Program Update

Bo Malicious

Hi All. Went to gym yesterday and got my program updated by the fitness instructor there. Have mixed feelings so thought I would post here to see if Im just being a bit finicky!

Im 6,2. Two months ago I was 86kilos+. I felt real out of shape and my weight seemed to be going steadily up. I started jogging - 5 nights a week - Mon to Friday for one month. I figured if I lasted one month then I would allow myself to join a gym. I lasted and have for the last two months been attending the gym.I never got a program from the instructors at the start and so went about reading on the internet (here and other boards) to come up with a program.

My initial aim was to reduce my bodyfat - and try and get my weight down to 80kilos - a weight that I felt was neither fat or too skinny. For me at that weight I feel 'fit'. When I got to that weight I aim to continue to tone/tighten and build a little particularly around shoulder area. On top of that I wanted to improve my posture..

I eat healthily enough but decided also to cut out most of the crap. I eat very little processed food now. No take aways. I eat fresh - and increasingly raw vegetables daily. I eat meat and fish from the butcher daily as opposed to processed meat. I also stopped eating white bread, reduced my intake of carbohydrates (potatoes and rice) and significantly reduced my drink intake to perhaps a few cans at the weekend as opposed to at least 6-8 at the weekend. I also comletely stopped being a social smoker.

I have alot of free time and attend the gym about 5 days a week. This is something I enjoy - I dont see going to the gym as a chore and as such want to go perhaps more regularly then people in a similar position as myself.

I noticed as soon as I started back in the gym how weak I had become. My bench press was embarrassing. Previously I had struggled on 70kilos - now I found myself struggling on 30kilos(if the bar weighs 10kilos?) Bearing that in mind I figured I should split my bodyparts up - spread over the 5 days.

So I had Monday for back, Wed for Chest and Fri for Shoulders. On those days I would do a small amout of cardio. Perhaps 10mins on crosstrainer or brisk jog for 5-10mins.

On Tuesday and Thursday I would hit the cardio hard and do no weights. In such days i would do High Intensity Interval Training. I dont think Ive ever sweated so much in my life and I love it! Every minute I alternate the level of difficulty on the cross trainer. Depending on the intensity I can push things for about 30mins. I also now try and throw in a 15 min jog with an intial 1k run below 5mins. So Im doing roughly 3k in 17mins.

I dont have a set plan for abs. Ive been doing sets of planks,leg raise and ab crunch machine towards the end of every workout irrespective of whether Im doing weights or cardio.

Ok acutally routine- I try and do 5sets - sometimes push for 6 with at least 5 reps. When I can reach 8-10 reps I up the weight or as mentioned do an additional set (on all excercises)

For Chest-
Chest Press - Dumbells (still pretty weak) 40 kilo total
Cable Flys(stand in middle with arms pulling down to your sides in front of chest) - 25k

For Shoulders-
Shoulder barbell Press - 27k
Front/Side and Bent over d.b raise - 9k
Shoulder Shrugs both variations - 40k total (2 d.b)

For back-
Lat Pull Down - 40k
Low Row - 55
Upper Row - 50
Lower back press 25k

Doing all of the above I have gone from 86+kilos to 82kilos on the button.

As you will have noticed I havent been excercising legs for two reason. I initially wasnt aiming to focus on them and two lifts I have been apprehensive of doing I was waiting for the instructor to show me - the deadlift and the Squat.

Yesterday she discouraged me doing the Squat and suggested using the leg press to build up muscle first and after a couple of months then she would show me squat. I would like your thoughts on this?

Secondly we went over the deadlift yesterday. I was told to keep my legs straight (felt weird,Ive very long arms), shoulders back and to lower the weight to my knees before raising it again. Why only to my knees? She was feeling my knees at this stage - to be honest I already felt like a total doofus and her feeling my knees made me feel even more so...ah man...

She also suggested doing way more work on the cable machines - for greater range of movement on the shoulder day, adding a leg day and compacting my chest/shoulder day together. She also suggested adding movements (bicep curls, tri push down/pulls) that would build my biceps and triceps - I was very concerned with the reliabilty of what she was suggesting when she said this. Everywhere I have read says that if you do the big compund movements that your arms will grow naturally and to initially avoid isolation excercises... Again your thoughts on this I would appreciate.

I was trying to build a program like the Mark Rippetoes 5X5 starting strength one - but yesteday I left the gym feeling a little disheartened and confused.

Is this the longest post ever? Im sorry.. but thanks for having the patience to read this far and I would appreciate any feedback.

cheers

celestial

Sounds like your trainer may not be giving you the most helpful advice...

I don't see why you shouldn't be doing squats - you should concentrate on the exercises that will give you the most results in shortest amount of time, intensity is key! This means the old reliables - bench press, squats, deadlifts, mix it up with HIIT and you'll be sweating, stronger, bigger, leaner!

mack1

Bo Malicious wrote: »

Yesterday she discouraged me doing the Squat and suggested using the leg press to build up muscle first and after a couple of months then she would show me squat. I would like your thoughts on this?

I don't see any reason why not, the squat is a great exercise that builds overall strenght, I would do squats with lower weights until you are used to them. Maybe she had a reason, I dont know, I am not a personal trainer.

Bo Malicious wrote: »

Secondly we went over the deadlift yesterday. I was told to keep my legs straight (felt weird,Ive very long arms), shoulders back and to lower the weight to my knees before raising it again. Why only to my knees?

Sounds like she showed you a Stiff Leg Deadlift, which is a hamstring exercise, where as a regular deadlift mainly a back exercise and you do bend zee knees!
I would imagine she had you lower to the knees so as not to sprain a hamstring.

Bo Malicious wrote: »

adding a leg day and compacting my chest/shoulder day together.

yeah don't see why not, a lotta guys tend to neglect doing legs but squats are savage, they improve overall strenght amazingly.
Also, I think it's best to concentrate on one major muscle group per session (chest, legs, back) - shoulders are not such a big muscle group to warrent an entire session, you could easily do them on chest day.

Bo Malicious wrote: »

She also suggested adding movements (bicep curls, tri push down/pulls) that would build my biceps and triceps - I was very concerned with the reliabilty of what she was suggesting when she said this. Everywhere I have read says that if you do the big compund movements that your arms will grow naturally and to initially avoid isolation excercises... Again your thoughts on this I would appreciate.

This is true, many other exercises will also work your arms, I still do some isolation exercises for them though, you don't have to - but it's not something you shouldnt do either.

Bo Malicious wrote: »

I was trying to build a program like the Mark Rippetoes 5X5 starting strength one - but yesteday I left the gym feeling a little disheartened and confused.

I am not familiar with Mark Rippetoes program, I'm sure somebody else on here is if you have specific questions.

I can see why you would be disheartened - you seem to have suffered from information overload, which was discussed on another thread recently, at the risk of adding to that I will summarise as follows:

First - don't feel bad about not knowing exactly the perfect thing to do, a lot of people can get caught up in this and lose sight of what they actually should be doing - and that is training. Get started (as you have) and it's trail and error from there, some things will work for you, some won't - some will work for others and not for you, and visa versa. Don't worry about getting the perfect program or the perfect set of shoulder lifts etc, they don't exist, what is perfect is what works!

Second - I think a simple way to think about it is this:
- Do each major muscle group in a different session once a week (that's legs, back & chest)
- For each one include a major compound lift (squats for legs, deadlift for back, bench for chest)
- add 2 or 3 other exercices of your choice for the muscle group in each session (don't worry about what ones exactly, change them every 6weeks or so, you'll soon know what works best for you)
- add 2 or 3 exercises for a smaller muscle group on each of the days (say do shoulders with chest, arms with back for example - again change these every 6 weeks or so)
- thats about it!

Bo Malicious wrote: »

Is this the longest post ever?

yes

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Hope I was of some help!

Arsenal1986

don't know about that routine man if ur only starting out u really dont need to be devoting a day each to chest back shoulders etc.....something like a total body workout of Squats,deadlifts,benching,rowing 3 x a week would be much more benefical. Something like 5 x 5 would work great although youd want to get ur squat and deadlift form down first as te squat is the bedrock of that program right?
As for choice of exercises cable flyes are a bit of a waste of time in my opinion at least until youve a lot of chest development maybe sub in incline Benching, no need at all for a day for shoulders all the pressing and pulling on ur chest/back days will take care of ur shoulders.

Colm_OReilly

Mark Rippetoe's programs: http://www.board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=20170&highlight=compendium

Pick one of the programs and begin.

As for that instructor, she hasn't a clue to be honest. Weight is lifted when the scapula's spine is directly over the bar, which means the shoulder must be in front of the bar. Go to www.crossfit.com's exercise section and there's 7 or so clips on deadlift anatomy and execution.

While you're there, check out the squatting videos. Most gym instructors have terrible squats (legs too close together, feet running straight, leaning too far foward, not dropping below parallel)

Nice work on the diet/smoking changes. Seriously. Since you've made such a good investment so far you deserve a decent program.

Colm

Bo Malicious

sorry didnt reply - been hectic last day or so. Appreciate all the feedback/opinions.thanks lads. Lot of good advice there - keep it coming.

I think Ill do the leg press for a couple of weeks and then start on the actual squat. In the meantime Ill try and nab one of the humungous dudes in the gym and chat to them about my form while doing the squat.

I think my shoulders (particularly rear deltoid) are weak which is why I was dedicating a session to them alone. I thought they were letting me down in the bench - as my chest muscles never felt that wrecked after chest press. Ill mix things up and see how they feel - three day split, incorporating the big 3 - one per session and see how I fair.

Ill keep ye posted and im sure Ill be back to hassle again some more :-)