Designing New Routine After Seven Years of the Same

[Captain Tex]

Hi all,

I just joined your forum and am amazed at the great resources available here. I've been skimming through the various training stickies trying to put together a new routine for myself. I've basically been following the same routine on again and off again for the last seven years (described below). I'm missing many muscle groups and I've heard it's bad to stick with the same routine for so long. That's why I've come here to figure out a better plan.

My long term goals are more on the bodybuilding side than the powerlifter side. I'm just starting up again after a six month hiatus where I only worked out about once a week. I normally spend a little over an hour at the gym, so I'd like to stick with that timing for my new routine. However, I have about three weeks of vacation coming up so I'd really like to crank it up a notch during this period.

Any initial thoughts or considerations I should keep in mind as I plan my new standard routine / new jump-start routine?

Thanks!!
CT



Note: I apologize if some of these names don't make sense, this is how I learned them

Schedule A

Flat bench
Inclined bench
Seated flys (machine)
Bar dips
Tricep pull down
Standing side crunches
Captain's chair
Elliptical trainer or running or rowing machine (20 minutes)

Schedule B

Dumbbell curls
Preacher
Pull ups
Lat pull down
Militaries
Declined plane (crunches)
Captain's chair
Elliptical trainer or running or rowing machine (20 minutes)

Weekly Schedule

Monday - Schedule A
Tuesday - Schedule B
Wednesday - Schedule A
Thursday - Schedule B
Friday - Schedule A
Saturday/Sunday - 30 minute run on one of the days

 

[Perdido]

I see two mistakes: No rest days & not enough leg workout.

 

[2truSoldier]

I agree with rahaas - you are totally neglecting your legs. Less is more

 

[Captain Tex]

Examples

Thanks for the comments so far! I'm working through CowPimp's guide to designing a routine and there are quite a few exercises I'm unfamiliar with.

I just want to confirm that the following videos are good form:

Pullthrough - YouTube - Pullthrough

Overhead press - YouTube - Overhead Press

Squats - YouTube - Full Squat Demo

Also, is "pulldown" the same as "machine lateral pulldown"?

I've never tried the first three before, any tips I should keep in mind when I do them?

Thanks again!

 

[Richie1888]

too much chest work on the A and to much Bi work on B

no deadlifts no squats no rows

 

[Richie1888]

i only looked at the squats seemed alright

ExRx (Exercise Prescription) on the Net will help you

why dont you try a simple 3x a week full body

shoulder press variation
row variation
bench press variation
deadlift variation
squat variation

then if your one of the people that feels the need to add in a bicep movement and maybe a calf raise variation

then look into periodisation I think cowpimp has a sticky for that aswell

by doing something like this your managing to hit all major group evenly without over working any group like you were doing in your first workout.

 

[Captain Tex]

Wow, I just got back from the gym and tried out one of the beginner workouts CowPimp suggested in his post: squats, overhead press, pullthrough, and pulldown. Great workout! I'm looking forward to trying this and some of the others suggested here over the coming weeks!