The last few weeks I've been training however I want, as in no routine as such, just doing what I feel like. For example, last week I done an upper/lower type split and this week I've done full body. I'm quite enjoying as it's not so rigid and allows you to do what you feel like doing, rather than whatever you're 'meant to be doing' (according to whatever program you happen to be following at the time), even if you don't feel like it/would rather do something else.

What are people's views on this?
Have you tried it?
Do you like it?
How do you feel it works, as far as progression goes and to what extent do you think you should be flexible, for example, with excercise selection?

That's what I've been doing for about six months now.
It's great.

I think that what you're doing works well between training cycles, but there is the danger that as you flit about, you lose sight of goals etc.

I like to measure myself against my log book and whilst over holiday periods or if I'm tired I will do what you're doing I prefer to be able to judge my progression, although one should always change things around every few weeks regardless.

Fully agree with Simon. Its good for a short period between set programs that you can measure yourself by each workout

We are only human and have daily grinds before the gym...ipso facto you have days that you just wont work as hard as you would if you had a set program to follow and last weeks weights and reps to at least match or beat. It makes you do it imo...well thats just me perhaps

Rab wrote:Fully agree with Simon. Its good for a short period between set programs that you can measure yourself by each workout

We are only human and have daily grinds before the gym...ipso facto you have days that you just wont work as hard as you would if you had a set program to follow and last weeks weights and reps to at least match or beat. It makes you do it imo...well thats just me perhaps

Yeah, this is what I meant when I asked about progression. Perhaps having a fixed element, like sticking to a few of the same exercises and trying to improve on them, and then changing some of the other exercises around more frequently. For example, for chest, sticking to bench and incline DB press and rotating between dips/iso chest press/flyes/cable crossovers etc?

Totally agree with Simon. I know a powerlifter who has his 3 main lifts as his key exercise in each session for a set amount of reps. He then does whatever he feels like after that.

I think it's good, but you do have to have a solid core to your training as suggested. If you've been training for a while I think you can balance intensity pretty well even if you mix things up changing movements from session to session.

I have a low boredom threshold so either have to train this way, have a programme where things change a lot through periodisation, or do workout programmes with a very short duration no more than six weeks or so. If not i'm in serious danger of abandoning the whole thing to total boredom.

What coop mentions his powerlifting mate doing sounds good - am probably gonna start a journal on here soon that'll be similar with the entire prog based on five core exercises and mixing up the rest -

Upper push - dips
Upper pull - chins
Rear complex - RDLs
Front complex - wide stance squats
Whole body explosive - full clean-push press

Far too much dogma in training imo.

My new "program" will just be a basic outline of which exercises to do. Sets/reps will be determined when I'm under the bar.