EDIT: My original post is below but in case this thread gains many replies, I want to put an edit here up top of what I've decided to do for 2024.
I signed up for the ATG app from KneesOverToesGuy because I realize my main goal is to improve the way my body feels and performs. I will likely still gain a small amount of muscle doing it - as badly as I want to get some "3D Delts" and gain an inch to my arm... None of that is going to help my back when I wake up in the morning feeling like a geriatric person. I fail every single ATG standard - it literally seems like every single muscle in my body is tight.
As of now, the plan is to do 12 weeks of the "ability zero" program, but I plan to learn more and ask more questions. ATG has periodized programming and I am pretty sure if one wanted, you could follow various different programs in succession that each build on one another for over 36 weeks.
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Looking for you input how to improve my planned routine for 2024. My main goals are: 1) increase mobility & strength in a greater ROM, 2) Overall Strength gains 3) Some hypertrophy (mostly Shoulders/arms/chest)
My schedule should allow for 5-6 days a week of gym activity, plus I plan to walk around 7-10k steps a day on my home treadmill. Overall routine I am summarizing for those of you who won't/can't read the details. I'll expand a bit after.
Day 1 - Strength & Power: Back squats, Deadlift, Incl. Bench, seated calf raises, prob toss in a few pull ups)
Day 2 - Mobility & Stretching: Foam rolling, Prayer stretch, thoracic stretching, etc (taken from Squat University)
Day 3 - Hypertrophy Arms & Core: Various Bi & Tri, lateral raises, various core exercises (kettle bell pull through, etc)
Day 4 - ATG Mobility (7 lower bod & 4 upper bod exercises taken right from the ATG vids, split squat and so on)
Day 5 - Hypertrophy Shoulders/Chest/Arms (Lat raises, more incline bench, flies, curls, etc with lower weight and higher reps like 12-30)
Day 6 - If time, another ATG routine, ended with some of the stretches from day 2
My Main issue: When I read my goals, but then read my routine... It feels backwards, like I designed it around strength and size instead of mobility. However, I want to start the week off with the heaviest weights when I'm most likely to be strongest after a day or two of rest, and I'm not sure it's a great idea to do the ATG routine the day after a heavy lower body session. I'm also not sure that doing the ATG 1x a week is enough to actually see measurable change, I think Ben says 2-3x a week is best when you're first starting and trying to actually lengthen & change muscles.
Typing this out, I feel like a potential modification could be:
1 -Strength/Power
2 -Mob&Stretch
3 - ATG
4 - HyperTrophy (but will be a grueling one, having to do entire upper body in one session)
5 - ATG
6 - Mob&Stretch
I signed up for the ATG app from KneesOverToesGuy because I realize my main goal is to improve the way my body feels and performs. I will likely still gain a small amount of muscle doing it - as badly as I want to get some "3D Delts" and gain an inch to my arm... None of that is going to help my back when I wake up in the morning feeling like a geriatric person. I fail every single ATG standard - it literally seems like every single muscle in my body is tight.
As of now, the plan is to do 12 weeks of the "ability zero" program, but I plan to learn more and ask more questions. ATG has periodized programming and I am pretty sure if one wanted, you could follow various different programs in succession that each build on one another for over 36 weeks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking for you input how to improve my planned routine for 2024. My main goals are: 1) increase mobility & strength in a greater ROM, 2) Overall Strength gains 3) Some hypertrophy (mostly Shoulders/arms/chest)
My schedule should allow for 5-6 days a week of gym activity, plus I plan to walk around 7-10k steps a day on my home treadmill. Overall routine I am summarizing for those of you who won't/can't read the details. I'll expand a bit after.
Day 1 - Strength & Power: Back squats, Deadlift, Incl. Bench, seated calf raises, prob toss in a few pull ups)
Day 2 - Mobility & Stretching: Foam rolling, Prayer stretch, thoracic stretching, etc (taken from Squat University)
Day 3 - Hypertrophy Arms & Core: Various Bi & Tri, lateral raises, various core exercises (kettle bell pull through, etc)
Day 4 - ATG Mobility (7 lower bod & 4 upper bod exercises taken right from the ATG vids, split squat and so on)
Day 5 - Hypertrophy Shoulders/Chest/Arms (Lat raises, more incline bench, flies, curls, etc with lower weight and higher reps like 12-30)
Day 6 - If time, another ATG routine, ended with some of the stretches from day 2
My Main issue: When I read my goals, but then read my routine... It feels backwards, like I designed it around strength and size instead of mobility. However, I want to start the week off with the heaviest weights when I'm most likely to be strongest after a day or two of rest, and I'm not sure it's a great idea to do the ATG routine the day after a heavy lower body session. I'm also not sure that doing the ATG 1x a week is enough to actually see measurable change, I think Ben says 2-3x a week is best when you're first starting and trying to actually lengthen & change muscles.
Typing this out, I feel like a potential modification could be:
1 -Strength/Power
2 -Mob&Stretch
3 - ATG
4 - HyperTrophy (but will be a grueling one, having to do entire upper body in one session)
5 - ATG
6 - Mob&Stretch
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