My Workout..

Blindside87

Yo all!

I'm an experience gym goer but am just wondering if I am doing too much each day. I try to do everything twice a week except shoulders and I do core most days. I find I am spending a lot longer than anyone else appears to be in my gym, I spend around an hour and a half Monday - Friday after work but it can be draining enough so want to see what you fine folk think.

Monday (Do Lats in between my chest exercises, likewise with biceps and triceps):

Chest

Incline dumbell press x 3
flat bench dumbell press x 3
cable crossovers x 3
press ups with dumbells x 3 (sometimes if I'm up to it)

Lats

Lat Pulldown x 3
Dumbell Row x 3
Close grip Lat pulldown x 3

Biceps and Triceps:

Hammer Curls x 3/ Tricep pull down
Bicep curls x 3 / Skull crushers
EZ bar curls x 3 / dips

Maybe one or two other things

Core

Tuesday:

10 mins on bike
One legged Squat x 3
Squats x 5
Hamstring Curls x 3
Deadlift x 3
Hamstrings offa bench...can't remember what they're called

Core

Wednesday:

Shoulders

Dumbell shoulder press x 4
Front raise x 3
lateral raise x 3
Shrugs x 3
Calfs on smith machine x 6

Core.


Thursday is similar to Monday

Friday similar to Tuesday.


Sorry about the mad post! Cheers..

Will Heffernan

The problem with programs like this is that you are doing so much of everything...you end up spreading yourself too thing and your intensity on any one exercise is too low to ilicit and real tangible long term changes.

All you are making yourself tired...that's easy to do.

Pick your most important exercise on each of those days....actually lets pick you two most important exercises on each day and tell us what they are.

I'll help you rewrite your program, cut down your training time and get you better results in the next two weeks than you have had in the last two months.

Blindside87

Will Heffernan wrote: »

The problem with programs like this is that you are doing so much of everything...you end up spreading yourself too thing and your intensity on any one exercise is too low to ilicit and real tangible long term changes.

All you are making yourself tired...that's easy to do.

Pick your most important exercise on each of those days....actually lets pick you two most important exercises on each day and tell us what they are.

I'll help you rewrite your program, cut down your training time and get you better results in the next two weeks than you have had in the last two months.

Hey man...cheers for the reply.

I know that looks very like a bodybuilding program but I'm using it to put on more bulk before I go back to rugby as I have been injured for pretty much a year! I will continue you doing the sessions when back training but only 3 days a week so probably 2 upper body 1 lower a week.

My most important muscles:

Monday:
Chest and biceps

Tues:
Quads and Hamstrings

Wed:
Calves and Shoulders

Thurs:
Lats and Triceps

Friday:
Same again although will concentrate more on whichever i do less on tuesday (if ya follow!).


Cheers again..

Armedocr

Doing weights five times a week is total overkill man. I think what you really need to be focusing on is a strength routine, especially if your bulking up for rugby.

A 3x a week strength routine, where your concentrating mainly on the big 4 (Squat, Bench, Deadlift and Press), is what you need. TBH the routine you've posted looks like you pulled it straight from an issue of Flex or something.

Will Heffernan

Blindside87 wrote: »

Hey man...cheers for the reply.

I know that looks very like a bodybuilding program but I'm using it to put on more bulk before I go back to rugby as I have been injured for pretty much a year! I will continue you doing the sessions when back training but only 3 days a week so probably 2 upper body 1 lower a week.

My most important muscles:

Monday:
Chest and biceps

Tues:
Quads and Hamstrings

Wed:
Calves and Shoulders

Thurs:
Lats and Triceps

Friday:
Same again although will concentrate more on whichever i do less on tuesday (if ya follow!).


Cheers again..

Don't want to even know what you are working....just want to know what your 2 most important exercises on each of those days are.

Blindside87

Armedocr wrote: »

Doing weights five times a week is total overkill man. I think what you really need to be focusing on is a strength routine, especially if your bulking up for rugby.

Yeah I know its probably too much which is why I'm looking to change it.

A 3x a week strength routine, where your concentrating mainly on the big 4 (Squat, Bench, Deadlift and Press), is what you need. TBH the routine you've posted looks like you pulled it straight from an issue of Flex or something.

I didn't pull it from anywhere, I've done various things over the year to see what exercises I found were best for me and what weren't working.

I do focus on the big 3 exercises as it is but I think I might be doing too much each day on each of them. Like for my chest I'm doing 9 sets altogether.

How would a strength routine differ? Cheers..

.

Armedocr

With a strength routine you'd be putting your focus on the 4 big lifts and maybe one or 2 assistance exercises ONLY.

Something like this http://www.ironaddicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8050

With a good diet and that routine you can make some serious changes to your body composition and strength.

Blindside87

Will Heffernan wrote: »

Don't want to even know what you are working....just want to know what your 2 most important exercises on each of those days are.

Monday:

Dumbbell Chest Press
Bicep curls

Tues:

Squat
Deadlift

Wed:
Dumbbell Shoulder press
Calve seated raise

Thurs:
Dumbbell chest press again
Bicpes with cables...don't know what they're called

Friday:
Squat
Deadlift

Blindside87

Armedocr wrote: »

With a strength routine you'd be putting your focus on the 4 big lifts and maybe one or 2 assistance exercises ONLY.

Something like this http://www.ironaddicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8050

With a good diet and that routine you can make some serious changes to your body composition and strength.

Nice1 Ill check it out....would i be losing gains I have made on that at all.

Armedocr

Blindside87 wrote: »

Nice1 Ill check it out....would i be losing gains I have made on that at all.

Tbh if you get your diet in check with a slight calorie surplus you'll probably do better on that routine. It mightn't look like much but trust me it's such a good routine.

Blindside87

Armedocr wrote: »

Tbh if you get your diet in check with a slight calorie surplus you'll probably do better on that routine. It mightn't look like much but trust me it's such a good routine.

Wouldn't let me into that page there, any chance you could copy and paste it for me. If not no worries ill make an account when I get home. Cheers again!

Armedocr

Blindside87 wrote: »

Wouldn't let me into that page there, any chance you could copy and paste it for me. If not no worries ill make an account when I get home. Cheers again!

I'd advise making an account and just read every sticky on that site lol you wont be disappointed.

chadmustang

Blindside87 wrote: »

Monday:

Dumbbell Chest Press
Bicep curls

Tues:

Squat
Deadlift

Wed:
Dumbbell Shoulder press
Calve seated raise

Thurs:
Dumbbell chest press again
Bicpes with cables...don't know what they're called

Friday:
Squat
Deadlift

Why not break up the Squat/Deadlift days into a SQ day and a DL day?
Then you can focus on heavier weights and use assistance exercises to get in your volume!
Same with the chest day why not do bench (flat bench or DBs) and pullups/chins (for the gunz)?
And then do a shoulder day where the main lift would be Barbell Press and some assistance exercises for the volume!
It will simplify a lot and remove stuff like direct calf work!

Blindside87

chadmustang wrote: »

Why not break up the Squat/Deadlift days into a SQ day and a DL day?
Then you can focus on heavier weights and use assistance exercises to get in your volume!
Same with the chest day why not do bench (flat bench or DBs) and pullups/chins (for the gunz)?
And then do a shoulder day where the main lift would be Barbell Press and some assistance exercises for the volume!
It will simplify a lot and remove stuff like direct calf work!

I like your style mon! I want to keep the squats and deadlifts on the same day as they use alot of the same muscles. Im going to take up the idea of 1 main exercise per session and 2/3 assistance exercise. I'm not sure if I am over doing it on certain exercises though as I basically work till I can't do any more!

Will Heffernan

Blindside87 wrote: »

Monday:
Dumbbell Chest Press
Bicep curls

Tues:
Squat
Deadlift

Wed:
Dumbbell Shoulder press
Calve seated raise

Thurs:
Dumbbell chest press again
Bicpes with cables...don't know what they're called

Friday:
Squat
Deadlift

So your week looks like this:
Monday
Horizontal Pressing
Curls

Tuesday
Quad and Hip Dominant work

Wednesday
Vertical Pushing
Calfs

Thursday
Horizontal Pressing
Curls

Friday
Quad and Hip Dominant work

You have some major 'issues' with your program.

The only thing you are prioritising are pushing movements and guns....and although squatting and deadlift in the same day can work....it is no where near optimal.

If you like this program...that's fine...I would rather see people do something they enjoy than nothing at all but this program is far from optimal with regards to the goals that you have set yourself.

The lack of any prioritisation of vertical or horizontal pulling is without doubt going to hold back your long term development.

If you want help or an alternative let me know...but if you are happy enough doing what you are doing...best of luck.

Blindside87

Will Heffernan wrote: »

So your week looks like this:
Monday
Horizontal Pressing
Curls

Tuesday
Quad and Hip Dominant work

Wednesday
Vertical Pushing
Calfs

Thursday
Horizontal Pressing
Curls

Friday
Quad and Hip Dominant work

You have some major 'issues' with your program.

The only thing you are prioritising are pushing movements and guns....and although squatting and deadlift in the same day can work....it is no where near optimal.

If you like this program...that's fine...I would rather see people do something they enjoy than nothing at all but this program is far from optimal with regards to the goals that you have set yourself.

The lack of any prioritisation of vertical or horizontal pulling is without doubt going to hold back your long term development.

If you want help or an alternative let me know...but if you are happy enough doing what you are doing...best of luck.

Hey man...

Yeah I could even feel that I wasn't making any progress hence why I posted here...but yeah I'm all ears!! Done a lot of reading over the last 2 days looking at 5 x5 routines they seem pretty sweet. But yeah what would you recommend? Cheers again..

chadmustang

Blindside87 wrote: »

I like your style mon! I want to keep the squats and deadlifts on the same day as they use alot of the same muscles. Im going to take up the idea of 1 main exercise per session and 2/3 assistance exercise. I'm not sure if I am over doing it on certain exercises though as I basically work till I can't do any more!

Yeah but splitting them up will give you more options, such as on SQ day you could do Romanian DLs as assistance and on DL day you could do front SQ as assistance.

Will Heffernan

Blindside87 wrote: »

Hey man...

Yeah I could even feel that I wasn't making any progress hence why I posted here...but yeah I'm all ears!! Done a lot of reading over the last 2 days looking at 5 x5 routines they seem pretty sweet. But yeah what would you recommend? Cheers again..

How about this...instead of giving you a fish...I'll give you a rod and reel and teach you how to fish

If you want I will help you design your own strength and hypertrophy program?

If you are serious about it you can go to your gym and have your bodyfat done whatever way they measure it and then start training away...keep a log and we'll see how you get on?

chadmustang

Will Heffernan wrote: »

How about this...instead of giving you a fish...I'll give you a rod and reel and teach you how to fish

I like this option better than mine

Blindside87

I do hear fishing is good for the core...


But yeah this is getting more complicated than I know it should be! All I need is a layout like this (what muscles to do each day):

Day1:
Chest
Bi's

Day2:
Squats
Triceps
Lats

Day3:
Chest
Bi's
Military press

Day4:
Deadlift
Triceps
Lats

If you dig?...

Will Heffernan

Blindside87 wrote: »

I do hear fishing is good for the core...


But yeah this is getting more complicated than I know it should be! All I need is a layout like this (what muscles to do each day):

Day1:
Chest
Bi's

Day2:
Squats
Triceps
Lats

Day3:
Chest
Bi's
Military press

Day4:
Deadlift
Triceps
Lats

If you dig?...

We can start from scratch...I just have to train some real people then we can get on with it.

Blindside87

I am real...

Will Heffernan

Blindside87 wrote: »

I am real...

Nothing is real on the internet....

Blindside87

I'm a real human being with feelings and emotions!

Yeah thats grand though whenever you get a chance!

Will Heffernan

How about this...we'll stick with your 4 day a week template and try to focus on building a better structure to it...and try to blend some pure strength and hypertrophy work.

So here is how we start...we'll pick two main exercises a day to focus on:

Day 1
Hip Dominant - Some sort of deadlifting variation.

Horizontal Pushing - Some sort of bench pressing variation.

Day 2
Quad Dominant - Some sort of squat variation.

Vertical Pulling - Some sort of chin or pull up variation.

Day 3
Hip Dominant - Some sort of other deadlifting variation.

Vertical Pushing - Some sort of overhead pressing variation.

Day 4
Quad Dominant - Some sort of other squat variation.

Horizontal Pulling - Some sort of rowing variation.

Now...just bare with me...I know you are going to think this program stinks but what it looks like now and what it looks like in the end is going to be entirely different.

We've started with what is essentially a 'balanced' template.

So why don't you pick some exercises now? Pick the ones you most like doing.

d'Oracle

Will Heffernan wrote: »

How about this...we'll stick with your 4 day a week template and try to focus on building a better structure to it...and try to blend some pure strength and hypertrophy work.

So here is how we start...we'll pick two main exercises a day to focus on:

Day 1
Hip Dominant - Some sort of deadlifting variation.

Horizontal Pushing - Some sort of bench pressing variation.

Day 2
Quad Dominant - Some sort of squat variation.

Vertical Pulling - Some sort of chin or pull up variation.

Day 3
Hip Dominant - Some sort of other deadlifting variation.

Vertical Pushing - Some sort of overhead pressing variation.

Day 4
Quad Dominant - Some sort of other squat variation.

Horizontal Pulling - Some sort of rowing variation.

Now...just bare with me...I know you are going to think this program stinks but what it looks like now and what it looks like in the end is going to be entirely different.

We've started with what is essentially a 'balanced' template.

So why don't you pick some exercises now? Pick the ones you most like doing.

Sorry for the Hijack.

Will, how is this for a two day plan, on linear progression.

1) Squat, OH press, Chins
2) Dead, Bench, as yet undecided Row.

Brian?

d'Oracle wrote: »

Sorry for the Hijack.

Will, how is this for a two day plan, on linear progression.

1) Squat, OH press, Chins
2) Dead, Bench, as yet undecided Row.

That there is Bill Starrs 5x5 is it not?

d'Oracle

briankeating wrote: »

That there is Bill Starrs 5x5 is it not?

To the best of my knowledge Starr had deads and squats on the same day.
And I'm not sure he used Linear progression

Brian?

d'Oracle wrote: »

To the best of my knowledge Starr had deads and squats on the same day.
And I'm not sure he used Linear progression

He sure does, this is why I should read properly before replying.

He did use Linear progression, sure I'm doing it myself.

Will Heffernan

d'Oracle wrote: »

Sorry for the Hijack.

Will, how is this for a two day plan, on linear progression.

1) Squat, OH press, Chins
2) Dead, Bench, as yet undecided Row.

Sounds fine...it is all in the execution

the drifter

That actualluy sounds like a 2 day split that would suit me at the moment with the half marathon training on the other days....

Will Heffernan

the drifter wrote: »

That actualluy sounds like a 2 day split that would suit me at the moment with the half marathon training on the other days....

Wouldn't be the worst choice in the world.

Blindside87

Will Heffernan wrote: »

How about this...we'll stick with your 4 day a week template and try to focus on building a better structure to it...and try to blend some pure strength and hypertrophy work.

So here is how we start...we'll pick two main exercises a day to focus on:

Day 1
Hip Dominant - Some sort of deadlifting variation.

Horizontal Pushing - Some sort of bench pressing variation.

Day 2
Quad Dominant - Some sort of squat variation.

Vertical Pulling - Some sort of chin or pull up variation.

Day 3
Hip Dominant - Some sort of other deadlifting variation.

Vertical Pushing - Some sort of overhead pressing variation.

Day 4
Quad Dominant - Some sort of other squat variation.

Horizontal Pulling - Some sort of rowing variation.

Now...just bare with me...I know you are going to think this program stinks but what it looks like now and what it looks like in the end is going to be entirely different.

We've started with what is essentially a 'balanced' template.

So why don't you pick some exercises now? Pick the ones you most like doing.

Interesting indeed. Should I really be doing deads and chest on the same day as they're both big muscles and take alot out of ya?

Day1:

SLDL 5 X5
Hamstring lifts off a bench 3 x 8
Dumbbell bench press 5 x 5
Incline Dumbbell bench press 3 x 5

Day2:

One legged squat using the bench 5 x 5
Chins 3 x 8
Curls 3 x 8

Day3:

RDL 5 x 5
Skull Crushers 3 x 8
Military Press 5 x 8

Day4:
Squats 5 x 5
Horizontal pull ups using a bar and bench 3 x 8
Hammer curls 3 x 8


I just wrote that out without looking at it too much to see what it looks like. Am I doing too little assistance work such as lats, arms, calfs? Cheers..

d'Oracle

Blindside87 wrote: »

Horizontal pull ups using a bar and bench 3 x 8

Inverted Rows?

Blindside87

d'Oracle wrote: »

Inverted Rows?

Yeah sorry...Only started doing them recently, I like them.