions
2. Barbell Squats
Calves:
1. Standing Calf Raises
Abs:
1. Crunch-Style Sit-Ups (Crunches)
DAY 3:
Back:
1. Close-Grip, Palms-Up Chin-Ups (Pullups)
2. Regular, i.e., Bent-Legged, Deadlifts
Delts:
1. Bent-Over Dumbbell Laterals
Biceps:
1. Standing Barbell Curls
Notes:
1.) This is my ′Ideal Routine′ for overall balance. It′s based on the routine from Heavy Duty I, but I′ve dropped and/or changed a few exercises to my preferance. To my opinion, this is the best Ideal Routine: first, because you′re training most of the pushing and pulling muscles together, so there′s less chance of overlap BETWEEN workouts; second, because you can spend even less time warming up (when training the chest, for example, you′re delts and triceps already get a good warm-up). Besides, training TWO large bodyparts (like chest AND back, for example) together, like Mike would later recommend, is WAY too much for me!
2.) Isolation exercises like Flyes, Leg Extensions, Crunches and Bent-Over Laterals could be dropped periodically.
3.) If you′re able to tolerate it – at least periodically -, one set of Dips for the triceps after Triceps Extensions and one set of Chins for the biceps after Curls could be inserted.
4.) If necessary – at least periodically – a set of Leg Curls for the hamstrings after Squats and a set of Dumbbell (or Nautilus) Pullovers could be inserted to pre-exaust the last for the Chins to come.
5.) Of course exercises could be substituted. I chose to include lots of free weights, because my gym doesn′t have a proper arsenal of high-tech equipment (just some basic regular and Olympic Barbells, Dumbbells and simple machines like a Leg Extension, a Vertical Leg Press, a Pec Deck, a Pull-Down, and both a Standing and a Seated Calf Raise Machine. We also used to have a Univeral Machine, but not anymore).
Any comments are welcome. Many thanks in advance!
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