My fitness plan + diet (help appreciated)

[NickB]

Ok, here's my first months plan. By then i should need a new one.

Here it is. All critiques, help, advice are always welcome. I'm here to learn. I probobly need work on my sets/reps, im not really sure what i should be at:

monday-
Chest:
Bench - 3x10
Standing Dumbell fly - 3x10
Pec Dec - 3x10
Biceps:
dumbell curls - 3x10
preacher curls - 3x10
barbell curls - 3x10


wednesday-
Back:
assisted pullups - 3x10
seated row - 3x10
bent over row - 3x10
Triceps: (mmm... tricep exercises... my fav muscle to burn)
Assisted dips - 3x10
Tricep extension - 3x10
One arm cable pushdowns - 3x10

Friday-
legs
deadlift
calf raise
leg press

1 mile run on workout days to improve time.

How long should i rest before working again? 3 days? an entire week?

Diet:

Breakfast [7am]- Oatemeal w/ 2% milk, a bit of protein [15g], apple

after workout [12:30] - protein shake (34g protein)+ 8oz 2% milk (12gprotein) + nana + efa

lunch [3pm]- small bit of chicken w/ slow burning carb and EFA.

dinner [7pm] - chicken , green vegies [salad or such], sweet tater or rice

I drink aprox. 100oz of water a day.

Hm... now that i look at the diet again, im thinking banana + milk post workout is bad, i dont want the carbs, i still want the fat burning going.... what would be recommended to eat?


I dont want to jump into 6 meals a day, i'll start that in a month or 2. If i jump right in, i'll just gain weight. Which is bad

I think my diet looks... bad.... i havent started it yet, but that's projected.

 

[Mudge]

Chest:
Bench - 3x10
Standing Dumbell fly - 3x10
Pec Dec - 3x10

This looks familiar, WHY are you doing so much of the "same" thing? Flys/pec dec is essentially the same thing, MORE BASIC less fancy stuff! I like to do 1-2 sets tops as a finisher, but your doing 6 sets of "fancy" stuff.

Biceps:
dumbell curls - 3x10
preacher curls - 3x10
barbell curls - 3x10

Start with the basic stuff, then work concentration. I would do just Barbell curls for maybe 4-6 sets, and then after x weeks do something else, or just reduce your sets and reverse the order. Why chest and biceps, why not triceps?

assisted pullups - 3x10
seated row - 3x10
bent over row - 3x10

I would finish with the seated rows, not bent overs. I also like stiff legged deadlifts for lower back which is ESSENTIAL to overall back development, and I MUST do them to avoid back problems period, not sure if thats what you mean below as "deadlifts" or if you mean traditional.

Triceps: (mmm... tricep exercises... my fav muscle to burn)
Assisted dips - 3x10
Tricep extension - 3x10
One arm cable pushdowns - 3x10

I think your overdoing the fancy pants stuff again, but thats just my opinion. I do 1-2 sets tops of one arm pushdowns and rarely do them, do you mean tricep dips or chest dips? The only assisted dip machine I know of hits the chest HARD, another reason to do triceps on chest day. I prefer skull crushers to tricep extentions by far, but I do pushdowns now and again, or even behind the neck overhead press with an EZ bar.

legs
deadlift
calf raise
leg press

Where are the hamstrings? Or is that SLDL? I would start with leg press first since you are not doing squats, that is the meat of your leg workout, then deadlifts (SLDLs?), then calves.

There is no real reason to be afraid of 6 meals a day, remember you make them SMALL not the same size as your 3 meal a day or etc. I think your diet is seriously lacking in protein from appearance. I think its a good idea to take stock of what your diet is now, and not move too far from it calorie wise, just clean it up and make sure the protein is appropriate and etc as far as ratios go, but it looks protein lacking as you have it now (a bit of protein, a bit of chicken, doesn't sound good).

 

[Old School Mass]

If you are looking to lose fat and get in condition then fullbody routine will do more for you than splits.
If you are just starting out that is to much work and not needed.
One movement for each bodypart is all you need at this stage for 2-3 sets 3x a week pushed to full intensity eventually as you progress.
Do not start out on the wrong foot or you will waste presious time going nowere.
Good Luck

 

[Scotty the Body]

I'd have to agree with the above, keep it a little more simple if your just starting out. Once you get the core exercises down (deads, squats, bench) then start adding in some isolation type movements.
3 times a week is more than enough, remember muscle grows outside the gym not in, rest and proper diet are the keys to getting big.

 

[NickB]

That is basicaly my goal, OSM. So what you're saying is condense all that into 1 workout , 3 x a week?

As for chest/bis instead of chest/tris, i dont know. Why would i change it? i always see chest/bis or chest/tris, but never a reason. I picked chest/bis on day 1 because bench works the biceps too, as do the db flys.

 

[Mudge]

The reason is because you use your biceps on back day, and you use your triceps on chest day, HENCE they are warmed up and pre-exausted, and your doing MORE work than needed for them by doing large numbers of sets for them, the arms are much smaller than the legs for example, they don't need mega sets. Your half way done training biceps on back day with rows, and half way done with triceps on chest day.

Bench press hardly touches biceps at all, how are you doing them that your curling with your biceps? I don't get the picture. DB flyes are NOTHING compared to rowing for hitting biceps, I also wonder now how you are doing flys.

 

[NickB]

Makes sense.

Flys i'll feel my my biceps from holding up the weight. I dont feel bench in my biceps that much.... hm.... now that i think about it, i dont really feel it there at all. it's just where my pec connects to my shoulder. ...

This is the part where , if i was talking face to face, i would stop talking, stare for a second and listen for the "click" of the lightbulb turning on above my head. I understand now ;p

 

[Mudge]

Any pressing movement will use the triceps to an extent, and any pulling movement will use the biceps to an extent, you don't pull on a bench press, you push. Bench is mostly triceps, chest, delts, and lats (at the bottom of the movement).

 

[Mudge]

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/CBLyingFly.html

Yep it does hit the biceps a little, but since your arms are not curling, its not alot. Be carefull on these, use too much weight and it could cause problem, this is one reason its a finisher, use a light weight, I'm not a big fan of them myself. There is a safer way to do a "fly", but not letting your arms out as much, and then pressing at the end, so its not exactly the same movement but it is safer. Pec dec is largely the same thing though, I'd say pick one and stick to it, not both, and again more of the basic stuff and maybe 1-2 finishers, stick to the basics, dont worry about mixing in too many of the fancy pants finishing movements.

 

[NickB]

Ok, i see. thanks for the info. Im still a bit confused as to how i should group my workout though. Do full body 3x a week? 2exercises per muscle for 3 reps, while keeping to the basic exercises?

 

[Mudge]

I think your division is fine, just more of the standard stuff less of the concentration/fancy stuff. How about some incline presses in place of some of those other two? I would do cable flys and drop the pec dec, or vice versa if you like.

Also less arms stuff (sets), and I'd again suggest moving triceps to chest day and biceps to back day.

 

[NickB]

How would you recommend i change up my plan? would you mind showing me please? what makes something more "basic" than another?

 

[Mudge]

Heh, look at my first post

Bench press is basic, flys is not. Squats are basic, single leg extention is not.

The most rudimentary form of the excersize where both sides of the bodypart are working at the same time, is 'basic'. Like deadlifts, the act of picking up a heavy item and standing up, very basic.

Barbell curls, basic - bent over concentration curl while standing on one foot, not basic.

Skull crushers, basic - one arm cable pushdowns while reciting poetry, not basic.

You can use some of these, just try to lessen the amount your using for awhile, usually these are classified as finishers not mass builders.

 

[NickB]

Ok, let me repost my workout:

day 1 - chest, tris

Bench
Flys
skullcrusher
extension
dips to finish off until exhaustion (maybe?)

day 2 - back, bis
assisted pullups
stiff legged deadlifts
seated rows
bb curls

day 3 - legs
squats
lying leg curls
calf raises

How does this look? Should i combine it into a 1 day workout 3x a week like osm suggested? I'll also be running on those workout days, except legs, because i can barely run after a heavy leg workout.

Re-reading your post, if i take in the same cals im taking in now (roughly 2000), but split it between 6 small meals, that's not going to effect me? i read somewhere (i think it was by pain) that said it would make you fat.

 

[Mudge]

Dips, you could try that if you like, see how they work for you. I normally don't do to many chest excersizes by the numbers, or else I'll cook it, its not too huge of a muscle. I do like dips in place of lower chest excersizes, I did them for a few weeks and my bench actually went up just doing dips in place of flat bench.

I would do SLDL last for that day, this way your lower back is not fried when your trying to do curls, plus again the rows are a meaty part of your routine, so place that one after (rows) pullups. You should have some wide grip and narrow rows in there, I usually start with wide and then do the narrow, so use a wide attachment if you have one on the row machine, if not then use the barbell.

You could turn it into an HST style routine if you wanted, but I should leave that decision to you. You run after your workout yes? For how long? I actually am doing walks right now, nothing as exciting as running but I don't want to lose muscle so I'm doing it "slowly" just by getting the metabo going somewhat, calorie burning is obviously not as much.

2000 calories is your entire daily intake? That doesn't sound like much at all, I am not seeing how that would make you fat unless they are the wrong kind of calories. Spreading your meals into more frequent yet smaller meals makes the metabolism faster actually, not slower, they just have to be the right kind of foods. 2000 calories of just about anything though wont make most people fat, unless your body is in starvation mode. Feel free to ask him/W8 questions if something is not clicking as far as the diet thing is going.

The way I generally look at it, is how much protein do I need, then I work in fat/carb ratios that are generally acceptable and see the total calories of that for the day, if I see that its "too much" then I find a way to rework the ratio. I have some cards laying around of what several meals I would eat are in terms of calories and thier breakdown P/C/F. At the moment I am not gaining weight I'm just trying to slowly trade calories going to fat for muscle poundage (lower my own bodyfat %), so I eat the same stuff all the time other than on my cheat day (which will include something like ice cream) but my diet is otherwise the same constantly.

 

[NickB]

I have yet to start serious weight training, that will start monday. My schedule has been fubar the last week and it straightens out monday.

So, i should move SLDL to day 3... ok
My cardio for the past 3 weeks has been 30 minutes on an elliptical. But since ive change my goals to military, ive started doing a mile a day (except weekends) to try and improve my time/endurance.

SLDL = Stiff legged dead lifts, correct?

I cant figure out what HST is. I've done searches and have come up with nothing. Shooting in the dark im guessing "High intensity strength training". *looks it up and reads* HIT seems to focus more on low sets/reps but extremely heavy weight to kick the body in the pants and get it moving.

If i changed it to HST, what are the pros and cons? How would i change it to that?

As for my caloric intake, my lbm is low, aprox 135lbs, (23% bf). I might have to increase my caloric intake to accomadate ratios.

 

[Mudge]

I meant SLDL last on back day, keep in mind it will hit HAMS, some use it for a HAM (leg biceps) excersize, it hits mine so I reduce leg curls to 1-2 sets.

Whats your mile time now? Just curious, I would be embarrased to know how mine has slipped.

I would stick to what you have now, especially since this will be you first serious routine. If your not used to doing 9 sets of an excersize now, do 2-3 and add 1-2 sets a week, don't overdo it and end up sore for so long you "can't" workout, work up to a full routine slowly if your not yet there.

Here is my HST thread, read it for pleasure/curiosity if you like.
http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9008&highlight=HST

 

[Mudge]

FWIW, my own growth slowed down significantly from the time of that july post. I was at 1.35g protein per pound, recently went to 1.6 and am finally growing again. So over time you may find that you need to do something different with the diet if things slow down signifcantly for you, and of course occasional changes in routine are nice (HST swears that you must mix it up often).

 

[NickB]

Cool, thank you for the info and help mudge (and others), i appreciate it :]

HST sounds great, but i dont think im ready for it, so i will hold off and see how i do this month.

My mile time is about 13 minutes, lol. Sad :[

 

[NickB]

So, the second plan is a good beginning one? what should i set the reps at? 3x10 still for them all?

 

[Mudge]

8-12, whatever fits your fancy. For calves most people go higher (20-30), some people do nowdays for squats also (10-15).

 

[NickB]

Alrighty, groovy. I'll take pics, measurements and body fat percentages before i hit the gym monday then :]

Thanks for all your help mudge , i appreciate it