Best Routine for Training? Test it Out Yourself.

Kris 5

The best routine is often intensely debated, with many settling on the general phrase of “everybody is different, what works for one person doesn’t necessarily for another”. You’re probably wondering, what does that help right? Well, we’re not going to settle on that phrase either. As a precursor to showing you our best routine, I’d like to mention this now and I’ll probably repeat myself later on in the article, but the reason this routine has been dubbed the best routine is not only due to the fact that it brings you results, but because it serves its purpose with all types of fitness goals. Whether you’re training for a sport like football or wrestling, or you’re just trying to put on some size, your body is going to be brought to its limits. The results go past muscle gain, as the movements you will be executing in the gym will provide you with essential gains in functional strength and power as well. I hope you’re ready!

To begin, I’d like to mention that this isn’t geared towards the casual lifter. If you really push yourself like you’re supposed to, you’ll find a new meaning in the term “exhaustion” by the end of the week. Nothing comes easy, so if you want results, you gotta step it up a notch. As I mentioned earlier, we’re not just dealing with muscle size, we’re getting a variety of other benefits from this workout routine as well. Explosiveness, Power, Mental/Physical Strength, Size, and Functionality (translation to real life events like lifting an object), are what make a best routine. Most are geared towards either Strength or Size, at best both, and leave out the others. Well you’re not here to learn about most routines, but the best routine. So let’s get to it, here’s the original workout:

Monday
Squat or box squat 2-3 x 5
Glute/Ham Raises or pullthroughs 3 x 10
Bent Row or Chest Supported row 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15

Wednesday
Bench Press or low board press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Skull Crushers 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10

Friday
Deadlift or rack deadlift 2-3 x 5
Leg press 2 x 10
Chin or lat pull-down 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15

Monday
Incline bench press or Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3
Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Tricep pushdowns 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10 Monday

Once the following Wednesday rolls around, you return to the previous Monday’s routine. So after completing these 4 workouts, your 5th workout will be the same as your 1st, and the cycle restarts. For those of you who are wondering why it looks like you will be working out only 3 days a week, you have to keep in mind that if this is followed properly this is a very tough routine and your body will need all the rest it can get. Make sure to use proper form on each exercise and really feel the muscle working. Do not overdo it, and as you can see, there is a mix between going heavy and going a little lighter with more reps so that it’s a very well balanced workout. You will hit all of your muscle groups, exhaust them, and bring them into growing overdrive if you make sure you also do your work outside of the gym (in the kitchen). Eat well, and sleep well!

After 6-8 weeks of being on this, it’s going to be important for you to either take a week off, or de-load. What does the latter mean? Go to the gym to continue with the routine, but only with weights that total 50% of what you were regularly doing, to allow your body to rest properly. For example, if you were Squatting 225 x 5 for 3 sets, do 115×5 for 3 sets. This is a taxing workout, you need to allow your body ample recovery. Once you are ready to restart and go for another run, I have added my own version of this routine that I have used extensively with great results. You can do this one from the get-go if you wish, that’s entirely up to you. As if the other wasn’t enough already, this one is even more hardcore. Check it out.

Monday

Squat 3 x 5
Hamstring Curls 3 x 10
Barbell or Dumbbell Row 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15

Tuesday

Bench Press 3 x 5
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Skull Crushers 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10

Thursday

Deadlift 3 x 5
Leg press or Lunges 3 x 10
Chin ups or lat pull-down 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15

Friday

Chest Dips 3 x 8
Dumbbell or Machine Flyes 3 x 10
Arnold Presses 3 x 8
Close Grip Bench Press (for Triis) 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10

I’m certain that if you eat right, rest well, and follow either routine correctly you will gain muscle mass as well as improve all the other attributes I mentioned. I’m not just talking decent gains, I’m referring to great progress, otherwise we wouldn’t really claim this to be the best routine now would we? Make sure your protein intake is high and you’re eating a ton and you will be golden. Good luck with your results, and let us know how it goes!