How Important is it to Follow a Strict Routine?

Jozifp103 said:

is it really necessary to follow a strict routine? Do you really have to stick with the same routine for weeks at a time? Do you think you could do different exercises every week for each muscle and still make solid gains?


I want to hear YOUR thoughts/experience with this.

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They have a name for this type of training, its called "cross fit" lmao

on a more serious note however, I prefer a routine for a few months at a time before changing it up. To each his or her own though as I agree you can still grow

For me I do my best work when i track everything.... but i burnout with this so I like to take a break from it and do something more like youJoz. Same with diet. You have to do whatever works best for you at the time.

Agreed! And if your in tune with your body, you'll know when its time to switch it up!

Presser said:

Agreed! And if your in tune with your body, you'll know when its time to switch it up!

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My problem is when I should listen to my body I ignore it for a while too long haha whats my body know what I dont know??..... uh wait... nevermind

I am going to slay the sacred cow of BB, but I keep no journel when I work out and have no specific workout planned(I do know which bodypart I am going to work) before I hit the gym. I just go............I superset unusual things and am always changing things, tempo, reps, drop sets, etc..... Every body part workout is different every single time.

Do I recommend this for the guy with less than 2 years under his belt, no. I have been doing this for almost 25 years, in that time you learn how to push your body and when the CNS says "uncle".

So I say relax and just kill it until you body says no more!!!

yellow snow said:

I am going to slay the sacred cow of BB, but I keep no journel when I work out and have no specific workout planned(I do know which bodypart I am going to work) before I hit the gym. I just go............I superset unusual things and am always changing things, tempo, reps, drop sets, etc..... Every body part workout is different every single time.

Do I recommend this for the guy with less than 2 years under his belt, no. I have been doing this for almost 25 years, in that time you learn how to push your body and when the CNS says "uncle".

So I say relax and just kill it until you body says no more!!!

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So far this seems to be the general consensus......

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I tend to be a creature of habit. So, it is very typical for me to fall into a routine, whether intentional or not.

That said, when living in Vegas, the gym was almost always busy, so I was often forced to change things up simply due to availability and my unwillingness to wait. It was pretty commonto have to either change up the order of things, substitute heavy dumbbells for barbell, and generally improvise. I gained 30 lbs in the two years we lived there, and my strength increased considerably.

Currently, I'm following a fairly strict routine, but this itself is a "change up" in a way. As a result I'm getting steadily stronger and am seeing significant gains in muscle mass. What is totally irregular for me even during this program I'm following is frequency. My work schedule simy doesn't permit a workout schedule by the calendar. Sometimes it's 4 days between repeating a body part, other times it's as long as 2 weeks.

I've made significant progress in either case. I conclude that it doesn't really matter too muchbwhat I'm doing, as long as the intensity is up there.

I follow a routine somewhat. But I change things up often and improvise accordingly. Like if someone is on free weight rack at gym.
What I change up is volume and rest times between volume. For me if I want to gain size I rest 2 to 3 minutes at most between all sets go heavy and lay off cardio of any type. My muscles will grow this way 4 reps at most.

If I wanna add hardening appearance and more cuts and definition I rest 1-1/2 to 2 minutes at most but don't rest half way through doing drop sets and supersets almost like a circuit without stopping for last 1/3 of workout. I still do fist main set heavy after warmup at 4 reps to maintain strength and muscle fast twitching.
I have learned my body, what works. I have a high metabolic rate I can eat anything and however much with going over 13% as long as I am doing my 5 days a week workouts. Of coarse I clean up diet but I don't count calories I only counts grams of protein, carbs and fats. I gain better with higher good fat intake and carbs. I eat Peanut Butter 2-3 table spoons at at time all day just in day though. And good carbs. I try to make good choices but I can eat things most people avoid and body fat will vary at 13% instead of 10% for example.

- I adjust intensity and rest times between.
- I adjust food intake but can eat so much, adjusting for
me means forcing more food down.
- But I do clean up diet when necessary sodium intake and cut somewhat with my kids snacks that I eat and double meat instead of French fries.
-Adjusting my activity level and rest times including adding sleep gives me biggest changes even with acne.
- when I workout I make sure muscle is fatigued before stopping. Each time will very. I make sure it is pumped and fatigued. That muscle is worked to its maximum for time I have to do it. So if I have 45-60 minutes to get workout done I adjust workout to fatigue that muscle.

I get my 5 workouts in every week no matter what. Usually Monday-Friday but if I miss I make up on weekends.
I sometimes workout a little extra add a day on weekends.
I workout to maintain physique weight ranges 180-210. Current weight 189 my efforts are to be at 205 and 10% or less body fat. When I was like 28 twelve years ago I can hit 212 at 8% and maintain 11% from 200-215 pounds.
Today it's tougher and what is funny is I can eat more.

Muscle mechanic said:

I get my 5 workouts in every week no matter what. Usually Monday-Friday but if I miss I make up on weekends.
I sometimes workout a little extra add a day on weekends.
I workout to maintain physique weight ranges 180-210. Current weight 189 my efforts are to be at 205 and 10% or less body fat. When I was like 28 twelve years ago I can hit 212 at 8% and maintain 11% from 200-215 pounds.
Today it's tougher and what is funny is I can eat more.

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Yeah when I was 25 to 28 I was 200-205 and had to be no more than 10%. And no gear. I didn't touch gear till 34. Now on a trt dose I have to fight to stay under 15% and if I wanna be 10% need more than trt dose or the muscle mass says bye bye

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EMW14 said:

I tend to be a creature of habit. So, it is very typical for me to fall into a routine, whether intentional or not.

That said, when living in Vegas, the gym was almost always busy, so I was often forced to change things up simply due to availability and my unwillingness to wait. It was pretty commonto have to either change up the order of things, substitute heavy dumbbells for barbell, and generally improvise. I gained 30 lbs in the two years we lived there, and my strength increased considerably.

Currently, I'm following a fairly strict routine, but this itself is a "change up" in a way. As a result I'm getting steadily stronger and am seeing significant gains in muscle mass. What is totally irregular for me even during this program I'm following is frequency. My work schedule simy doesn't permit a workout schedule by the calendar. Sometimes it's 4 days between repeating a body part, other times it's as long as 2 weeks.

I've made significant progress in either case. I conclude that it doesn't really matter too muchbwhat I'm doing, as long as the intensity is up there.

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I actually like semi busy gyms for this reason, it makes me change things up. I say semi busy, because one time on business I went to a gym where literally every piece of equipment had someone on it and no one would move..............everyone did their set then sat on the machine. They kept looking at me odd when I would ask to work in with them. ( thanks for keeping the seat warm jack ass!! I'll be back in 3 mintutes after completting a circuit).

yellow snow said:

I actually like semi busy gyms for this reason, it makes me change things up. I say semi busy, because one time on business I went to a gym where literally every piece of equipment had someone on it and no one would move..............everyone did their set then sat on the machine. They kept looking at me odd when I would ask to work in with them. ( thanks for keeping the seat warm jack ass!! I'll be back in 3 mintutes after completting a circuit).

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I don't know what hapoened to gym etiquette or when, that working in with one or two guys became an odd thing. When I fist started training (in the mid to late 80's), at least at the gym I belonged to, it was uncommon NOT to get asked if you were training alone or with just one other guy. Especially on something like flat bench! 3 guys training together, stripping plates or adding them as needed is super fast, there are 2 spotters right there, and you gotta take a rest between sets anyhow... WTF is the problem???

I've had guys ask me how long I'll be; I'd say, "5 more sets, but you can work in with me if you want." They look at me funny and go away... I don't get it.

This is getting off topic, so I'm gonna shut up now...

EMW14 said:

I don't know what hapoened to gym etiquette or when, that working in with one or two guys became an odd thing. When I fist started training (in the mid to late 80's), at least at the gym I belonged to, it was uncommon NOT to get asked if you were training alone or with just one other guy. Especially on something like flat bench! 3 guys training together, stripping plates or adding them as needed is super fast, there are 2 spotters right there, and you gotta take a rest between sets anyhow... WTF is the problem???

I've had guys ask me how long I'll be; I'd say, "5 more sets, but you can work in with me if you want." They look at me funny and go away... I don't get it.

This is getting off topic, so I'm gonna shut up now...

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No please keep going.................I love it when some one else gets working in. It means when I do a super set someone else is around to let others know that two guys are using this "thing". This sitting on equipment and responding to text ( or the ultimate stupidity, selfies in the mirrror, WTF) in between sets seems super douchie, but then again I started out in a basement called the dungeon with metallica and pantera played on the tape player/boom box..............Then again everyone askes about a secret, the secret is to quit acting like a bitch and move some weights, know I am getting off topc and I will shut up !!

Lol! That is so funny because I move around and am using several machines at same time especially toward end of workout.
I don't mind working in with or letting anyone it keeps a tempo and rhythm and removing weights is adding to activity.
I get same look about working in. And when I say it's all good for them to they often think they can take it over!lol

What I like to do and what works for me are very different. I like to go on a schedule, but I grow when I go half as often and listen to my body. This is WAY harder because you feel lazy. 2-3 times a week max is where I make my best gains as long as diet and everything else is in order. My stomach can'tkeep up with my eyes any better than my recovery abilities keep up with my desire to train. Or this stupid phone keeps up with my typing. Anyone else having this problem?

I have been going 3 to 4 days with a rest day between and have seen better results. I think this has to do with my age, 49, and having to need more rest than anything. I took a week off due to illness and my body has responded very well. Guess you need to listen to the old body more often.

Jozifp103 said:

I Used to be a "by the books" type of guy. I fell for all the cookie cutter advice in magazines and online articles. Was scared to death of over-training and would wait 20 mins for a bench to open up because I had to do my workouts in the proper order and couldn't break routine. That led to much stress and longer than necessary training sessions. I would do the exact same routine that I read in an article for the recommended 4-6 weeks then switch it up. Some of the workouts were hardly effective for me and I experienced no pump from it....just joint pain.


Nowadays, my goals are more serious...my diet is more dialed in, my anabolic supplementation is more structured, BUT my routine has gotten less structured. I go in with no real plan...just knowing which muscle I want to hit. I do everything by feel. I make sure to hit all the right angles and train all the different parts of the muscle groups, but my routine could differ every week. I basically do what I feel like doing and what gives me the best pump. I leave the gym happy with a sick pump and feeling like a beast. My results have not suffered whatsoever and I have noticed some lagging parts being brought up due to doing what "feels right" instead of what an article said is right.


So what do you guys think?


If diet is in place, (assuming AAS use), and routine remains intense and all muscles are hit each week......is it really necessary to follow a strict routine? Do you really have to stick with the same routine for weeks at a time? Do you think you could do different exercises every week for each muscle and still make solid gains?


I want to hear YOUR thoughts/experience with this.

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I'm gonna throw some science at you broski. It doesn't matter what exercises you do. You could jack off for 25 minutes on each arm three times a week and get gainz bro!

I want you to throw everything in your mind that has to do with "strict routines" in a big berrell and burn the fuck out of it.

What matters is that you reach volitional fatigue. What is volitional fatigue you ask? That is the point at which your last rep is hard, yet not impossible to do with strict/good form.

I do not understand why so many individuals are so entranced with specific routines and "switching things up" so you "confuse" your muscles.



Understand this though!!!! Important! You do go through an adaptation phase when you do new exercises. When you have not performed an exercise before, your muscles are not trained to perform that specific exercise. In this specific situation, it is important to go through the proper adaptation, and to stick with this new exercise for a while until you master it. You will actually greatly benefit from these types of things.


What i'm saying is not just some dude spitting bullshit. I have degrees to back up what I say. And I love to talk about it, so feel free to hit me up bro!