Why your homebrew routine is (probably) bad

legatichristi

New member
Hey y'all!

So I frequent this sub, and a common thing that’s posted is something to the extent of “I’m just starting out, is this routine good/what exercises are good?” or "I've been doing some at home/youtube video/workout app routines, are they good?". To which I always say “Get on a routine that a professional made, like the RR in this subs wiki or one of the ones in the r/fitness wiki”. This post is going to break down why you should get on a premade routine (for at least the first 6 months of training), by addressing some of the main places where self-made or “homebrew” routines fall short, as well as doing a survey of the most commonly asked/misunderstood parts of training (progressive overload, etc.).

A bit about me - I’ve been working out consistently (on a real routine) for just shy of two years. Before that, I did a bunch of “100 pushups a day” type “routines” (which are bad) for a while. I’m also fairly well informed on workout literature - I’ve been a frequent poster/reader/commenter here, watch a ton of youtube/instagram content (from good influencers like FitnessFAQ’s, not gymTok), have read some literature, listened to some podcasts, etc. I consider myself reasonably knowledgeable about workout theory - more so than the average joe - but even then, I don’t have a degree in exercise science. I have no formal instruction. I’m not a personal trainer. But that’s kinda the point, because if you’re just starting out, neither are you.

That’s really the key here. I still use a routine someone else made - and always have, with minimal adjustments. The reason is that there's SO MUCH that goes into making a good routine, if you aren’t a professional, you’re almost certain to miss something. So let’s talk about what goes into a good routine, and where I see homebrew ones fall flat.

1: Progressive Overload - make it get harder. This is the big one. Think of it like math class. Once you take algebra, you don't take more algebra. You move on to geometry. Then you work harder and move on to pre-calculus, and so on. If you keep doing algebra, even if you’re doing dozens of algebra problems a day, you’re not actually getting smarter math-wise, you’re just getting faster at doing algebra. Muscle building is the same way. If you actually want to get stronger (and you probably do), you need to consistently increase the difficulty of the exercises. This means it has to be HARD. For example, the recommended routine has you doing 3 sets of pushups, each set of only 5-8 reps. You find a pushup variation you can only do 3 sets of 5 reps of, then each session you try to add a rep so that you can do 3 sets of 8. This implements a systematic way of steadily increasing your abilities. This is the #1 reason follow-along routines, fitness “challenges” and the like are bad. They’re great for making you feel like you’ve worked out (and if your goals are simply “move more”, they’re fine), but they don’t actually produce sustainable results long-term. To actually look better, you need a system, and a certain amount of strength.

2: Strength Building - Don’t overcomplicate. Do a small amount of reps of a small amount of exercises. Just about everyone wants to build muscle at least a bit. In fact, almost every fitness goal can be achieved by 1: putting on some muscle and 2: eating correctly for your goal. Let’s look at some common goals:
  • Bulking? Build muscle, eat more than you burn.
  • Cutting? Do strength training, eat less than you burn.
  • Toning? That’s just fancy talk for having developed muscles with low enough body fat to see them.
  • Looking good in a swimsuit? Build muscle, lose fat (either by cutting or recomposition).
  • Men - “Tyler Durden/Ottermode/Bruce Lee look” is just strength training and keeping a lower weight/body fat %. Bruce Lee did barbell lifts. Practice your one punch a thousand times in supplement of a strength routine, not instead of one.
  • Women - strength training won't get you "too bulky". That's a myth. What you define as "too bulky" is the result of years of specialized training and dieting (and exceptionally hard work) to get that specific look. What you define as "looking fit and attractive" is done by strength training.
Now, building muscle/getting stronger is primarily done in the low rep range, and this is why the Recommended Routine has you do 3 sets of 5-8 reps. This isn’t to say you’re not getting any strength gains at higher rep ranges, but once you can do more than about 10-12 reps of an exercise, it starts to become more efficient to up the intensity and drop the reps. Lots of homebrew routines have rep ranges of 20+. A particularly egregious example is the all too common “upper day” that looks something like this:

3x20 Pushups

3x20 Tricep Pushups

3x20 Diamond Pushups

3x20 Wide Pushups

3x10 Decline Pushups

(Same goes for lower days with 80 bajillion squats/squat variations/lunges). Look, different types of pushups, or pullups, or squats, or whatever are effectively the same movement. There’s some nuance, sure, but the actual strength-building element is about the same. Most strength-based programs are going to have you do like sub 30 reps a session, because if you’re working hard, that’s more than enough. The RR has 15-24 a session, across 3 sets. Even super popular 5x5 programs are 25 reps. Doing these kinds of workouts with reps in the hundreds means you’re just going to be doing endurance work, and won’t see any noticeable strength (or size) gains. (For endurance, see point 6).

3: Balance of Exercises - pull on something. The number of routines posted with 80 bajillion pushup/squat variations and no pulling motions are REALLY high. So let’s break it down - your body is split roughly into 4 groups - legs and core for lower body, and the upper body is split into muscles that push things away from you (chest and triceps) and ones that pull things to you (biceps and back), with your shoulders being hit with both movements. Honestly, if you’re doing compound movements, your core is going to get worked with every movement (squats and pushups are compound movements), so you don’t need a lot of that. But what you do need is pulling movements. I all but guarantee you have a place to do them - pullups are daunting/inaccessible to a lot of people, but you probably have a place to do rows. A bedsheet and door (hi Antranik:
) a broomstick and two equal-heighted tables/chairs/whatever, a sturdy table you can grab on the underside of, a swing set, a backpack you can fill with heavy things (like books or water jugs). I promise you you have options. Or just buy gymnastic rings.

4: Resting between sets - You should rest 1-3 minutes between sets. Look. If you’re working hard, you should be gassed. Doing “every minute on the minute” or HITT routines will almost always cause your cardiovascular system to be strained before your muscles are (even though it will feel like the muscles are). This is why routines, like the RR, want you to rest for 1-3 minutes between sets. If you have 30 seconds between a set, you’re probably not recovered enough.

5: Resting between workouts - You shouldn’t hit the same muscle group every day. Working out (microscopically) tears your muscles, then your body fills in the gaps with more muscle. That’s how you get stronger (simplified). You need to rest at least a day between workouts - this is part of why 3x/week is ideal for beginners. The actual getting stronger part of working out happens when you’re resting. Jack up the intensity, lower the amount of time.

6: A note on endurance - you still need to program. If you want to focus on endurance, and not strength or hypertrophy, your programming will look a BIT different. But still, “100 pushups a day” routines don’t work. Why? No progressive overload. Someone made a post saying their army sergeant said “do max sets of pullups all day. That’s how mine went from 15 to 22 in 3 months” and it’s like…. Those are bad results. Follow an actual plan and you’ll be better. I suggest one of these:
7: A Note on diet - Don’t overcomplicate. So, there’s SO MUCH diet info out there. High carb, low carb, keto, paleo, carnivore, whatever. But the simple truth is: Weight Change = Calories in - Calories out. About 3500 calories = 1 lb (~.4 kg). You don’t want to gain or lose more than that a week. So, +- 500 calories/day = +- 1 lb/week. However, your body is going to fluctuate ~ 5 lbs (~2.5 kg) daily. So, count all your calories, weigh yourself consistently (1-3x/week). If the scale isn’t trending the way you want in a month, you’re not doing it right. And make sure you eat protein.

There’s a ton to tracking macros, optimal protein intake, weighing food, etc., that I’m not qualified to go into (see the fitness wiki or r/loseit or r/gainit for more). But, simply getting to your weight goal means tracking your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and how much you eat, and your weight.

7b: I'm not qualified to go into protien intake, but eat a lot of it.

8: Results - Yes, I did just say a month. Working out takes TIME. If you’re here in early June wanting to look good for summer, you’re too late. In about 4 sessions you’ll get a bit better at the exercises. In about a month you’ll see changes in the mirror. In about two months your close friends will. In 3, you’ll start to look like you work out. I like to add that it takes 4 before you start to like to work out. I remember a blog post where the guy’s workout buddy said “don’t expect results in the first year of training”, and that stuck with me. The goal isn’t to look good for summer, the goal is to be healthy for your life.

8b: Paralysis by analysis is real. Just about any good routine (compound movements, progressive overload) is going to give you roughly the same results in the first 6 months of training. So do the Primer, jump into the RR, or pick the first one off the r/fitness wiki that you think works for you, and stick with it! At the start, focus way more on being consistent, getting the form down, and not routine-hopping than wondering if you're doing something "optimal".

Look, overall this is a bunch of information - and I may have gotten some of it wrong. Let me know if I did, or if you want clarification. I really made this post because so many people have essentially the same question, and I wanted to be able to link this post/copy & paste parts of it, rather than re-typing. If you want further reading, some of my favorite fitness articles (to link and just to know) are these:

FuckAroundItis:

https://leangains.com/fuckarounditis/

Rest Days and Deload Weeks:

https://antranik.org/the-importance-of-rest-days-and-deload-weeks/

Where to do rows:


Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, and best of luck to y'all!

TL;DR: Get on a progressive overload focused routine that a professional made and focuses on compound movements, for at least the first 6 months.
 
@zaulux He's still around! He's @fromgenesistorevelation and comments here a few times a day. He also posts on insta a bit and has the occasional video - I agree though. Absolutely bastion in the community and when I was getting into the RR his videos were like, my bible.
 
@legatichristi My advice to people just starting out is: do whatever gets you off your ass. It really doesn't matter. If you are going from absolute couch potato, literally any routine at all will give you results, at least for the first 1-3 months.

For many beginner's a routine like the RR, even the simplified version, is just overwhelming and the truly important thing is just to get moving.

Eventually, a routine that doesn't provide progressive overload will plateau. At that point, it makes sense to follow your advice. And at that point, you should have the motivation and level of fitness needed to follow a better routine.

My advice to utter beginners is the following:
  • start with walking. Just 10 minutes a day the first week. Increase over time up to an hour a day.
  • When that's a daily habit, add in pushups. Start with a version of pushups you can do and work up to being able to do 30 standard pushups in a single set.
  • When that's a daily habit, add either a pulling or leg exercise.
When I've gotten out of shape, I've followed the above every time, and every time by month 1-2 I'm in a place where I can begin a "real" routine with progressive overload, etc. But if you handed me, sitting my ass on the couch, something like the RR from day one I'd never bother to get up. Even with years of fitness experience under my belt, it just feels overwhelming at first.

If 100 pushups a day gets someone motivated, and to a point of fitness where they can do 100 pushups a day, that's freaking awesome. And they are much fitter than a person who can't do 100 pushups in a day.

So let's go easy on noobs. If they are trying, they are doing awesome.
 
@margoelise You know what, that's fair. Consistency is king - and any movement >>>>>>> no movement. Rule 0 - if you're not gonna do the routine your on, it's not a good routine (no matter how good it is). If you are gonna do it, it's good. (unless you're deadlifting on a bosu ball :p).

From my background, I had been active my whole life, but never really fit. Like, I swam, biked, did my 100 pushups a day thing, etc. I've never been at a point in my life where 10 pushups were hard (that I know of), but I had also never been at a point where I could do a single pullup.

I kinda made the call at the beginning/middle of summer 2020 that I wanted to start working out, and my buddy recommended the RR. With my summer job, I told myself I'd start when school started in the fall. So for me, it was super possible to start with the RR (I think of the 50 sessions that first semester, I missed like one or two), but I had also been building myself up mentally for it for a while. I also had a bunch of other stuff going for me (class schedule, could easily set my dorm up for dips + rows, could stay up at night to do it, etc). So it's not fair for me to say "RR or the highway". But I do think, for people that are really energized about it, going straight into the RR is doable - but you need to be prepared to read a LOT, especially in the first two weeks, and take it slow.
 
@legatichristi My perspective is that I suffer from periodic depression and flare ups of an auto-immune disorder that knock me completely on my ass for a year or two barely able to hold onto my job/relationships. I've been in amazing shape many times in my life, but have multiple times also become over 100 lbs overweight. Usually, recovering from that is a three-pronged effort that involves 1) Getting back in shape, 2) pulling myself out of a depression and 3) recovering from chronic pain. I can get back in shape within 6 months, but it is a process that always starts with "just do one thing a day for a while to build a habit".

There are probably as many approaches to getting fit as there are people, and it was interesting to read where you were coming from.
 
@margoelise Damn, that's an eye opening perspective and I wish you all the best. Seeing as you've been able to come back to it many times - I think that speaks a lot to your strength as a person.

Funnily enough, I'm putting the cart before the horse - I'm only just new (last ~2 months) incorporating daily walks into my routine. Truly fantastic, and probably better for you than strength training.
 
@legatichristi I agree with most of this, but I have some points I'd like to make:
  1. I don't think formal education is really that important. I'd much rather prefer someone who has coached 100 people into IFBB pros (for example) that doesn't have formal education than some guy that just graduated and has no practical experience
  2. There is a place for high rep sets. I don't think low, medium or high rep are inherently one better than the other, but they all have a place in training, to keep it from being stale, and because you may have better results on a particular exercise doing one or the other
  3. About rest times: I do think the general recommendation for rest times to be 90 seconds, or 1-3min is good, but there are times to use shorter rest times
  4. You can train a muscle every single day. You just need to keep fatigue to a manageable level
I think this is a good post to have in here. Tons of people ask to review their routines, and before you read them, you already know what's in there
 
@kerrylog i agree with you on #2.

for most people, a higher max and a better aethstetic is probably their goal, so fewer reps may be desireable....

...but some people do have valid reasons to train for endurance. for example:

some sports may require only x amount of strength, but many repititions. if you want to do volleyball, you need a great vertical jump to spike it...but it doesnt help if you can jump 11 feet in the air, but only 5 times. you have a whole game to play. if you have to spike 100 times a game, train for "high enough to get over the net", then train for number of reps over just going higher.

same thing for basketball if you want explosive power to dunk. i mean if you just wanna put your balls in your neighbors face 5 times a night when you play that pickup game in the driveway for 5 minutes, 5 reps is fine...but if you play hour long games for high school/college/at the rec center, you dont wanna be donezo 5 minutes into the game.

for hockey...if your the teams number 1 scorer, you need to go gretsky and put 100 solid shots toward the goal a night. train for that many reps. if your the backup relief that plays for 5 minutes a game, train for 5 reps, and make every one of them absolute meteors.

im sure many sports...or manual labor jobs, etc, will have similar examples. like if your the ozarka water delivery guy. 5 gallon jugs are like 40 pounds. dont train to slug around 150 pounds 5 times. train to move the 40 pound jug x however many you need to pull off a truck per day.
 
@rowanda Absolutely agree - this post was made for the vast majority of people that post in this sub - they have a primary goal of looking, feeling, and being stronger, and I wanted to make the case that strength training >>>> follow along HITT youtube videos and circuit training.

But yes. If you're an athlete, train like an athlete, and that's gonna look different than what I put here. If you're a manual laborer, you're gonna want to modify your routine to fit that, etc. etc. Train for your goals.
 
@rowanda As counterpoint, my training is centered around being ready and fit for climbing, so I focus on the antognistic climbing muscles. For example, overhead press to counter all the pulling I do on the wall.
 
@rowanda I haven't trained to perform better at sports ever, so I can't say with 100% confidence, but the weightroom would be used to get stronger and/or bigger, and then specific sports practice to get better at the game using what you gained from training

Conditioning and cardio helps with these
 
@kerrylog My response to most of them is the same:
If you have to ask other folk’s opinion about your homebrew routine, you probably don’t know enough to make your own yet.
 
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