Added On November 7, 2011
Programs Consisting Only Of Squat, Bench Press and Deadlifts Are a Bad Idea
by Rusi
As you know there are many young boys out there who try to replicate the training programs of famous bodybuilders such as Ronnie Coleman, Branch Warren...etc. But usually they fail to see results because they can't recover from so much work and all of it to failure. They end up frustrated and either quit or get smarter.
On the other hand there are a lot of famous coaches that promote minimalistic training programs with the opposite idea in mind - do less, see better results. The first program that comes to mind is the famous routine designed by Pavel Tsatsouline - Power To The People.
This is a great routine if your goal is to get stronger at the deadlift and the one hand overhead press but it will not be the best option for aspiring bodybuilders because there are a lot of muscle groups left "untreated". The chest and the rear delts come to mind. Of course many of you will argue that similar routines are designed for strength and not hypertrophy and you are correct. However many of the very same minimalistic programs are also presented as muscle building routines in order to attract more people. Afterall we are all training to gain muscle. However all of these minimalistic programs will fail to produce the same results as a "real" training program built around your needs and covering all muscle groups with the same intensity.
"Ok. Bro. But people say if you wanna grow just do the big three - squat, bench, dead and you will see better results than bodybuilding splits. That true?. "
Yes and no.
First there isn't a single person on planet earth who will be able to progress by doing just deads, squats and benches. If you only do those exercises your lower body may be balanced if you have short femurs and the squat hits the front leg as much as the hip extensors such as hamstrings and glutes but your upper body is looking at some crazy imbalances. For example your front delts will get super strong from the bench press but your rear and middle delts will remain weak and small. The deadlift does close to nothing for the rear delts despite what many people tend to think. You always want to add the opposite motion to counter-balance any pushing exercise. In this case you will need some rows or at least pull-ups in order improve the strength of your upper back and avoid shoulder problems.
The reason why many people see results from doing those minimalistic routines is that it's quite easier to track your progress and to recover....than from doing 8 sets for biceps as if you are doing Ronnie Coleman's routine. But in the end of the day you will be forced to add more exercises whether you want it or not because otherwise you are looking at more and more imbalances.
"Ok. Bro. Does this mean that bodybuilding splits are the best way to go. Mehdi, from Stronglifts, says they do suck. That true? "
Bodybuilding splits are not evil like many people believe. Especially nowdays when self-proclaimed fitness gurus try to bring the old-school back in a fake way. But guess what?...Bodybuilding splits do work when they are designed correctly and I would even say that they may produce better results than minimalistic routines.
For example if I squat three times a week and deadlift on top of that as Stronglifts and other similar programs suggest you may experience lower body issues. Of course Stronglifts is a beginner program but then again it does not mean that beginners cannot overtrain if they use "light" weights. It's still stress on your system. On the other hand if you train legs only twice a week you will be able to recover much easier. Also bodybuilding splits are not only for prefessional bodybuilders as many of the new born strength coaches would like you to believe. However this does not mean that you should copy the routine of Dorian Yates or Ronnie Coleman and expect results. You won't see much because those programs are designed for steroid loaded freaks. Steroids are so underrated....and people forget that all bodybuilders are on gear.
Don't read the routines you see in the magazines. Most are crap.
Remember that everybody tries to promote and sell his/her program even if it's not always the best answer for the current goals of the athlete.
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