How can i know this is the workout for me? It will be the right workout for you if you want to build a good solid base of strength and size, on which you can further build and refine later on. Then add weight gradually and you will progress well. You should be using light weights and practising your form. If you are only in your second week of training you should not be struggling with anything. For anything else, just a couple of warm-ups is fine, maybe for 8 reps and then 5 reps. This last set is not essential for bench and overhead press, unless you are quite advanced. I always like to warm up for the big exercises (squat, deadlift, bench press and overhead press) with a light set of 10 first, then increase to about 55% of my top weight for 7 reps, then 75% for 5 and finally 90% for 3. You are right, of course, I should take a bit more care to use appropriate photos, but I couldn't find one of Reg Park that was available for use. Commentsĭavid (author) from Birmingham, UK on September 14, 2020: This is designed to be a three day per week routine, so you can do either Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, or any other combination as long as you never train two days in a row. Question: So should I do workout A and then the next day workout B? How should I plan my weekdays?Īnswer: No always have at least one day off between workouts. Or if you have any questions, just ask them in the comments below. So if you are not getting the results you want with your current routine, or if you are looking for the ideal workout routine to get started with, give this 5X5 method a try and let me know how you get on with it. This will give your arms some additional growth stimulation. Barbell curls can be added to workout A for 3 sets of 8 - 10 and parallel bar dips can be added to workout B for 2 sets of 10 - 12. When you have been doing this program for a while, you could add a couple of extra exercises to it if you wish. Partial movements give sub-par results, as well as leading to tight muscles and muscle imbalances, which can result in injury further down the line. And in the bench press the bar should touch your chest (it’s the bottom part of the movement that works the pecs most anyway). So ensure that in the squat you go right down until the tops of your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
It’s important to perform all exercises with proper form and through a full range of movement if you want to get the best results from them. But when you fail to complete all three sets, drop to one set immediately. But you could do three sets if you wish, and if you recover well enough. That should be enough for most people as deadlifts put an enormous amount of strain on the body. You’ll notice that in the deadlift I have suggested you do just one top weight set of 5 from the beginning. Probably the best way to put the method into practice is to do two different full body workouts, and alternate these over three weekly training sessions, so each is worked three times every two weeks. In fact there’s probably no better way to build muscle and strength for genetically typical, drug-free trainees. It worked for Reg Park, Arnold Schwarzenegger and countless others, and doing a 5X5 workout routine as described here will work for you too. The Ultimate Strength And Muscle Building Workout Routine? This is perfectly fine for beginners (say those in their first year or two of proper training), but when you are more advanced you’ll get better strength gains by going a bit heavier - at least occasionally. Whereas if you were doing all 5 sets with the same weight you could not realistically do this with more than about 80% of your 1RM. And by working up to one top weight set you’ll be able to get close to this figure for your final set. Your 5 rep max (5RM) will usually be about 85% of your one rep max (1RM). So your progress will grind to a halt.Īlso you’ll be able to work up to a heavier final weight set. This works better for more advanced people, as doing 5 sets of 5 with the same weight will eventually become too taxing (as the weights become much heavier), and you’ll find you’ll be unable to recover from it properly. For example you might start an exercise with 60kg for your first set, then increase to 75kg for your next set, then 90kg, then 105kg and finally 120kg for your final maximum weight set.