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Just wondering what you guys do after you've completed your weightlifting routine?

Fatality

Fatality

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Ok, so I've read around here and on other websites and I can't seem to find a sound foundation to the issue of what to do after you've completed your lifting routine, whether that be 4 weeks or months of lifting. Some people take the entire week off or some just decrease their weights by about 50%. What do you guys normally do? I'm wrapping up on my full-body routine and I'm about to do an upper body/lower body routine with a 2:1 ratio. I lift monday and tuesday and thursday and friday and have wednesday, saturday and sunday off. I also have implemented a high rep/low rep range as well. For example, monday would be upper heavy at 5-8 reps and tuesday would be lower heavy 5-8 reps and thursday would be upper light at 9-12 reps and friday would be lower light at 9-12 reps...so basically I'm asking what you guys do after you're done lifting so I can get a rough idea what I should do after I complete my ub/lb routine which will probably last maybe a month or so? Thanks!
 
Fatality

Fatality

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Basically this is my routine that I will be starting soon.

Upper Heavy
Incline Bench Press 2 x 5-8
Wide Grip Chins 4 x 5-8
Flat Bench Press 4 x 5-8
Bent Over Row 4 x 5-8
Overhead Press 2 x 5-8
Barbell Curls 2 x 5-8
Dips 2 x 5-8

Lower Heavy
Squats 4 x 5-8
Stiff-Legged Deads 4 x 5-8
Leg Extensions 4 x 5-8
Ham String Curls 4 x 5-8
Calve Raises 4 x 5-8

Upper Light
DB Incline Bench Press 2 x 9-12
T-Bar Rows 4 x 9-12
DB Flat Bench Press 4 x 9-12
Bent Over Row 4 x 9-12
DB Overhead Press 2 x 9-12
DB Curls 2 x 9-12
Rope 2 x 9-12

Lower Light
Leg Press 4 x 9-12
Ham String Curls 4 x 9-12
Lunges 4 x 9-12
Leg Extensions 4 x 9-12
Calve Raises 4 x 9-12

I'll follow for a while, basically, what should I do after? I know it's noobie, but I was just wondering.
 
BigBen

BigBen

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Granted that weight training is not necessarily my scientific expertise, I am of the opinion that scheduled workout routines for set days with set numbers for weight and repetitions are unrealistic and reflect mind sets that are heavily influenced by muscle mag gurus who are largely ignorant of the reality most lifters actually experience. These types of routines all make the assumption that the lifters performance will be consistent with the writers expectations across the board physically and emotionally. I have never found that to be my experience. I never did well with routines that said do 80% of my max on this day and 60% on another day. My energy levels, physical state and mood did not necessarily correlate as the routine required for the performance the routine demanded. Some days I could perform much better and other days I could not meet the expectations. Even when I recommend that type of routine I generally preface it with some sort of explanation of how I feel about those types of routines.

As a result I chose to no longer follow those types of routines and started "going by feel". It was at that point that I achieved my best gains and maintained a body weight of 280lbs at 5'10 before a car accident derailed my progression, and I underwent treatment for a compressed nerve, cranial nerve 12.

With all that said my advice, assuming you are looking for various opinions, is to go by feel. If you feel exhausted then try to determine the cause of your exhaustion and react to the cause. Let your joints take a rest if you feel like they need one and if you feel like lifting then do so. Try not to lift above what you know you are capable of doing based on the information you are getting from your body, ie; aches and pains. Their is a very real difference between lifting light b/c a person is being lazy and is not into their workout and lifting light b/c a persons body is not in the physical state to perform at a higher level at that moment in their training b/c of the physical state of their body tissues/organs(muscles are organs).

The best advice I can give you is to listen to your body, if you have reached that level, and go by feel. If you need to rest than rest, if you need to just decrease intensity, then drop your weights until you feel you are ready to increase them again.
 
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tim290280

tim290280

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^^ While I agree with you that the set protocol % training can never account for daily/weekly/monthly cycles, I don't like the phrases "listening your body" and "train by feel".

I personally have found that the set template protocols just didn't work for me because I'd have had field work or a work trip or similar that the training program just doesn't account for. As a result you end up doing a session that you suck at because you really needed to just have the day off. So I'm with you on that, programs have to be adaptable.

But the problem with the listening and feel is that even experienced people suck at understanding what it is that they are feeling. I remember one time deciding I'd train despite feeling crap and pissed off. Everything told me not to lift, but I did anyway because I wasn't going to get another chance that week. Hit an all time deadlift PB!!! How many times does this or the opposite happen? Sure if you get under the bar and suck, then yes then you can lighten off or change things around a bit, but I think it is better to at least get the basics done, even on those off days.
 
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Fatality

Fatality

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Either way guys, thanks for your help, much appreciated!
 
Arcane1129

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Tim, what do you recommend changing for a deload?
 
tim290280

tim290280

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^^ Dropping back by 20-40% of what you would normally do. So either less work or less load. Or alternatively skip doing the same stuff you would normally do and do something else. E.g. if you normally lift weights go for a couple of bike rides.
 
El Freako

El Freako

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Deload can be:
reduced percentages
reduced sets
drop assistance work, just main lifts
drop main lifts, just assistance work
different lifts
just bodyweight work
etc, etc, as long as a its a reduction in loading.
 
Daniel Andersson

Daniel Andersson

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As Tim and freako, a deload week
 

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philosopher

philosopher

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Deload indeed.

But it depends on the goal. If your goal is strength I would keep the intensitey while reducing the volume. BBing wise I would drop the intensity
 
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