kaon

I'd like someone to look over my workout (below) and tell me what you think. I work out pretty consistently and I see results over time, but if my workout can be improved I'd like it to be.

I'm 6'1", about 180 pounds, I eat as much as I can, and take about a serving of Nitrotech each night, but am looking to pack on some more muscle (I'm fairly lean --10% body fat).

I workout with two buddies, so I usually have about two minutes between sets. All of the exercises are 3 x 6, except for the ab exercises, which are 3 x 25. I'm looking for advice on the number of sets/reps I should be performing (is 3 x 6 adequate?) and on the choice of exercises.

Mondays - Chest and Triceps

Dip
DB Bench Press - Superset
Push Ups (3 x12) - Superset
Incline/Decline Bench Press (alternate each week)

V-Ups
Box Crunches

Skull Crushers
Tri OH Extensions
Kick Backs

Tuesdays - Back and Biceps

Wide Grip Pulldown
Cable Row
DB Row

Side Raises
Leg Raises

Preacher Curls
Hammer Curls

Thursday - Shoulders

BB Military Press
Front Raise - Superset
Lat Raise - Superset

Alt Toe Touch
WT Bicycle

BB Shrug
DB Bent Lat
DB Shrug

Weekend - Legs

Squat
DB Lunge
Calf Raise
WT Toe Touch

Oblique Raise
Incline Leg Press

Leg Curl -Superset
Leg Extension -Superset


Thanks for the help.

Machher

In my opinion:

id do less variety, and more weight. I find that 2 or 3 different exercises for 3-4 sets @ 4-6 reps at a high resistance level is best for hypertrophy and strength gains (for each muscle group).

Yes 3 sets of 6 reps is adequate but with the # of different exercises seems like u gotta pace.

So overall im saying lift more weight. by the way, add in some cardio?

QuestionGuy

cut the pushups man, unles you have some weight on them, i do about 60-100 pushups a day but i dont consider that training i just do that for practice, it also gets ur heart rate up and that burns cal and fat

kaon

Ok, I like the advice, but what do you suggest for cardio? It was my understanding that running was counteractive to putting on muscle mass. That seems wrong, but whats the truth in it?

I've got everything from stair steppers, treadmills, a track, and lots of road to run on. What the best cardio thing to do and how often for my purposes?

Thanks --
Matt

QuestionGuy

do a lot of reading and u'll get it.!!!
yes running will hinder with ur muscle building so i do fast walking on a very very steep hill (or machine) i also do running too because i love it, but if ur bulking i would do the uphill walking, some people will also recomend "hit" cardio for fat burning....i hope this helped you, i confused myself writing this, hehe

CowPimp

Avoid doing supersets on a regular basis. There is no reason to cause excessive fatigue in that manner consistnently. You should be more focused on progressive resistance.

There is no reason to do 24 sets for your abs every week. Do weighted ab exercises. I guarantee that you will only need to do something like 6-12 sets per week to see results. Try working them in the 8-12 rep range as a base.

You're totally lacking hamstring work, unless you use powerlifter form on your squats, which I kind of doubt. Having disproportionately strengthened antagonist muscles is just asking for injury. Leg curls aren't going to cut it. Trying some straight leg deadlifts, romanian deadlifts, or reverse hyperextensions.

Don't always use 6 repititons as your chose of repititions. For hypertrophy, it is theorized that the optimal range is 5-12.

Get some posterior deltoid work in there. Rows are good, but may not be sufficient on their own.

Switch around your exercises if you haven't done so in a while. Different exercises stimulate different muscle fibers via the use of different motor units.

The only time it's bad to feel the burn is when you're peeing...

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CowPimp

It's HIIT cardio, in case you're having trouble searching for information on "hit" cardio.

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Johnnny

kaon

You're doing somewhat too much & you shouldn't be doing chest & triceps on the same day nor back & biceps on the same day & you should space them out more so you have time to recover. 4 days a week of training is enough.


Monday: Chest then biceps
Chest
3 sets of flat bench
3 sets of incline bench
3 sets of incline dumbbell flies
3 sets of cable cross overs

Biceps
3 sets of standing barbell curls (with 45lb bar)
3 sets of seated dumbbell hammer curls
3 sets of ez bar concentration curls

Tuesday: Legs & calves

4 sets of leg press
4 sets of leg extension
4 sets of lying hamstring curls

Calves

5 sets of toe presses or seated calf raises

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Back & Triceps

Back
3 sets of barbell rows
3 sets of T-Bar rows
3 sets of 1arm row
3 sets of hyper extension (lower back)
3 sets of dumbbell pullovers

Triceps
3 sets of close-grip bench press with the elbows against your sides
3 sets of flat bench tricep skull crusher extensions (with 45lb bar)
3 sets of tricep cable pushdowns with straight bar or single arm

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Shoulders & Traps

Shoulders
3 sets of seated military press (bringing the bar in front of you down to about mouth level)
3 sets of side lateral raises (for side delts)
3 sets of rear delt flies (rear delts)

4 sets of either barbell or dumbbell shrugs for traps & make sure when you bring the weight up to really squeeze the traps, I always try to aim for my ears when I bring squeeze the weight up with my traps.


This gives plenty of stimulation to cause growth & gives plenty of recovery time.

kaon

Thanks for the advice. I'll try out your recommendations and note how much differently I progress. Until next time...

CowPimp

Don't listen to anything Johnnny says.

9 sets for your biceps and triceps? That is totally unnecessary. He recommends only one compound leg exercise; try more squats, deadlifts, reverse hyperextensions, and straight leg deadlifts. Granted, the extensions and curls have their place, but they shouldn't comprise more of the leg routine than heavily compound lifts.

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Johnnny

Cowpimp

Don't listen to anything Cowpimp says he is one who is too smart for his own good.

If you're only doing 2 sets of biceps & 2 sets of triceps, neither will develop.

I do 3 sets of standing barbell curls, 3 sets of seated hammer curls, 3 sets of preacher curls.

For triceps I do 3 sets of cg bench press, 3 sets of skull crushers, & 3 sets of cable pushdowns.

But I don't do bi's & tri's on the same day however.

Biceps are done on chest day which is Monday & triceps are done after back day which is Thursday, plenty of time to rest.

By bicep routine takes no more than 15-20mins tops, as does my tricep routine. Very, very fast.

As for deadlifts they should not be done on leg day. Back day is ideal for deadlifts. If you decide to do squats, followed by leg press & then deadlifts, you'll be lucky if you can deadlift the bar off the ground.

By the end of your leg workout you should hardly be able to walk let alone deadlift.

Duncans Donuts

This is an outright lie, or at least complete misinformation.

I have been training one direct set for my biceps for nearly a year - same for chest - 2 sets for triceps. This claim he makes is completely inaccurate (see the link in my signature).

I don't want to continue this war of words, J but I stand by my training and it's effectiveness. This claim is erroneous.

"in the howling bleeding nights, the dogs plunge into the Volga and swim desperately to gain the other bank. The nights of Stalingrad are a terror for them. Animals flee this hell; the hardest stones cannot bear it for long; only men endure."

Johnnny

Duncans Donuts

Well again it's easy for most ppl to grow & develop with help.