remedial/rehab routine?

[Mr. dB]

I've been off from training for the past five weeks due to injury and then illness. I started back this week, trying to ease back into things.

I've come up with the following split, thought I would toss it out for comments and suggestions.

A: chest, shoulders, triceps
B: back, traps, biceps
C: Legs

I'm doing this three-day split over a four day workout week, so that the weeks follow this pattern:

ABCA
BCAB
CABC
ABCA...

I've been doing 5x5s on basic core lifts only, starting kind of light and adding 5 lbs per workout, to build up to a point where I feel omfortable with challenging myself again. I figure after about six weeks of this, I oughtta be ready for a more normal routine.

Any thoughts, suggestions, improvements, criticism, will be appreciated. Thanks.

[Mr. dB]

^bump^

[Mr. dB]

:feedback:

[Big Mike]

I was waiting for ironlion to reply to this before I said anything since he's the expert :happysad:

What kind of injury did you have?

[Mr. dB]

Originally Posted by Big Mike

I was waiting for ironlion to reply to this before I said anything since he's the expert :happysad:

What kind of injury did you have?

A very stupid one.

In December, one Monday, it was leg day, and I was feeling lazy. So, instead of starting with squats, I headed for the decline leg press. I hadn't used this particular press in a while, and had the seat back adjusted a little too upright. First set, first rep, warming up with a light load of 7 plates/side, I slowly lowered the weight down as deep as I could go, just to get the feel of it. I got it down to thighs against chest, butt just starting to lift from the seat. I paused for a half second before driving the weight back up, and in that split second I felt something give in my chest. I cracked a freakin' rib!

It took me a couple of weeks to recover from that, then I caught the mother of all colds. Between the injury and the cold I was out of the gym for a total of five weeks.

[Big Mike]

Were you training 5x5 before the injury too?

[IronLion]

yeah I can relate to that injury, I tore the cartilage off a couple ribs about 4 months ago, and it still isnt totally healed, i wish i would have just broken a rib.

anyway as far as the routine goes, what I would do to make it better is vary the intensity and focus so that you are periodizing the training, and don't do too much right away. You may like the system and decide to stay with it.

Here is an example of a periodized bodybuilding routine, taken from an article by Dr. Fred Hatfield aka Dr. Squat, you can find many more good articles at his website.

AN EXAMPLE OF A PERIODIZED BODYBUILDING TRAINING PROTOCOL
Bodybuilders follow the same laws of training as any other group of athletes, but with a few critical alterations. These differences arise because in all of sport, only bodybuilding places an absolute premium on muscle hypertrophy processes -- it is the entire point of the sport.




__________________________________________________ ______________________________________
Notice: Intensity -- and PROGRESS -- is ever-upward.



Days of Rest After Days of Rest After Days of Rest After
Body Part “A” Workouts “B” Workouts “C” Workouts
__________________________________________________ _________________________________

Chest 2 Days Rest 3 Days Rest 4 Days Rest
Shoulders 2 Days Rest 3 Days Rest 4 Days Rest
Traps 3 - 4 Days Rest (No B Or C Workouts)
Lower Back 3 Days Rest 4 Days Rest (No “C” Workouts)
Upper Back 2 Days Rest 3 Days Rest 4 Days Rest
Biceps 2 Days Rest 3 Days Rest 4 Days Rest
Triceps 2 Days Rest 3 Days Rest 4 Days Rest
Midsection 2 Or 3 Days Rest (No B Or C Workouts)
Quads 3 Days Rest 4 Days Rest 5 Days Rest
Hams 3 Days Rest 4 Days Rest 5 Days Rest
Calfs 2 Or 3 Days Rest (No B Or C Workouts)
Forearms 2 Or 3 Days Rest (No B Or C Workouts)

The time between "C" workouts will vary anywhere from 9 days to as many as 16 days. The "A" and "B" workouts between the "C" workouts must be relatively devoid of damaging eccentric contraction in order to allow Type IIb muscle fibers a chance to once again appear. The "C" workout will emphasize eccentric movements, forcing fusion between these fibers and surrounding satellite cells (called "hypertrophy").

Incidentally, the Type IIb fibers are critical to athletes such as powerlifters, weightlifters, shot putters and jumpers. That is why a full 2 weeks or so respite from damaging eccentric movements must be taken before the day of competition. Detraining is easily avoided by weight training with concentric movements only.

As with normal periodization, the time between workouts for bodybuilders will vary depending upon 1) individual recuperative ability, 2) efficient use of supplements, diet, rest and other restorative techniques, 3) size and type of muscle, 4) severity of the overload (especially the severity of the eccentric phase of muscle contraction, and 5) gender and age.

For bodybuilders, as with other athletes, if you train again before recovery is complete you will overtrain (microtrauma of each workout accumulates and causes a reduction in the action potential of the muscle cells). The chief difference is in the way bodybuilders must handle eccentric movements and their damaging effects upon muscle cells (especially the highly fatiguable, easily destroyed IIb fibers).

If you train again after supercompensation is at maximum, you'll make gains, but nowhere nearly as efficiently. That is because, by that time, atrophy from detraining has begun.



PERIODIZATION FOR BODYBUILDING IS AS SIMPLE AS "ABC"
Notice in the above illustration that the progression is C-B-A-B-C-B-A-B-C-B-A and so forth. That's a personal thing. You can adjust it to fit your specific recuperative capabilities as you learn more about how your body responds to the schedule. You may find that you can recover faster, so more frequent C workouts -- or fewer A's and B's -- are called for. Or maybe you Type IIb fibers aren't recovering enough in a specific body part between your C workouts, so you add an A or a B. That's appropriate. The precise pattern is something only personal experience can show you.

"A" WORKOUTS are characterized by ample rest between sets in order to restore ATP, clear lactic acid and restore normal heart rate. This is a very low intensity workout designed primarily to avoid detraining effects while waiting for the "C" workout. Concentrate on training each bodypart according to how Mother Nature intended the muscle(s) involved to contract (e.g., with speed, limit strength or both).

The exercises performed for the larger muscle groups should be devoid of eccentric contractions to the greatest extent possible. If you don't have the technology (e.g., isokinetic equipment) to make this possible, at least de-emphasize the eccentric phase by lowering the weight very rapidly (of course, avoiding the ballistic shock at the end of the range of motion). For forearm, calf and midsection work, this does not apply because they're principally red (Type I) muscle fibers, making them highly resistant to fatigue and microtrauma.

Also, it is not generally feasable to perform midsection, calf or forarm movements explosively, as these muscle groups involve very short ranges of motion. In general, chest, biceps, and hamstrings movements are done explosively (contraction speed is their strong suit), while triceps, delts and quads are built for both speed and strength. Your back, lats and smaller muscle groups should be worked for strength.

"B" WORKOUTS are moderate intensity workouts designed primarily to avoid detraining effects while waiting for the "C" workout. The principal aim of this workout is to ensure that muscle size is not lost from myofibrillar, mitochondrial and sarcoplasmic atrophy. As with "A" workouts, the exercises performed for the larger muscle groups should be devoid of eccentric contractions to the greatest extent possible. If you don't have the technology (e.g., isokinetic equipment) to make this possible, at least de-emphasize the eccentric phase by lowering the weight very rapidly (of course, avoiding the ballistic shock at the end of the range of motion).

"C" WORKOUTS are called "holistic" sets. This is a maximum intensity workout, particularly because it is grueling and because eccentric movements are emphasized maximally. It is performed nonstop, combining 2 or more exercises into one "giant" set. In other words, CONTINUOUS changing back & forth from explosive, heavy movements to slow, continuous tension movements with lighter weights. No rest between 5s, 12s and 40s is allowed. Do a total of about 200 reps nonstop. Repeat this holistic set once if you feel up to it, but no more. It's possible to do this many repetitions because the muscle fibers involved in the explosive movements are not the same ones that are targeted in the slower movements. So, while you're doing slow movements using red (slow-twitch) muscle fibers, for example, the muscle fibers you just got through exercising with explosive reps (white, fast-twitch muscle fibers) are recovering. It is not necessary to perform calf exercises holistically. Instead, "strength shoes" are worn daily in order to keep them sufficiently stressed for long periods of time. Also, holistic sets are not used in forarm, midsection or calf training. Because your low back is so susceptible to injury, you will do well to avoid holistic training there as well.

DAYS OF RECOVERY REQUIRED FOR EACH BODY PART BEFORE TRAINING IT AGAIN,
AND THE RECOMMENDED EXERCISES FOR EACH BODY PART




BODY PART "A" WORKOUTS "B" WORKOUTS "C" WORKOUTS
__________________________________________________ ____________________
CHEST 2 days rest 3 days rest 4 days rest

Bench Press Bench Press Bench Press
Cable Crossovers Dumbbell Benches
Cable Crossovers
__________________________________________________ ____________________
SHOULDERS 2 days rest 3 days rest 4 days rest

Dumbbell raises Same Same, but do front,
(front, lateral and lateral and inverted
inverted) separately
__________________________________________________ ____________________
TRAPS 3 or 4 days rest

Barbell Shrugs (Trapezii I & II)
Barbell Shrugs while slightly bent forward (Trapezii III & IV
__________________________________________________ ____________________
LOWER BACK 3 days rest 4 days rest (No "C" workouts
recommended -- too
Back extensions Back extensions much chance of injury)

(Note: While it's OK to work the lower back on the same day as legs, you
should never do lower back workout the day before or after leg workouts)
__________________________________________________ ____________________
UPPER BACK 2 days rest 3 days rest 4 days rest



Bent over rows Bent over rows Bent over rows

Lat pulldowns Lat pulldowns Long cable pulls

Lat pulldowns

__________________________________________________ ____________________
BICEPS 2 days rest 3 days rest 4 days rest

Barbell curls Seated incline Dumbbell curls
(straight bar) curls Scott curls (Barbell)
(Note: While it's OK to work biceps on the same day as upper back, you should
never do biceps the day before or the day following upper back workouts)
__________________________________________________ ____________________
TRICEPS 2 days rest 3 days rest 4 days rest

Pushdowns Pushdowns Pushdowns
French presses French Presses
Nose Crushers


(Note: While it's OK to work triceps on the same day as chest, you should
never do triceps the day before or the day following chest workouts)
__________________________________________________ _____________________
MIDSECTION 2 or 3 days rest

Weighted Prestretched crunches
Russian Twists
__________________________________________________ _____________________
QUADS 3 days rest 4 days rest 5 days rest

Safety squats Safety squats Safety squats
Leg extensions Leg extensions
__________________________________________________ _____________________
HAMS 3 days rest 4 days rest 5 days rest

Keystone Deadlifts Glute/ham raises Glute/ham raises
(prestretch ham- Standing leg curls Standing leg curls
strings by tilting Keystone Deadlifts
pelvis, lower bar
to knees)


(Note: Quad and ham workouts typically best if done together)
__________________________________________________ _____________________
CALFS 2 or 3 days rest


Strength shoes (worn daily)

	Supps

[Mr. dB]

Originally Posted by Big Mike

Were you training 5x5 before the injury too?

Nah, I was just doing a fairly typical one body part/day split, volume training kind of deal. I'd also been in kind of a major slump due to a poorly managed weight-loss diet.

[Mr. dB]

Originally Posted by IronLion

yeah I can relate to that injury, I tore the cartilage off a couple ribs about 4 months ago, and it still isnt totally healed, i wish i would have just broken a rib.

I didn't seek medical attention, so I don't know if it was a broken rib, cracked rib, cartilage separation, or what. It sort of hurt to cough or sneeze for about a week, I was aware of it just from breathing, I couldn't sleep on my left side, and most upper body lifts were affected. I got over it fairly quickly, after one week I could cough without having to hold my abdomen, after two weeks I could sleep in any position, after four weeks I was no longer aware that there was anything ever wrong down there.

As for the periodization plan, I have printed that out and will have to read it several times.

Thanks.