What would you change/add here for biceps, triceps and core?

[ron132]

Hi!
I'm back at the gym after taking a break for about a year, and I've been bulking for the past 3 months. I'm pretty happy with the progress I've made on my legs, back, chest (mid), and shoulders. I'd like to focus more on my biceps, triceps, and core muscles now since I feel like they're a bit behind the rest. Based on my goals, do you think there's anything I should change or add to my current program? I'm currently doing full body workouts, no splits:
Legs: 5x squats
Chest: 2x dumbbell bench press, 3x incline
Shoulders: 3x press, 2x lat raise, 2x lat fly
Back: 4-5x lat pulldowns (wide grip)
Biceps: 3x barbell curl, 2x cable hammer curl
Triceps: 3x skullcrusher, 2x dips
Abs: 2x toes to bar, 2x wheel, 2x cable crunch
I'm seeing good progress, but I'd like to know if you think I should make any changes or additions, particularly for my biceps, triceps, and abs.

 

[RiR0]

Put your bis and tris first if you want to focus on those.
I’d also recommend against full body if you want to focus on certain body parts

 

[ron132]

Put your bis and tris first if you want to focus on those.
I’d also recommend against full body if you want to focus on certain body parts

I do want to bulk and work on all muscles, and with my major 3 workouts a week is the limit for me
I will change the order though, sound good. Would you add any exc to the biscept/triceps?

 

[RiR0]

I do want to bulk and work on all muscles, and with my major 3 workouts a week is the limit for me
I will change the order though, sound good. Would you add any exc to the biscept/triceps?

You don’t want to gain weight but you want your arms to grow?

 

[RiR0]

No I wouldn’t add anything I’d focus on getting progressively stronger

 

[ron132]

No I wouldn’t add anything I’d focus on getting progressively stronger

Thanks!

You don’t want to gain weight but you want your arms to grow?

ofc I do, never said otherwise..

 

[buck]

I would get rid of the wide grip pulldowns as they activate less lats then a narrower grip. Plus more biceps wound probably be activated as they would get more of a range of motion. Rows could also activate more biceps in my opinon.

 

[ron132]

I would get rid of the wide grip pulldowns as they activate less lats then a narrower grip. Plus more biceps wound probably be activated as they would get more of a range of motion. Rows could also activate more biceps in my opinon.

So should I do both narrow grip pulldowns and rows? Or is just one of these enough?

 

[CJ]

Hi!
I'm back at the gym after taking a break for about a year, and I've been bulking for the past 3 months. I'm pretty happy with the progress I've made on my legs, back, chest (mid), and shoulders. I'd like to focus more on my biceps, triceps, and core muscles now since I feel like they're a bit behind the rest. Based on my goals, do you think there's anything I should change or add to my current program? I'm currently doing full body workouts, no splits:
Legs: 5x squats
Chest: 2x dumbbell bench press, 3x incline
Shoulders: 3x press, 2x lat raise, 2x lat fly
Back: 4-5x lat pulldowns (wide grip)
Biceps: 3x barbell curl, 2x cable hammer curl
Triceps: 3x skullcrusher, 2x dips
Abs: 2x toes to bar, 2x wheel, 2x cable crunch
I'm seeing good progress, but I'd like to know if you think I should make any changes or additions, particularly for my biceps, triceps, and abs.

Is that all 1 session? How often do you train?

 

[ron132]

Is that all 1 session? How often do you train?

It is. I train 3 times a week, and each workout is about 1.5 hours long. I can't go more than that atm.
I will have more time in about 1-2 months, so would you recommend that I go 4 times a week and split it?

 

[buck]

So should I do both narrow grip pulldowns and rows? Or is just one of these enough?

I never said narrow grip. Narrow grip usually leave the elbows in front of the body and then the lats are not fully contracted. I said narrower grip. The lats are activated by pulling the shoulders back and down. Stand with you arms at your side and pull your shoulders back and down. And that is where the elbows will be at full contraction of the lats for the most part. Seems most pro BB'ers spend more time rowing then doing pulldowns. I favor rows, Pulldowns have their place. And i can move more weight in a row. Most people can. More weight = more muscle activation as i see it. Chin ups activate more bicep and less lat. Seldom see a guy that does mostly chin ups have a wide thick back, but they can have decent biceps. Chin ups leave the elbows in front of the body.

 

[CJ]

It is. I train 3 times a week, and each workout is about 1.5 hours long. I can't go more than that atm.
I will have more time in about 1-2 months, so would you recommend that I go 4 times a week and split it?

38 sets per session is a lot. You might be trying to cram too much into each session.

If you're going to do Full Body days, how about 2-3 separate Full Body workouts , where you pick 1 exercise for each muscle group (a different exercise each session ideally), and give 100% effort into that one exercise?

 

[TBD]

38 sets per session is a lot. You might be trying to cram too much into each session.

This ^^^^^

I used to do full-body workouts + aerobic cardio three times/week, long ago. About the same as the OP: About ninety minutes per gym session. One day a fellow gym-goer remarked "It's past time for you to switch to more focused weight training."

I conferred with a colleague who'd once been in body-building competition. (Did well, too.) He recommended the following splits:

Day 1: Chest, triceps, and core (abs, obliques)
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Shoulders, back, and biceps

To that I added HIIT cardio on Days 0 and 4. Weight-training days were about forty minutes. Cardio days thirty.

I started making good gains again.

If I had something I felt was falling behind I'd add "bonus" sets, concentrating on that, to a day I'd otherwise not work that. E.g.: Add DB preacher curls on chest, triceps, and core day or chest presses on shoulders, back, and biceps day. And I'd do them differently than I would on the day I'd normally do them.

 

[RiR0]

This ^^^^^

I used to do full-body workouts + aerobic cardio three times/week, long ago. About the same as the OP: About ninety minutes per gym session. One day a fellow gym-goer remarked "It's past time for you to switch to more focused weight training."

I conferred with a colleague who'd once been in body-building competition. (Did well, too.) He recommended the following splits:

Day 1: Chest, triceps, and core (abs, obliques)
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Shoulders, back, and biceps

To that I added HIIT cardio on Days 0 and 4. Weight-training days were about forty minutes. Cardio days thirty.

I started making good gains again.

If I had something I felt was falling behind I'd add "bonus" sets, concentrating on that, to a day I'd otherwise not work that. E.g.: Add DB preacher curls on chest, triceps, and core day or chest presses on shoulders, back, and biceps day. And I'd do them differently than I would on the day I'd normally do them.

I’m not sure why people think more is the answer.
More days, sets, exercises, isn’t necessarily better or more productive.
If you’re training hard and progressive unless your recovery is above what most people have then what you listed isnt optimal or really good at all.

 

[TBD]

I’m not sure why people think more is the answer.
More days, sets, exercises, isn’t necessarily better or more productive.

Thing is: I wasn't doing more. I was actually doing less. E.g.: Rather than six-or-more sets of bicep curls/week I was doing two or four. Same for everything else. But, because of the splits, I was able to do everything with more focus and intensity.

I was doing more days, but that was only because I switched to HIIT, and I didn't want to do that on the same days I was doing strength training. HIIT is anaerobic, as I imagine you're aware.

You may regard that program as less-than-optimal, but it worked for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Then again: I wasn't trying to get ripped

 

[RiR0]

Thing is: I wasn't doing more. I was actually doing less. E.g.: Rather than six-or-more sets of bicep curls/week I was doing two or four. Same for everything else. But, because of the splits, I was able to do everything with more focus and intensity.

I was doing more days, but that was only because I switched to HIIT, and I didn't want to do that on the same days I was doing strength training. HIIT is anaerobic, as I imagine you're aware.

You may regard that program as less-than-optimal, but it worked for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Then again: I wasn't trying to get ripped

There’s no ripped or bulking routines.
That’s diet.
3 on 1 off 3 on 1 off I didn’t say wouldn’t work but 2 on 1 off 1on 1 off 2 on etc would allow for more recovery and better and longer progression.
It is less than optimal.
I don’t care about what your cardio schedule is.

 

[RiR0]

@lifter6973 would you care to share your “expert” opinion? Or do you just want to troll my posts?

 

[lifter6973]

@lifter6973 would you care to share your “expert” opinion? Or do you just want to troll my posts?

uh, what? Why bring me up? Don't worry about me.

 

[RiR0]

uh, what? Why bring me up? Don't worry about me.

Well you laughed at my comment. Don’t play dumb.

 

[lifter6973]

Well you laughed at my comment. Don’t play dumb.

I don't think I did but if you think so just know I'm not trolling you. So, I mean, that's it. Ok?