Reg Park's Routine for Size & Strength

[NotNowChief]

Its brutal but I think it could work as is. I'm not saying for 3 months but a 6 week blast of that bad boy may be possible. Who knows how he actually worked that monster, me may have backed off whenever he felt tired or switched routines with and built the weights up to a peak every 6 weeks or whatever.

[wrenchhands]

He may have been a genetic freak too.

[killerdude494949]

theres no way anyone can do 5x5 squat + 5x5 deadlift with 110% intensity at his strength 3x a week.

[NotNowChief]

I don't see it as that unbelievable. As noted he was ramping up to 3x5's, its not that much more than stronglifts. I think it is clear he had gifted powers of recovery and was a total badass but I don't see any reason he couldn't have cranked that out for 6-8 weeks before switching up, especially if the first 3/4 weeks were building up to his PR's or whatever.

I'm not saying I could do it but have you guys ever seen a Smolov routine? That shit is insane. If you search around on the web you'll find people who have done Smolov while also doing hardcore deadlift routines. Some people can push themselves that hard. Stronglifts is not an easy program but people can and do cope with way harsher regimes than stronglifts.

[Sam277]

If ever did that routine Id do squats first and curls last. and 1x5 deads every other workout.

militaries instead of behind neck.

id probably ditch the curls for chins.

and do only 2 sets of each exericse.

still looks brutal.

Then you wouldn't be doing the program!

Anyway he's using barbell rows instead of chins, and barbell curls for big biceps, because it's a must as a BB.

And on the deads, surely he'd just do a lower intensity than 1x5.

He was a big chap however he did it.

[killerdude494949]

I'm not a fan of the idea that chins and rows are interchangeable. Chins are for lats, rows are for upper back. And deads are best for a little bit of everything. And I dont think curls are neccessary for big biceps if you go heavy on chins, rows, deads, but I do them maybe once a week when I feel like it nevertheless.

[nexusmidas]

I'm currently doing Reg Park's Power Training:

Schedule 1 - To be performed 3x/week for 5 weeks before continuing onto Schedule 2

Back Squat - 5x5
Bench Press - 5x5
Power Clean - 8x2
Standing Press - 5x5
Barbell Curl - 3x5 strict, add 20-30lbs then 2x5 cheat curls
Deadlift - 5x1, working up to a top weight (Only performed on Day 3) Beginners should do 1x5

I've only ditched the BB curls, If still got some energy left I'll do some assistance work like: pull ups/chins, hyperextensions and Hanging leg raises.

Most of Reg's routines I've seen on the net are just hard work on the basics every workout. It's really not just for the 'genetic gifted' and stuff, you get used to it very fast. In my opinion it looks a lot harder then it is, just make sure to pace yourself, rest and sleep well.

I really love the routine, finally I change to do all my favourite exercises in one workout.

[Sam277]

I'm not a fan of the idea that chins and rows are interchangeable. Chins are for lats, rows are for upper back. And deads are best for a little bit of everything. And I dont think curls are neccessary for big biceps if you go heavy on chins, rows, deads, but I do them maybe once a week when I feel like it nevertheless.

Rows primarily your work lats, and your biceps to an extent; just like chins. Your lats that do most of the work and grow more as a result, and the more you do it the more work the lats will do in comparison to the biceps. So it makes sense that at first you may experience gains, but eventually you're going to need direct bicep work. You work your triceps a bit in bench press, but that doesn't stop you doing dips does it? Why? Because direct work promotes more growth, as the muscle is doing the work.

If you want big legs you train your legs, you squat. You don't rely on exercises where the legs play a supporting role do ya? I mean, you use your wheels in the over head press, but out of the 2 exercises you know it's the squat that hurts.

It's a ridiculous claim that a lot of strength trainers make, that compound lifts provide all the stimulation the biceps need for growth. Well, i can't think of a compound where the biceps play a leading role. The statement is bollocks.

[killerdude494949]

Your points on Isolation make sense. But to be honest I think too much isolation is boring. So Its my problem if I dont do them a lot.

But rows only primarily target the lats when your elbows are turned completely in, and bar to the belly. I prefer to do my rows with elbows flared out 45 degrees and bar to sternum to resemble bench presses. I use rows to hit my upper back. Pull ups are for lats IMO.

[mjh]

It's a ridiculous claim that a lot of strength trainers make, that compound lifts provide all the stimulation the biceps need for growth. Well, i can't think of a compound where the biceps play a leading role. The statement is bollocks.

I think this depends a lot on each person's goals.

I have no doubt that curls must be done if you want to get your biceps big. The reason I don't and don't intend to do curls in the immediate future, is because having big biceps is very low on my list of priorities. I also believe that as someone who can do only a few chins, it is a little ridiculous for me to be curling.

The argument is often not about whether chins work the biceps as much as curls do, but rather about the fact that chins do work the biceps, and as a result the biceps will grow. No, not as much as if you had an arm day or did a lot of curls, but that is not the point.

Often, when chins are advocated over curls, the point is not that chins are as good as curls for optimum bicep growth, but rather it is to contest the focus on the biceps and suggest that the biceps do not deserve so much bloody attention.

[killerdude494949]

Good point mjh, but about the idea that curls are a waste of time if you can't chin for reps, holds some truth, but is slightly misleading, because curls are not a test of strength while chin ups are. So trying to relate the two in terms of bigger biceps is not the best way to put it.

Total newbie beginners can increase the size of biceps by an inch or two (but at the most) if there is enough volume of curls in absence of back work/weight gain. I know this to be fact because when I first began training I did no rows/chins, but I did plenty of curls and I did achieve maybe an inch increase in biceps size, despite the fact that I did not gain weight. It is the same concept as why fat guys have huge calves (walking on all that weight all day = heavy load + high volume). This obviously is not the best way to go at it for bigger arms but it does work to an extent. Eventually you will need the heavy pulling.

[mjh]

Good point mjh, but about the idea that curls are a waste of time if you can't chin for reps, holds some truth, but is slightly misleading, because curls are not a test of strength while chin ups are. So trying to relate the two in terms of bigger biceps is not the best way to put it.

good point, and yeah, maybe my point wasn't clear. I didn't intend to imply that curls in that case are a waste of time, or that they won't do anything more for your arms than getting better at chins will. I meant to make the point that I find worrying about the size of you biceps when you don't meet what is quite a basic strength benchmark is a little bit silly.

My argument is less about what is best for growing biceps and more about the fact that biceps get more attention from the beginner than they deserve (in my opinion, which I hope is always read into anyone's posts, whether they write it or not).

[vongSTAA]

So would one be better off doing chins (and then weighted) for bicep growth and strength? Or would it be okay to do both?

Because I don't really alternate between pull-ups and chin-ups as it says in the SL5x5 Program, I just prefer to do pull-ups because working my back is a little more important for me then working my biceps. However, say I wanted some bicep work, would it be better for me to alternate between pull-ups and chin-ups in my workouts or do both pull-ups and bicep curls in the one workout?

[emez]

Working only chinups & working them as hard as I can has given my bis the most growth out of everything I've ever done for my arms, including having a day dedicated to arms. Pullups would undoubtedly make my back grow more, but my back is already massive in comparison to the rest of my body, so I stick with chinups every other workout, 3x5 weighted.

I will say that my bis aren't as "shapely" as they were when I was on a BBing type program, but I think the majority of that was just from pumping them up with curls--and there is little to no variance in the size of my arms from day to day, as opposed to the pump going away 1-2 days later & having arms that a little girl could out-flex.

[rere]

I was on a BBing type program, but I think the majority of that was just from pumping them up with curls--and there is little to no variance in the size of my arms from day to day, as opposed to the pump going away 1-2 days later & having arms that a little girl could out-flex.

You made me chuckle there Emez. Chins rock, I must admit the pump was addictive though