dcurzon

Hi there a bit about myself: i usually weigh in at about 147lb, but with the stresses of divorce etc last year, i dropped to a low of 136lb (ex wife pointed out that i looked like i had lost weight). This was in october, so november, i set about getting myself back on track.
I train in tae kwondo twice a week(tues/thurs), so november i joined the local gym and get in there once to twice a week as well(sun/wed). my routine generally goes along the lines of:

10 minute run on treadmill
dumbell curls 3 x 8reps
leg extension 2 x 8 reps
high pulley 2 x 8 reps
leg flexion 2 x 8 reps
seated rows 2 x 8reps
incline press 2 x 8reps
lateral arm lift 2 x 8reps
horizontal press 2 x 8reps
leg press 3 x 8reps

takes me just over an hour. if i find im able to do 10 reps then i up the weight a notch. most of these are machine based exercises rather than free weight.

i increased my calorie intake, using a weight gainer (atlas superweight gainer) to supply 2400 of the approx 4000 calories a day that i take in. wg in morning (800 cals), snack (eg.sandwich) mid morning, wg at lunch, meal mid afternoon, wg early evening, meal evening.

i am now at 158lb's and have been for a few weeks now and it feels as though i have come to a halt there. I'm trying to reach a target weight of 168lb's.
i'm 31 years old, 5'11 with 10.3% b/f. Should i be thinking about changing my routine/nutrition just yet? or keep going with what i'm doing at the moment and be patient?
many thanks for your time and i look forward to hearing your advice

ChrisROCK

I'd have to wonder with that much weight gained so quickly if it's LBM or not. Your weight training, being once or twice and full body each time is a bit lacking. I would develop a 3-day split and do more for each body part. Push-pull perhaps. Chest/tris, Back/bis, Shoulders/Legs with Abs done as frequently as you feel.

It's good that you broke into it slowly with a full body routine...but i think you can kick it up a nitch now safely.

Maximus:
"What we do in life, echoes in eternity."

http://kandeecup.tripod.com/gif

"Success does not necessarily mean advancement;... it refers to the accomplishment or sense of achievement one obtains from trying one's best... I...enjoy the process of become stronger and more muscular."

dcurzon

thanks for the response.

LBM?? wassat then? im a beginner remember my bf of 10.3% was measured when i reached 154lb's

i like the split routine idea, however, realistically i cant see it being possible to get to the gym 3 times a week. I race motorcycles at weekends and the season starts in March so a lot of my weekends are ruled out from march through to mid october. who knows, i might actually manage to race this season instead of throwing the thing across the track!

Would it be possible to do a split routine across 2 days a week? If so, what routine would you suggest?

ChrisROCK

Sorry...LBM=Lean Body Mass. That said, if you had your bf measured at 10.3% sounds like you're doing OK.

A 3 day split is ideal, but if you can only manage 2 days in the gym, then I guess you'll need to limit your sets per body part and cram everything into two days. Again, I would do push-pull. Chest, shoulders, tris, abs... Back, bis, legs, abs... Typically you should limit your routine to an hour, give or take, so reducing sets per body part will be necessary to get it all in.

Maximus:
"What we do in life, echoes in eternity."

http://kandeecup.tripod.com/gif

"Success does not necessarily mean advancement;... it refers to the accomplishment or sense of achievement one obtains from trying one's best... I...enjoy the process of become stronger and more muscular."

Pizzer

I would love to give you a response, but the hott chick in ChrisROCK's sig is distracting me.... AND I LOVE IT!

-----------------------
Put that steel on your back and give it a motherfucking ride, son.

ChrisROCK

lol...I'm glad everyone seems to be enjoying my sig. It IS there for your enjoyment. I've gotten tons of comments on it.

Maximus:
"What we do in life, echoes in eternity."

http://kandeecup.tripod.com/gif

"Success does not necessarily mean advancement;... it refers to the accomplishment or sense of achievement one obtains from trying one's best... I...enjoy the process of become stronger and more muscular."

dcurzon

lol! this is true, i have been mesmerised!

just trying to find out more on this push-pull thing you mentioned thanks for taking the time to reply, much appreciated. i'll try to post some piccies (i think i can put stuff into a gallery or summink??) showing how i looked when i started and how i look today. still slimmer than i would like to be, but deffo going in the right direction

dcurzon

ok, think i understand push/pull, well, maybe not understand it, but have an inkling!
i'll change the routine then to a 2 day split:

day 1 - push
10minute run
bench press
incline press
horizontal press
tricep pullovers

day 2 - pull
10minute run
high pulley
seated row
dumbell curls
leg xtension
leg press

crunches/sit ups on both days. increase weight and reduce reps per set. gives me approx 10 minutes to spend on each exercise.

ChrisROCK

What do you mean by "horizontal press"? No shoulder work in your push day? You gotta throw in a few sets of dumbbell presses and lateral raises, at least. Keep tricep work to a minimum as they'll be getting plenty of work from shoulders and chest in the same day.

Maximus:
"What we do in life, echoes in eternity."

http://kandeecup.tripod.com/gif

"Success does not necessarily mean advancement;... it refers to the accomplishment or sense of achievement one obtains from trying one's best... I...enjoy the process of become stronger and more muscular."

QuestionGuy

oh my god, I cant stop staring at her god damn, i just got of of a cycle and this is the first morning wood I got since it ended, lol.....He is just probobly making begginer gains anyway...

dcurzon

chrisrock- yep, i can put some lat raises in there, horizontal press (i probably have the wrong name for it...) is sat on a chair, and pushing the weights out from my shoulders to the front of my body, working the shoulders. Machine, not free weights. Maybe dumbell presses can go in as well.

questionguy - yes, i absolutely agree, they are most likely beginner gains. however, one has to proceed from beginner dontcha think? i hope to continue making gains, all be it at a slower rate, until i hit my target. at that point, i'll decide wether i want to maintain my gains, or continue trying to gain a bit more

thanks for your input guys

ChrisROCK

what you're referring to is a chest press machine...serves a similar purpose to the bench press, except it's a machine and you're sitting upright. I would ditch that. You're already bench pressing and doing incline presses. If anything, add in a fly movement. Either flat bench flyes or a pec deck fly for a little variety. Definitely do some shoulder work. Overhead presses and/or lateral raises.

Maximus:
"What we do in life, echoes in eternity."

http://kandeecup.tripod.com/gif

"Success does not necessarily mean advancement;... it refers to the accomplishment or sense of achievement one obtains from trying one's best... I...enjoy the process of become stronger and more muscular."

Tough Old Man

Chrisrock you just got me in trouble looking at the pic in you post. My wife wanted to know where i got those pic's at.

dcurzon

ok, i have bunged some pictures up in gallery, hopefully i'll add some more as time goes on

heres my revised shedule:
day 1:
1. 10 minute run
2. Incline bench press
3. Flat bench press
4. Military DB press
5. Front dumbbell raise
6. Laying overhead tri extensions
7. Seated tri extensions
8. Crunches

day 2:
1. 10 minute run
2. Leg extensions
3. Leg press
4. High Pulley
5. Seated rows
6. Dumbell curls
7. Concentration curls
8. Crunches

many thanks for all your tips/advice i'll try this for a while and maybe adjust it a little as i go