My New Routine

[chathamf]

Okay guys, just started working out after about a year off as I had a hand injury that just wouldn't go away.

So far I've just been going two days a week, I plan to add a third this week featuring legs, just have been skipping it so far cause my workout buddy was always away those days.

Just want to get some opinions on what I've been doing so far.

Mon

Seated Military Press
3x10

Standing Ez-Curls
3x10

Seated Dumb Bell Shoulder Press
3x10

Shrugs
3x10

Front Lat Plate Raise
3x10

Bench Dips
3x10

Wednesday:

Barbell Bench Press
3x10

Dead Lifts
3x10

Dumbbell Flyes
3x10

Assisted Chin-Ups
3x10

Incline Pushups
3x10

Barbell Bent Over Rows
3x10

That's pretty much been my routine, add or subtract a few exercises per day. I plan to add some squats, calve raises, etc for legs.

Also been doing some cardio on off days.

What do you think? Should I add or subtract anything? Take into mind I just have free weights, no machines.

[chathamf]

I know someone will ask right away so I'll add it now. My goals are for overall strength gains, not looking for massive size or anything, but some muscle growth for sure. Also looking to loose some fat as I picked up a nice beer belly over the summer from drinking lots and eating bar food daily.

[max_boost]

Strength gains? Lift heavier weights.
Growth in muscle? Lift heavier weights.
Lose fat? Eat healthy.

Good luck.

[C_Dave45]

I'm surprised this thread wasn't slammed with responses. So I'll give you my thoughts. Not that I'm any expert, but I have learned a little bit.

You routine lacks major breakdown of your muscle groups. Your working just a little bit of everything, but not enough of each. Your current routine is what an old man might do to keep muscle tone. You won't build strength doing what you're doing. You only have two exercises for pecs, two for delts, one for tri's, etc. Hence you're not breaking the muscles down enough.

Try to group your muscles together on workout day. ie: chest and tri's are often done the same day as they all work together in similar "pushing" exercises. Back and bi's on another day as those both do all the "pulling" exercises. You want to really destroy muscle tissue, and then let it rebuild itself on the off days.

example for chest and tri's day:

dumbbell press
flat bench press
incline bench press
decline bench press
dumbbell flys
tricep pushdowns
skull crushers

Back and bi's:

wide grip pull downs
seated cable rows
one arm dumbbell raises
shoulder shrugs
french curls
one arm curls
preacher curls.

Do you see what I mean?

If you want to gain strength then keep your reps in the 6-10 range, and going to failure in the 3 to 4 rep range. Do 3 sets for each exercise.

Here is a good example of a typical weekly workout routine.

http://www.intense-workout.com/workout_routines.html

[chathamf]

Thanks for the reply man. Was waiting for someone to help out like that.

Okay, so I really should do all the variations of the bench press like incline, decline, shoulder press, etc? I figured maybe work on one of those hard each week, but I see how that makes sense. Kill the chest in every way possible to see maximum growth.

So if you do Back/Bis and then Chest/Tris what would you suggest for the third day?

[C_Dave45]

Originally posted by chathamf
Thanks for the reply man. Was waiting for someone to help out like that.

Okay, so I really should do all the variations of the bench press like incline, decline, shoulder press, etc? I figured maybe work on one of those hard each week, but I see how that makes sense. Kill the chest in every way possible to see maximum growth.

So if you do Back/Bis and then Chest/Tris what would you suggest for the third day?

shoulders and legs maybe...you can mix it up every now and then too. Surprise the muscles. Don't let them get used to a set routine.
Check out the link I gave you on the intense-workout site. The guy has some great, yet simple routines. That site also shows you the different exercises for the different muscle groups:
http://www.intense-workout.com/exercises.html

[Unknown303]

I'm not sure what people think of this train of thought;
http://www.menshealth.com/spotlight/muscle/biology-of-muscle.php

I could never understand some workout schedules, it always seem strange to me to wait so long before coming back to a muscle group, and if I'm spending the time to goto the gym I want the most out of it. Naturally full body workouts became a big part or my routine, every other day I just work out everything I can, rarely in the same order and rarely even using the same movements.

However I always fall off my plans so never have been able to truly document how it works. But even following it for a month or two you start to see some intense results.

[duaner]

Originally posted by Unknown303
I'm not sure what people think of this train of thought;
http://www.menshealth.com/spotlight/muscle/biology-of-muscle.php

I could never understand some workout schedules, it always seem strange to me to wait so long before coming back to a muscle group, and if I'm spending the time to goto the gym I want the most out of it. Naturally full body workouts became a big part or my routine, every other day I just work out everything I can, rarely in the same order and rarely even using the same movements.

However I always fall off my plans so never have been able to truly document how it works. But even following it for a month or two you start to see some intense results.
That is more or less the way I've been doing things for the past couple of years, when I workout that is. A great book with similar theory is Huge in a Hurry by Chad Waterbury. And I must say that I did get results faster.

The only isolation/targeting exercises I do, apart from the occasional arm exercise (no "arm day"), are the ones given to me by my physical therapist for my shoulder (now shoulders :( ) Most everything is compound movements.

At the moment I have gotten away from the whole body routine but get chest and back twice a week, and shoulders and legs once. If I can get my stamina back up, I'll be able to do everything twice a week or switch back to full body for three times a week. Just testing things out.

"But, to save even more time, Cosgrove employs another strategy: alternating sets. When possible, he pairs exercises that work opposite muscle groups and cuts the rest period between sets in half."

Chest and back I always workout together, when I'm not doing the total body thing anyway, but I usually do a full exercise of back then one for chest, and repeat, but it depends on the exercises. Sometimes I'll superset without waiting between the exercises.

None of this of course is to say that the traditional way of doing things is wrong, since it obviously does work, but it does mean that it is quite likely that there is a much better, more efficient way of doing things to get quicker results.

Think of someone who first gets into doing manual labor, like digging trenches or stacking hay bales. Very hard and very sore for the first week or two. Over time it gets easier and they get stronger, repeating the same tasks day after day.

[chathamf]

So I took your advice, last night I did Chest/Triceps.

Routine looked like this:

Bench Press
Incline Bench
Decline Bench
Overhead Tricep Extension
Dumb Bell Bench Press

Also through in some bench dips, and close grip push ups at the end to get to exhaustion and couldn't even push out one push up at the end.

Going to work on Back/Biceps tonight. Prob going to do:

Deadlifts
Pull-Ups
Dumb Bell Curls
Ez-Curl Bar Curls
Bent Over Rows

And whatever else I think of as I go along.

[Unknown303]

Originally posted by chathamf
So I took your advice, last night I did Chest/Triceps.

Routine looked like this:

Bench Press
Incline Bench
Decline Bench
Overhead Tricep Extension
Dumb Bell Bench Press

Also through in some bench dips, and close grip push ups at the end to get to exhaustion and couldn't even push out one push up at the end.

Going to work on Back/Biceps tonight. Prob going to do:

Deadlifts
Pull-Ups
Dumb Bell Curls
Ez-Curl Bar Curls
Bent Over Rows

And whatever else I think of as I go along.

See I'd do all those workouts one day, including some leg and core stuff to get it all done. Then wait 48 hours and repeat the whole process again.

[dimi]

Too much biceps isolation (2 curl exercises, pull ups/rows hit the biceps too). Incline/Decline/Regular/Dumbell bench in 1 day is way too much IMO, maybe 2 of them. Triceps extension I like but I think dips might be better.

You didn't mention your leg day either. Doesn't have to be squats, I like barbell lunges for instance, but you need legs for sure.

I would worry about core, legs, and then upperbody in that order, but that's just me. I would also try and do more complex exercises, less isolation.

Good Luck!

[chathamf]

Originally posted by Unknown303


See I'd do all those workouts one day, including some leg and core stuff to get it all done. Then wait 48 hours and repeat the whole process again.

What you do seems ridiculous. I can't imagine doing all of that. By the time you get to your later exercises you wouldn't even have enough energy to lift very heavy weights. If it works for you that's cool then, but I just can not imagine it.

________________________

I haven't been doing a lot of legs yet. Last week I did squats, and weighted calve raises. This week I think I am going to do the same, and add another exercise. Also plan on adding my shoulder exercises to the same day as the legs.

[Goodfella]

Dumbbell bench press or barbell bench press?
Choose one, no need to do both.