Solo's Old Routine

[solo47]

This is not "Old Solo's Routine"!

I do "uppers" (delts, bis, tris, pecs, lats, traps, upper back) one day then "lowers" (abdomen, lower back & full legs plus cardio) the next, usually going five or six days a week. My workouts are short but very intense, usually done in an hour.

This has worked for me for some time now, but a few guys at the gym tell me I should work only on a small muscle group each day. I understand why, but my cover-it-all routine has stood me fairly well for years now.

Maybe I need a change of routine, I don't know. I'm pretty tired PWO but it feels good. Any comments or suggestions?

Solo

 

[Lizard King]

Your results show you are doing something right.
I personally think you are overworking yourself, that upper body routine seems like way too much. How many sets and reps are you doing for each? Is it one for each group and then moving to the next?

 

[solo47]

Your results show you are doing something right.
I personally think you are overworking yourself, that upper body routine seems like way too much. How many sets and reps are you doing for each? Is it one for each group and then moving to the next?

I work on ye olde principal of three sets of 10 reps of each, but since I often lift at the edge of the possible, making the last 10 is never certain. I do 10 reps of one lift routine then move on to the next until I complete a circuit of three or four routines, and then I repeat twice. I do two circuits within each hour. I hardly pause to rest but I do just long enough to catch my breath. I think my upper chest needs work, so I'm changing my routine to begin on the upper incline bench press.

I've been changing up on "lowers" days so that after my 20 minutes cardio on the stairmaster, I focus either on my abs & calves or on the rest of my legs (hams, knees, full thigh lifts, abductor) with lower back.

Make sense?

Solo

 

[Lizard King]

Yes it makes sense but if you're doing 3 sets of 10 for each group on your upper day you are possibly doing 210 reps all for upper body with significant weight I would assume, just seems like it would be taxing especially if you are doing it every other day.

 

[jasthace]

I used to do a very similar routine in 1990 with a training partner,it went well for a while but hit a plateau in strength after a few months,it was a very taxing system strength wise.
I prefer to do chest/shoulders,back/bis or tris and legs, with abs and the arm muscle I didn't work with back on a my fourth day.