My workout - any suggestions?

[Stupot]

Hi,

I started going to the gym six months ago, and I'm a little disappointed with the results so far. I'm not expecting miracle results, but think I can do better with a better routine. I'm 30, 5'10", 75kgish, and looking for moderate muscle mass and good definition. Brad Pitt Fight Club, if you like.

The programme the instructer gave me when I started consisted of the following. The weights have increased quite a bit, doubled in some cases, but the programme is unchanged:

Five minutes warm-up on the rower
---
Chest press machine: 77kg x 12 reps x 2 sets
Overhead press machine: 50kg x 12 x 2
Compound row machine: 77kg x 12 x 2
Lat pulldown machine: 64kg x 12 x 2
Lower back machine: 55kg x 12 x 2
Ab machine: 59kg x 12 x 4
Leg press: 150kg x 12 x 2
Leg curls: 50kg x 12 x 2
---
30 minutes cardio: erg/elleptical/treadmill. I tend to rotate the machines I use, and do HIIT when I'm brave enough




After a few months I thought this wasn't enough, so I added the following on after I did my cardio:

Super pullover machine: 77kg(ish) x 12 x 2
Tricep extension (the one with the preacher style rest): 50kg(ish) x 12 x 2
Pec fly machine: 40kg x 12 x 2
Delt fly machine: 46kg x 12 x 2
Obliques twisty machine: 40kg x 12 x 2
Inclined sit ups: 20-25 x 2
Free weights:
Bench dumbbell presses: 22kg x 8 x 2 flat, 17.5kg x 10 x 2 inclined
Bicep curls: 17.5kg x 8 x 1, 15kg x 12 x 1
Front raise: 10kg x 12 x 1
Shoulder fly: 10kg x 12 x 1 (kills me)



I do this 3-4 times a week, and the full routine takes me up to 2 1/2 hours.

So my questions are: Is this too much/too often? Am I using too many machines x free weights? I don't vary my workout much - is this really bad? (I'm not that confident in the gym, and find a set routine helps) Any more general suggestions?

My gym's quite small but has the following in addition to the above: cable crossover pulley machine, Smith machine, dip/pull up machine, pec machine and a few others.


Any advice much appreciated.

 

[P-funk]

when in doubt...always add more!!!! (just kidding).

You really (REALLY) need to read the stickes and get an idea of how to set up a program. There is nothing about your current set up that I would deem acceptable.

patrick

 

[Doublebase]

Looks complicated. Brad Pitt was very cut in Fight Club. A big part of that is diet. How much experience do you have with weight training? We can help you design a basic program that can help you obtain your goals.

 

[Logman]

Sounds exactly like me when I joined my local gym and asked for advice. But after joining this forum I've started to understand alot more.

Your current regime will give some results as any beginner that starts to lift notices even a slight increase in muscle mass.

Most people train 3 or 4 times a week. A typical program is PUSH/PULL/LEGS. So one day of Pushing like Bench and Shoulder Press etc. Pulling would be work on a cable machine or Smith doing back and biceps and then legs is well, legs.

I'm 35, 5'11, 77kg so comparable to you. Look to put on 5kg (bulk) and then diet (cut). Bulking up puts the muscle on but fat too, then look to cut 2kg which strips away teh fat leaving the defined look you're looking for. You need to have very low body fat for that though. That's what I'm aiming for anyhow.

Train, Eat Alot, Sleep.

Look to hit the same muscle group with two exercises per session to really traumatise the muscle tissue. So if working chest do 4 sets of bench press, then 3 sets of fly or incline bench.

You're looking at 45-60 minutes lifting. I was doing the same as you and I was so wiped out at the end I was almost puking. But after an hour you aren't really doing much except damaging yourself. Doing 4-5 exercises targetting a few muscle groups will give you much better results then 10-15 exercise hitting it all.

 

[Merkaba]

Sounds exactly like me when I joined my local gym and asked for advice. But after joining this forum I've started to understand alot more.

Your current regime will give some results as any beginner that starts to lift notices even a slight increase in muscle mass.

Most people train 3 or 4 times a week. A typical program is PUSH/PULL/LEGS. So one day of Pushing like Bench and Shoulder Press etc. Pulling would be work on a cable machine or Smith doing back and biceps and then legs is well, legs.

I'm 35, 5'11, 77kg so comparable to you. Look to put on 5kg (bulk) and then diet (cut). Bulking up puts the muscle on but fat too, then look to cut 2kg which strips away teh fat leaving the defined look you're looking for. You need to have very low body fat for that though. That's what I'm aiming for anyhow.

Train, Eat Alot, Sleep.

Look to hit the same muscle group with two exercises per session to really traumatise the muscle tissue. So if working chest do 4 sets of bench press, then 3 sets of fly or incline bench.

You're looking at 45-60 minutes lifting. I was doing the same as you and I was so wiped out at the end I was almost puking. But after an hour you aren't really doing much except damaging yourself. Doing 4-5 exercises targetting a few muscle groups will give you much better results then 10-15 exercise hitting it all.

Um you forgot free weights. And the smith machine...for what? That thing is a badform trap. I can't think of anything a smith machine is good for besides calf raises.

 

[Logman]

Meant something else, not the smith. What's teh machine called that has one cable with a bar that people do lat pulldowns on?

But yea, when I first hit the gym the only time I got off machines was to do bicep curls and bench press. Basically you need to get off the machines. The only machine I use is the cable machine for pull work.

 

[Gazhole]

Um you forgot free weights. And the smith machine...for what? That thing is a badform trap. I can't think of anything a smith machine is good for besides calf raises.

- Calve Raises

- Supine Rows

- Coat Rack

- Pullups if the pullup stations are busy.

- Leaning against to look kewl 4 da chicas.

- Spitting on.


In conclusion, YOU'RE NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH.

 

[Stupot]

Wow, that's a lot to take in. Initially it seems strange just pulling, pushing or doing legs alone. But it does make sense - by doing a little bit of everything I haven't really been pushing myself as much as I can.

I think I'm going to have to learn a lot more free weights exercises.

What about abs/obliques/lower back? Is it ok to do these every time at the gym?

And is it OK to do cardio all three days? I usually totally exhaust myself, whatever I'm doing. I'm guessing using the erg on pulling nights would be a bad idea.

Thanks for your responses so far guys.

 

[Logman]

I works abs once a week just like most other parts of the body. A good ab workout leaves me as wiped as 4 sets of squats. Your abs will show when you have body fat to less than 10%. That's why it's said that abs are made in the kitchen. Abs are like biceps - you don't really need to target them and they still get a workout from other exercises. But I do like to hit them once a week on the decline bench, 3 sets of weighted 30 (10 std, 10 side/side, 10 crunch).

I will sometimes do a 5 minutes treadmill jog before a workout just to get the blood flowing and I do HIT once a week on a non-training day. I will do more cardio on off days when I need to cut to keep the metabolism flowing. After hitting the weights my heart is racing like cardio anyway. At most I'd say a 10 minute job after a workout. Too much and you could be eating muscle you're trying to gain and then pushing yourself to exhaustion hits the central nervous system making you more susceptible to illness etc.

Chest press machine: (Do Bench Press/Dumb-bell Bench press on a low incline)
Overhead press machine: (Barbell Military press)
Lat pulldown machine: (Use Cable machine instead, do wide grip Pullups)
Lower back machine: (I don't train lower back really)
Ab machine: (Use the decline sit-up bench)
Leg press: (A ridiculous machine. Do squats and feel the pain)
Leg curls: (I do use this machine because I don't have anywhere to Glute Ham Raises but it just knackers me out and I never feel it the next day)

When I switched from the Leg Press machine to squats I had difficulty walking the next day. After 4 weeks of squats the soreness is at an acceptable level (where I can feel it but it doesn't interfere with life). So prolly go super light on your first squat session. I also do standard Deadlifts (just can't seem to nail Romanian Deadlifts).

For Shoulders there are many exercises you can do. I actually do use the shoulder press machine because we don't have an incline bench with a bar stand. But I use the bench with Dumb-bells and press. Look into Hang Cleans. Just started doing these last week, they are awesome. Then there's the Corner BarBell Press. Then ther's Dumb-Bell Curls.

For chest you could do Dips, low incline press with Dumb-Bells and the Fly.

For back use the cable machine. Close Grip Pulldowns, double grip pulldown, Dumb-Bell row and PullUps.

I find the body gets used to a movement so when you do a new exercise it hits the muscles more so continually look for ways to diversify your training.

Then there's periodisation. Like one week going light, more reps/more sets, one week going heavy, moderate reps/less sets and one week going super heavy, few reps/few sets. I have been alternating moderate and heavy and random days but going to do it in a weekly format from now on.

Disclaimer: I'm still learning but I feel I was in a very similar position as you and this is what I've learned so far.

 

[samadamsboyee]

HIT is great for getting cut, but what these guys said is absolutely right, diet is a huge part of getting cut but discipline is the biggest

 

[itsmeinshape]

Sure is..,...

 

[Merkaba]

- Calve Raises

- Supine Rows

- Coat Rack

- Pullups if the pullup stations are busy.

- Leaning against to look kewl 4 da chicas.

- Spitting on.

-Really Heavy Squats

-Benching

-Seated Behind the neck heavy shoulder presses

-Modified Arnies

-Shrugs

-Upright Rows

-Standing in to rest for your next set somewhere else

In conclusion, YOU'RE NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH.

yea supine rows if you like....but sorry, I sure did forget about the other seven things you mentioned! My bad!

 

[samadamsboyee]

I think everyone that starts go out goes through a period of self-discovery. What works for others may not necessarily work for you. You need to experiment, keep a diary and chart your progress to figure out what you need to keep and what you need to revise.

I always believe in free weights because I get a great range of motion and feel I gain more, but that's me and you need to figure out what works for you. Asking for advice is great too but not from the biggest dude in the gym cause he's probably juicin' and you don't want to go there.

 

[Stupot]

Is the Smith machine ok for dead lists/military presses/squats etc?

My gym has no barbells.

 

[Doublebase]

Is the Smith machine ok for dead lists/military presses/squats etc?

My gym has no barbells.

What about DB's? You can do all those exercises with dumbbells.

 

[Stupot]

Hmmm, yeah you can. Why didn't I think of that?!

 

[Doublebase]

Hmmm, yeah you can. Why didn't I think of that?!

Cause u's a newbie. j/k

 

[Stupot]

Well I guess that's better than just being plain dumb.

Think I'm gonna start the pushpulls-legs thing next week, based on this with a few changes - pull ups in place of lat pulldowns, some front raises, and some cardio and some stretching.

 

[Logman]

Find a better gym because yours sounds shitter than mine and that's quite a feat.

 

[Built]

I don't much care for that setup. Leg extensions, leg curls, kickbacks, wide-grip pulldowns, 20-rep sets for abs. Hmmm.

 

[Stupot]

Yeah my gym is a hole Logman. I'm stuck with it till June though. Paying a year in advance seemed like a good idea at the time. It is cheap though, the next nearet gym costs three times as much.

Built, aren't kickbacks good? And what would you replace leg extensions and curls with? I'm going to do pull ups in place of the lat pull down machine. I do about 25 reps on an inclined bench for abs, struggle to do more at the minute. I hold my breath too much.

 

[Built]

Kickbacks are just embarrassing. Leg extensions and leg curls are for higher rep work, right? Try front squats, walking lunges, and SHELC.

Try dropping the reps down to 8-12 reps for ab work and do 'em weighted.

 

[Stupot]

How does this look?

PUSH

Erg
5 minutes warm up
Dips
2 sets - 10 reps, 10 reps
Bench Press - Dumbbells, Inclined
3 sets: 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
Bench Press - Dumbbell, Flat
3 sets: 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
Shoulder Press - Dumbbell, Seated
3 sets: 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
Flyes - Dumbbell, Flat
2 sets: 15 reps, 15 reps
Side Lateral Raise - Seated
3 sets: 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
Tricep Pushdown - Pulley
3 sets: 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
Tricep Press - Dumbbell, Seated
3 sets: 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
Crunch - weighted
2 sets - 10 reps, 10 reps
Oblique crunch
2 sets - 15 reps, 15 reps
Cardio





PULL

Erg
5 minutes warm up
Bent Over Dumbbell Row
3 sets: 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
Pull ups
2 sets: 10 reps, 10 reps
Shrugs
3 sets: 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
Bicep Curl - Standing
3 sets: 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
Hammer Curl - Standing
3 sets: 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
Concentration Curl
6 sets: 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
Cable Rear Delt pull
3 sets: 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
Wrist Curl
2 sets: 15 reps, 15 reps
Crunch - Weighted
2 sets - 10 reps, 10 reps
Oblique Crunch
2 sets - 15 reps, 15 reps
Cardio


LEGS
Erg
5 minutes warm up
Squats - Barbell
3 sets: 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
Deadlift
3 sets: 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps
Calf Raise - Dumbbell, Standing
3 sets: 10 reps, 10 reps, 10 reps
Dumbbell Lunge
3 sets: 10 reps, 10 reps, 10 reps
SHELC
3 sets: 20 reps, 20 reps, 20 reps
Crunch - Weighted
2 sets - 10 reps, 10 reps
Oblique Crunch
2 sets - 15 reps, 15 reps
Cardio

 

[Doublebase]

Ok how bout this:

Day 1: Bench Press

Day 2: Squat

Day 3: Deadlift

Day 4: Military Press