Fit or Tit?

Denzel Washingline

Hi, I am looking for a steer about where I am selling myself short / what can be improved in terms of my diet and training.

I am a 32 year old bloke who signed up to a gym in February as pretty much a complete novice. I am 5' 10" and weigh 12.5 stone. There hasn't been much change in my weight since I began but my body shape has improved fairly dramatically - I have lost about two inches from my waistline, my chest and arms have grown and toned up, and I have dropped quite a lot of my beer gut.

My weekly training is along the following lines:-

Gym: 3 Sets / 10 reps with 45 - 60 sec rest on each set

Monday & Thursday - Bench Press, Chest Flys, Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press, Barbell Curls, Skull Crushers, Dumbbell Curls, Cable Flys, Outside Grip Cable Curls, Tricep Pushdown.

Tuesday & Friday - Squats, Deadlifts, Standing Calf Raises, Leg Press, Lat Pulldowns, Seated Hamstring Curls, Leg Extensions, Assisted Chin-Ups.

Saturday - 20 minute brisk Run, a few situps
Sunday - 1-2 hours Indoor / Astro Football

In terms of my diet, Monday to Friday is basically as follows:-

9:00 am - 3 x Eggs Scrambled & Instant Coffee with low fat milk
1:00 pm - Gym
2:15pm - Mexican Chicken Salad from Pablo Picante (1 Breast of Chicken, Lettuce, Carrot, Sweetcorn, Onion, Feta, Sundried Tomato, Salsa)
3:30 pm - One scoop of ON Whey Protein with low fat milk
7:15 pm - Dinner (Omlette, Home-made Lasagne, Steak and Green Veg, Chicken Stir Fry, Chilli Con Carne with Brown Rice, Chicken Red Curry with noodles)
Snacks - Peanuts, Pepsi Max 500ml Bottle (x2), mozzarella cheese, deli ham
Vices - Occasional bowl of icecream, beer (but a lot less recently)

The idea with the gym routine was simply to get me into the habit of going regularly and to learn the form for some of the basic lifts. However, I would now like to maximise my returns so would be delighted to hear where I am going wrong or what I could be doing better. Ideally I am aspiring to get a physique along the lines of Jason Statham rather than Arnie!

Kaloma

I'd say you are doing a pretty good job.
Barbell rows and powercleans are missing,
I'd drop any exercise with the word fly in it and do overhead presses before bench but that is just personal opinion.

Also keep the weight the same and increase strength,
Change the Presses, Squats and deadlifts from 3 sets of 10 to 6 sets of 5

Denzel Washingline

Really appreciate the reply Kaloma.

I am not entirely sure what you mean by "keep the weight the same and increase strength" - do the 6 sets of 5 completed with better form improve strength?

cgmd1

I'd try to give up the pepsi max. Soft drinks are poison.

Otherwise it looks like you are going good.

LD 50

Whats your diet like for the weekend? If its similar to Mon -Fri you're doing alright. But if you're knocking back chipper and pints then cut them out.

Cut out the soft drinks. Even if you weren't hitting the gym I'd still recommend cutting them out. They're full of crap.

Planks. I love em. Do them with your situps.

Denzel Washingline

In terms of weekend diet, today involved 3 scrambled eggs for breakfast, tomato and basil soup with a slice of wholewheat bread at lunch, and a chicken and mushroom pie with a side of turnip (made by my mother in law so not much room for negotiation!!) for dinner. Had two chocolate biscuits with a cup of tea too. I have been using the sugar free Pepsi Max to stave off cravings as I have a massive sweet tooth but I'll try to go cold turkey and see how that goes.

Generally I would have one take away meal a week - usually a beef curry with boiled rice but occasionally split a 14" chicken and veg Apache pizza with the better half. Alcohol is limited to either two cans of beer or a half bottle of wine once a week max.

I am groomsman for my brother next month so am keen to be as trim as possible for the big day. Should I just go balls to the wall i.e. lift as heavy as possible for as many reps as I can manage plus squeeze in as many HIIT sessions as time will allow? I am going to knock the alcohol on the head until then.

Mellor

LD 50 wrote: »

Cut out the soft drinks. Even if you weren't hitting the gym I'd still recommend cutting them out. They're full of crap.

It's Pepsi max so it's sugar free. It's not going to affect weight loss. It's not ideal, but if it's the only diet choice that's not perfect then you're going ok.

OP, You don't need 3 curl variations, two flys, two triceps movements etc. I'd suggest cutting some or all of the last four exercises on Monday and adding a horizontal pulling movement. And with less repetitive exercises, you can up the intensity for all.

rossi.

you'll burn out in a month mate, below is a whats left after id gut your program back to what is only needed..legpress might be overkill too:)

Monday & Thursday - Bench Press, Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press,, Skull Crushers,Cable Flys,

Tuesday & Friday - Squats, Deadlifts, (Leg Press),Chin-Ups, dumbell rows,Barbell Curls

the easiest way starting is following a set prog: plenty here (imo aimed at beginners)..LINKY

anyway best of luck.

Kaloma

Sorry Denzel, I meant keep body weight the same and increase strength.
6 sets of 5 mean you have the same amount of time under tension as 3 sets of ten but you can use a heavier weight

What are your one rep maxes in the Overhead Press, Bench Press, Squat, Deadlift? (using a one rep max calculator doesn't count)
If these get bigger then you will have more muscle if you keep the bodyweight roughly the same you will look more like Jason Statham note his abs/definition.

This article might be of interest http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/whats-my-genetic-muscular-potential.html
and this http://npcnewsonline.com/powerbuilding-you-dont-grow-in-the-gym/63930/ - note the bit about eating enough to gain but eat less if getting fat!

Also most people suck at weight training movements and get injured for no reason, so invest some time getting a bit of coaching.

If there are some powerlifters training near you, try and train with them at least once a week - you'll learn loads
Find an actual competitive bobybuilder near you, try and train with them at least once a week - you'll learn loads too

don't stop running and playing the soccer