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Hybrid routine by Newbie needs critique!

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Posted by: JamesTheScot

I am 5'11" and currently 240# (down from 300# at Christmas '06). I have a medium to medium heavy bone structure. Have always had thick/strong legs without trying but i have an ACL recon on my left knee and my left leg around the knee is weaker and skinnier as a result.

Goals:
1) Lose body fat (want to get to @ 7-10% body fat)
2) Add much mass to arms and delts
3) Add some mass to chest, shoulders and lats
4) Catch left leg up to right leg in mass.
5) Define legs, abs and lower back as I shed weight.

I take 2 tabs of Precision Engineering Creatine Ethyl Esther pre and post work-out per instructions and take a multi-vitamin plus others (chromium, zinc, vitamin C, etc.) as supplements.

I aim to consume between 2000 and 2300 calories per day. Tough to get over 200 grams of protein per day but have begun to use whey protein to get protein up.

I have read several books, and have kinda settled into the following program...I am leaning towards the once per week per muscle group plan as you can see.

Monday...Chest
Flat bench with barbell (12x135#, 10x155#, 6x175#, 2x205#)
Pec flys on cable machine (12x50#, then 2 drop sets to failure starting at 80#, dropping 10#'s each time and ending at 30#)
Decline bench (3 sets with 35# dumbells to failure, usually 15-20 reps each)
Incline Bench (same as decline bench)
30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical (machine reads 500 calories per 30 mins)

Tuesdays...Back and shoulders
Row on Iso-row - uses free weights on a machine (20x180#, 15x230#, 12x250#, 10x270#, 4x320#)
Back extensions on cable machine (3 sets of 25, 15 and 10 reps - can't recall weights)
Reverse, close-grip pulldowns on cable machine (25x50#, 15x80#, 10x100#)
Wide-grip pull-downs (roughly the same as reverse grip though reps suffer)
Shoulder shrugs using Smith machine (25x135#, 15x205#, 10x225#)
30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical (same calorie burn)

Wednesdays...Delts
Internal rotations using cable machine (3 sets of 15x40#)
External rotations using cable machine (roughly same as internal)
Shoulder press on Iso-press - uses free weights on a machine (12x90#, 10x110#, 6x140#, 4x160#)
Side delt raises using dumbells (15x15#, then 2 drop sets to failure using 30,25,20,15,12,10,8#'s)
Rear delt flys using cable machine (15x50#, then 2 drop sets to failure using 70,60,50,40,30#'s)
30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical (same calorie burn)

Thursdays...Arms
Concentration curls using dumbells (12x20#'s, then 2 drop sets to failure using 40,35,30,25,20#'s)
"21's" using EZ-bar (1 set using 20#'s plus bar weight and next set adding 10#'s)
Tricep pulldowns using cable machine and rope handle (15x50#'s, then 2 drop sets to failure using 70,60,50,40 and 30#'s)
30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical (same calorie burn)
Hanging Abs (3 set of 36 reps switching from 12 reps on center, then 12 on left obliques and finally 12 on right obliques)
Crunches (2 sets of 50 each for center, left and right obliques)

Friday...off day (usually play wally-ball @ 2 hours)

Saturday...Legs
Leg Presses using rack (30x200#, 25X300#, 20x400#)
Calf raises using rack (add same number of reps at end of leg press set)
Quad Extensions using cable machine (3 sets with each leg isolated, 12x45#'s)
Hamstring curls (roughly same as quad extensions)
30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical (same calorie burn)

Sunday...make-up/catch-up day
Hanging Abs (3 set of 36 reps switching from 12 reps on center, then 12 on left obliques and finally 12 on right obliques)
Crunches (2 sets of 50 each for center, left and right obliques)
30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical (same calorie burn)
Plus anything I missed from earlier in the week

Lifting usually takes about an hour, cardio then takes about 30 minutes.

I take a martial arts class on Mondays and Saturdays for a combined total of 3.5 hours, about half of which is good cardio, the rest is technique and not much calorie burn.

I will try for an hour of cardio on any given day if I get to the gym early enough.

I've read that it's near impossible to add mass and lose fat at the same time but I am trying. It seems to me that I have the stored calories to fuel both as long as I keep my body supplied with protein, amino acids and nutrients.

Any criticisms of my program?

How would you tweak it to meet my stated goals?

Am I wasting my time trying to lift this much while losing weight?


Posted by: DOMS

I'll leave your choice of exercises (and reps, RIs, etc.) to someone more experienced.

Two major problems with your workout:

1. You're working out every day. I'm sure there's some combination of goals, genetics, techniques, and drugs that would nesscitate this, but I don't this is for you.

2. You're focusing on the muscles that you can see in the mirror and neglecting the rest. What about your legs & back? This is a classic beginner error. Change it now before it becomes a real problem. I see that you've had a problem with your leg, is it still affecting your workouts?


Posted by: Andalite

i dont have the mental patience to read through all of that. so ill start with ur goals and leave u to be the best judge for urself.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JamesTheScot
Goals:
1) Lose body fat (want to get to @ 7-10% body fat)
2) Add much mass to arms and delts
3) Add some mass to chest, shoulders and lats
4) Catch left leg up to right leg in mass.
5) Define legs, abs and lower back as I shed weight.
1.) reducing fat depends more on diet. i suggest u get ur diet corrected: good protein, medium carbs, low fat but all the EFAs are taken in, etc. i come from the DC bandwagon so ill suggest u to do low intensity cardio on the off days for 40-60 minutes - like walking on the treadmill @ incline 3.5 @ 3.5 miles per hour.

2.) focus on big compounds like bench press, military presses and ofcourse: SQUATS!

3.) same as #2

4.) squat and deadlift heavy and plan ur progression for EVERYTHING

5.) low intensity high volume cardio IMHO....but thats coz im from the DC gang

best of luck

Andalite


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Hybrid routine by Newbie needs critique!


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