Upper/Lower ABA BAB routine

[Jake LaMotta]

For the last 6 weeks I have been doing a routine where I work a body part once every seven days. I did this because, as some of you know, I had a 3 year layoff and needed to get back into the swing of things. After 6 weeks of good hard lifting and making some decent gains (in size and strength) I am now done with that routine and will be doing this:

3 days a week routine (ABA BAB) for 6 weeks. I will be doing all exercises 3x8-10 (resting 3 minutes between sets) keeping the same weight each set. I will progress the weights when I can do all 3 sets with 10 reps. I have not included arms because I feel for me personally, the pushing and pulling exercises on upper day hit my tris and bis more than enough.

Day 1 Upper

1. Flat dumbbell bench press 3x8-10
2. Bent over two arm dumbbell rows with elbows flared out 3x8-10
3. Seated dumbbell shoulder press 3x8-10
4. Wide grip lat pulldowns to the front 3x8-10

Day 2 Lower

1. Sled hack squat machine 3x8-10
2. Lying leg curls 3x8-10
3. Standing calve raises 3x8-10
4. Weighted crunches 3x8-10

Anyone care to comment/critique?

 

[kscowboy]

I would consider either declines or dips for chest. I have recently incorporated those back into my workouts and i forgot how effective they are. I dont think you are going to put on much size with this routine but you might tone up a little.

 

[tkav1980]

For the last 6 weeks I have been doing a routine where I work a body part once every seven days. I did this because, as some of you know, I had a 3 year layoff and needed to get back into the swing of things. After 6 weeks of good hard lifting and making some decent gains (in size and strength) I am now done with that routine and will be doing this:

3 days a week routine (ABA BAB) for 6 weeks. I will be doing all exercises 3x8-10 (resting 3 minutes between sets) keeping the same weight each set. I will progress the weights when I can do all 3 sets with 10 reps. I have not included arms because I feel for me personally, the pushing and pulling exercises on upper day hit my tris and bis more than enough.

Day 1 Upper

1. Decline bench press 3x8-10
2. replaced below.
3. Seated dumbbell shoulder press 3x8-10
4. Wide grip lat pulldowns to the front 3x8-10
5. Deadlift - 3 x 8

Day 2 Lower

1. squat 3x8-10
2. Lying leg curls 3x8-10/ alternate with SLDL
3. Standing calve raises 3x8-10
4. Weighted crunches 3x8-10

Anyone care to comment/critique?

Please read changes i think may be beneficial.
Oh...Daily macros depending on BW

Pro 400, Carbs 280, Fats 130 For 10 days.
assess Body weight/composition...Strength changes, and adjust accordingly.

 

[aeliop]

3 days a week routine (ABA BAB) for 6 weeks. I will be doing all exercises 3x8-10 (resting 3 minutes between sets) keeping the same weight each set. I will progress the weights when I can do all 3 sets with 10 reps. I have not included arms because I feel for me personally, the pushing and pulling exercises on upper day hit my tris and bis more than enough.

Day 1 Upper

1. Flat dumbbell bench press 3x8-10
2. Bent over two arm dumbbell rows with elbows flared out 3x8-10
3. Seated dumbbell shoulder press 3x8-10
4. Wide grip lat pulldowns to the front 3x8-10

Day 2 Lower

1. Sled hack squat machine 3x8-10
2. Lying leg curls 3x8-10
3. Standing calve raises 3x8-10
4. Weighted crunches 3x8-10

Anyone care to comment/critique?

I like the concept alot of alternating the upper/lower body. I am a firm believer of never working upper body 2 days in a row. I think this will ultimately wear your shoulders out.

I won't comment on all of your excercise choices, though sufficient not the best choices IMO, I will comment on the ones that I feel could hurt you.

I know you have had some shoulder problems in the past so I would stay away from
1. Flat dumbbell bench press and
3. Seated dumbbell shoulder press 3x8-10
I would never do Weighted crunches or any other ab excercise with weights.

 

[Jake LaMotta]

Please read changes i think may be beneficial.
Oh...Daily macros depending on BW

Pro 400, Carbs 280, Fats 130 For 10 days.
assess Body weight/composition...Strength changes, and adjust accordingly.

Thanks for the reply.

I noticed you took out the row and replaced it with deadlifts. Unfortanately, I can't do deadlifts because of an old lower back injury. Also, why would you take out rows? Don't I need an exercise for mid back thickness? I think deads only hit mid back isometrically and not dynamically (it doesn't matter because I can't do them anyway).

 

[Jake LaMotta]

I like the concept alot of alternating the upper/lower body. I am a firm believer of never working upper body 2 days in a row. I think this will ultimately wear your shoulders out.

I won't comment on all of your excercise choices, though sufficient not the best choices IMO, I will comment on the ones that I feel could hurt you.

I know you have had some shoulder problems in the past so I would stay away from
1. Flat dumbbell bench press and
3. Seated dumbbell shoulder press 3x8-10
I would never do Weighted crunches or any other ab excercise with weights.

To be perfectly honest aeliop, I have ZERO pain when doing a flat dumbbell bench press or a seated dumbbell shoulder press.

My question to you is...do seated dumbell shoulder presses sufficiently hit the medial delts?

Thanks for the reply by the way.

 

[tkav1980]

Thanks for the reply.

I noticed you took out the row and replaced it with deadlifts. Unfortanately, I can't do deadlifts because of an old lower back injury. Also, why would you take out rows? Don't I need an exercise for mid back thickness? I think deads only hit mid back isometrically and not dynamically (it doesn't matter because I can't do them anyway).

If you cant deadlift the go right ahead with the rows. Look at dusty hanshaws back. thats what deads can do.

 

[Jake LaMotta]

Has anyone else done a routine like this with no direct arm training and really focusing on the big 6 (flat bench, overhead press, row, pull ups, squats, deads (which I will replace with leg curls)?

Anyone ever not do any direct arm training (curls, pushdowns, etc.)? Anyone ever do only seated dumbbell shoulder presses for medial delts?

I made some good size/strength gains the last 6 weeks (with training a body part once every week) but now I'm ready to hit bodyparts more frequently (hence why I'm trying this program out).

Guys, thanks again for the replies.

 

[Jake LaMotta]

I just got back from the gym doing Day 1 (upper). I have decided to add arm training. So now it will look like:

Day 1 Upper

1. Flat dumbbell bench press 3x8-10
2. Bent over two arm dumbbell rows with elbows flared out 3x8-10
3. Seated dumbbell shoulder press 3x8-10
4. Wide grip lat pulldowns to the front 3x8-10
5. Tricep pushdowns 2x8-10
6. Seated dumbbell curls 2x8-10

Day 2 Lower

1. Sled hack squat machine 3x8-10
2. Lying leg curls 3x8-10
3. Standing calve raises 3x8-10
4. Weighted crunches 3x8-10

Anyone care to comment/critique?

 

[tkav1980]

For arms one set to failure may be enough since your already hitting them pretty hard with the rest of the training session.

for legs i like this set up
calvs
hams
quads.


You should be really going balls out on hacks to the point where you really shouldnt be able to do anything else after it.. just my opinion though.

You may find that after a few weeks you may have to lower the number of sets you do, as that volume and frequency MAY lead to over training. But again thats going to depend on your ability to recover.

 

[Jake LaMotta]

...For arms one set to failure may be enough since your already hitting them pretty hard with the rest of the training session...

Without the direct arm training, I'd only be hitting tris for 6 sets (3 sets of flat bench and 3 sets of shoulder press) and I'd only be hitting bis for 6 sets (3 sets of rows and 3 sets of pulldowns). Do you really think that would be enough? If I'm correctly doing rows and pulldowns I should be minimizing the amount of work my bis are doing anyway by using arms as 'hooks' and taking bis out of the movement...right? So if that's the case, isn't doing direct arm work necessary?

Do you feel I can get by with NO direct arm work?

...You may find that after a few weeks you may have to lower the number of sets you do, as that volume and frequency MAY lead to over training. But again thats going to depend on your ability to recover.

As for volume, I'm only doing 12 sets without the direct arm training and 16 sets with the direct arm training. You think that would possibly lead to over training? And with either set up, I'm only hitting each workout every 4-5 days (each workout will be done 3 times in 2 weeks). You think that would possibly lead to over training?

Not saying you're wrong on ANY of this, just clarifying. Also, do you feel I will sufficiently hit the medial delts by JUST doing seated dumbell shoulder press?

 

[tkav1980]

A lot of these recovery and growth questions are going to depend on your body's own ability to recover from training. There really is only one way to know if this routine is right for you and thats to try it out. For medial delts, the presses will be fine. when they stop working switch the exercise out for something else. I would keep the arm work in for now. If you notice that it isnt beneficial you can always drop it. Dont worry so much about the number of sets and worry about beating the everliving shit out of your muscles with each set you do.

 

[Jake LaMotta]

A lot of these recovery and growth questions are going to depend on your body's own ability to recover from training. There really is only one way to know if this routine is right for you and thats to try it out. For medial delts, the presses will be fine. when they stop working switch the exercise out for something else. I would keep the arm work in for now. If you notice that it isnt beneficial you can always drop it. Dont worry so much about the number of sets and worry about beating the everliving shit out of your muscles with each set you do.

Thanks tkav1980. I just wasn't sure if seated dumbbell shoulder press was more of an anterior delt or medial delt exercise. Peoples opinions seem to be divided on that one.

 

[tkav1980]

Thanks tkav1980. I just wasn't sure if seated dumbbell shoulder press was more of an anterior delt or medial delt exercise. Peoples opinions seem to be divided on that one.

bottom line. If your doing those with 120lb dumbells for 20 reps you wont complain about any part of your delt.

 

[Jake LaMotta]

bottom line. If your doing those with 120lb dumbells for 20 reps you wont complain about any part of your delt.

LOL That's a good point!

I find with seated dumbbell lateral raises it's hard to progress with the weights (I've been stuck doing 25 lbs. for 3x10 for the longest time. If I go any heavier than that than my form goes to shit).

So you guys think seated dumbbell shoulder press is just as a good medial delt builder as seated dumbbell lateral raises?

 

[tkav1980]

LOL That's a good point!

I find with seated dumbbell lateral raises it's hard to progress with the weights (I've been stuck doing 25 lbs. for 3x10 for the longest time. If I go any heavier than that than my form goes to shit).

So you guys think seated dumbbell shoulder press is just as a good medial delt builder as seated dumbbell lateral raises?

i think your still missing the point a bit. pick an exercise that you can progress in. you HAVE to make your body do something it hasnt done before.

 

[Jake LaMotta]

i think your still missing the point a bit. pick an exercise that you can progress in. you HAVE to make your body do something it hasnt done before.

Gotcha.

I'll just give this a try for 6 weeks and see how it goes:

*3 days a week routine (ABA BAB) for 6 weeks. I will be doing all exercises 3x8-10 (except arms which will be 2x8-10), resting 3 minutes between sets, keeping the same weight each set. I will progress the weights when I can do all sets with 10 reps.

Day 1 Upper

1. Flat dumbbell bench press 3x8-10
2. Bent over two arm dumbbell rows with elbows flared out 3x8-10
3. Seated dumbbell shoulder press 3x8-10
4. Wide grip lat pulldowns to the front 3x8-10
5. Tricep pushdowns 2x8-10
6. Seated dumbbell curls 2x8-10

Day 2 Lower

1. Sled hack squat machine 3x8-10
2. Lying leg curls 3x8-10
3. Standing calve raises 3x8-10
4. Weighted crunches 3x8-10