Fix My New Routine

[afc_recovering]

So my joining personal training sessions are over and I am going to begin to workout on my own. Because I am a beginner, I believe that an Upper-Lower split would be more beneficial than a 3-day split. This is the session that I put together:


Lower body:
Squats 3x8
Lunges 2x10
Leg Press 3x10
Calf Raise 3x10
Leg Curl 2x10
Leg Extension 2x10

Upper body:
Bench Press 3x8
Low back 3x10
Seated Row 2x10
Dips 2x16
Standing Barbell Curl 3x10
Lat Pulldown 3x10
Abdominal machine 2x15

I would be using this routine by going Monday (lower) Tuesday (upper), Thursday (lower) Friday (upper). All advice is greatly appreciated.

PS. If you want my stats, I'm 5'8 145 lbs. 12% body fat and just began working out a few weeks ago.

 

[Brian20o2]

First off, Where are the Dead lifts? Second, Why so many workouts? You only need Squats, Deads and Bench. You dont need all the extras. 2 or 3 Extras arent bad, but 5? Third You should be too tired after your first 3 excercises to do much more heavy lifting.

Personally I would cut out Leg Curls, Leg Extensions, Bicep Curls and Lat Pull Downs. If you lift hard enough with the rest those others will be very little help. Isolation excercises are for finishing touches not beginners.

 

[reyalp]

Brian2o2 is wise.

I'd like to throw in a recommendation for the book "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe. Skip a night of drinking (or whatever) and spend the $30 on the book.

Beyond "Starting Strength", which can bring you positive results for a year or more, I'd suggest you look at the 5x5 routine:
http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow1/index.htm


Here are some tidbits from Glenn Pendlay, commenting on Mark Rippetoe's abilities:
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4658227&postcount=235

 

[Chillisauce]

Because I am a beginner, I believe that an Upper-Lower split would be more beneficial than a 3-day split. .

So as a beginner you believe you are qualified to make such a statement? I advise doing the stickied bulking up thread.

 

[Skilla_Staz]

As a beginner? As a beginner I was reading as much as I could. Living on lifting forums, making myself delusional from all the information I was reading.

FortifiedIron.com

They will set you straight. Believe me.

Also, what are your goals?

 

[Brian20o2]

^Yes! Goals are very important for making the right training routines.

Do you want speed? Overall strenth? Get fit for a sport? Look good on the beach? What? This is the most critical piece of knowledge for getting the right routine (along with your current fitness).

Answer that and we can come up with the best workout for you.

 

[afc_recovering]

My main goal is overall strength. I am a hockey goalie so my legs are naturally quite strong for my age, but my upperbody is very weak and lags behind.

I really want to continue my leg workouts because I don't want to look like those ridiculous guys in the gym who have huge upper-bodies and chicken legs. However, I would like to develop my chest and shoulders to get that v-tapered look.

I have set some weight goals on each excercise that I work hard to achieve every time I go to the gym.

Now I should clarify why I decided to do an upper-lower split. The reasoning behind it was because my gym is located about a 10 minute drive away from my house and the only time I can go is when my dad goes (I'm only 15). I have tried doing a 3-day split and it became very difficult because we didn't go on a consistant schedule due to his work (although we usually made it about 2-3 times a week) So I found it easier to just switch from lower to upper with each workout, to ensure that I will get all of my muscles worked in a week.


1. Since you now know my situation, do you believe I should start doing a 3-day split, even though the days that I go aren't consistant?

2. Thanks to the advice given and some reseach, I've decided to start doing deadlifts. I did some research and saw the animation and it doesn't look too complicated, but do you touch the weight to the ground after each rep?

3. Anyother tips that have to do with deadlifts?

Thanks.

 

[Brian20o2]

Ok. That helps alot. I would go on a steady 2 day split instead of a wobbly 3 day one. Pick 2 days of the week and go those days, preferably a day or 2 appart for recovery. Deads are great. They work everything: lower back, legs, shoulders, arms. And yes you touch the ground every rep. Since you want more chest strenth I would add incline along with bench.

Heres my sugestion
Lower body:
Squats 3x8
Deads 2x6
Leg Press 3x8
Calf Raise 3x15

Upper body:
Bench Press 3x6-8
Incline Bench 3x6-8
Seated Row 2x10
Dips 2x16 Add weight belt If you can do more than 10
Abdominal machine 2x15 Make sure you use resistance/weight

Make sure you rest at lest 1-2 min between sets. And always work yourself as hard as you can safley.

 

[EFFORT]

Ok. That helps alot. I would go on a steady 2 day split instead of a wobbly 3 day one. Pick 2 days of the week and go those days, preferably a day or 2 appart for recovery. Deads are great. They work everything: lower back, legs, shoulders, arms. And yes you touch the ground every rep. Since you want more chest strenth I would add incline along with bench.

Heres my sugestion
Lower body:
Squats 3x8
Deads 2x6
Leg Press 3x8
Calf Raise 3x15

Upper body:
Bench Press 3x6-8
Incline Bench 3x6-8
Seated Row 2x10
Dips 2x16 Add weight belt If you can do more than 10
Abdominal machine 2x15 Make sure you use resistance/weight

Make sure you rest at lest 1-2 min between sets. And always work yourself as hard as you can safley.

Staying with Brians idea here are the changes i'd make

Lower body:

Pull-Ups- 3x10
Barbell Row- 2x8
Squats- 2x6, 1x12 (alternate Squats with Deadlifts each week)
Pull Throughs- 3x10
Preacher Curl- 1x10

Upper body:
Bench Press 2x6
Incline Dumbbell Bench- 2x10
Skull Crushers- 2x8
Hammer Shoulder press- 3x10
Abdominal machine 2x15 Make sure you use resistance/weight


This will be good for awhile and you'll see gains if your diet is correct. Its not bad but not something i'd have any of the people i train on for long given all the different rep ranges, exercise rotations, and other factors that can be manipulated which would take forever to post here.

But for now stick with that and we'll make changes once u stall out.

 

[afc_recovering]

Alright, thanks for all of the suggestions, I will implement them immediately.

EFFORT:
Thank you for the new routine, I'll be sure to put it into action, however I have a few questions.

1. I'm confused with the squats. Do I do a heavy weight at 2x6 and then a moderate weight at 1x12. Or is it a choice of one or the other?

2. Upright or bent-over barbell row?

3. Is hammer shoulder press the same as a normal shoulder press . I did a quick search and couldn't find any examples. If it is, do you want it on Smith machine or with dumbbells?


Thanks

 

[Brian20o2]

Listen to what EFFORT says. He knows his sh*t.

 

[EFFORT]

Alright, thanks for all of the suggestions, I will implement them immediately.

EFFORT:
Thank you for the new routine, I'll be sure to put it into action, however I have a few questions.

1. I'm confused with the squats. Do I do a heavy weight at 2x6 and then a moderate weight at 1x12. Or is it a choice of one or the other? Do lots of warm up sets first then do your 2x6 which should be heavy, but not so heavy that you hit failure, you should still have 2 reps in you after the last set (so if the last set was for 8reps you would of gone to failure), the 1x12 is done after the 2x6 and its a lighter set. Pick a weight that u feel you can get 12 reps with. Also make sure ur alternating Squat and Deadlift each week they both follow the 2x6, then 1x12 setup

2. Upright or bent-over barbell row? Bent Over

3. Is hammer shoulder press the same as a normal shoulder press . I did a quick search and couldn't find any examples. If it is, do you want it on Smith machine or with dumbbells? I was talking about the Hammer Machine, its a machine thats plate loaded, if you don't have one of these then use dumbbells for the shoulder press


Thanks

See above

 

[Skilla_Staz]

Are you in highschool by any chance?

 

[afc_recovering]

Thanks for all the information guys, I think I've got enough to start a good program. Hopefully with the good diet that I've set up I will be able to achieve some results.

Skilla_staz: Yeah I'm in high school... why?

 

[Skilla_Staz]

Every high school I have been to has a weight room. Go lift after school 3 days a week. Transportation home is all you need. Problem solved. Then you can do a 3 day split, focusing on Oly Lifts and Squats/Dead/Bench.

If you figure that out, I had a routine critiqued on a lifting site, I can PM it to you, see what you think of it.

 

[afc_recovering]

Skilla_staz I'm not sure where you're from, but I'm guessing it's not from small-town Canada. We do not take school sports even remotely seriously. If you want to get into serious sports you have to join squads outside of school. Our weight room consists of equipment all atleast 30 years old.

I believe there is:
2 bikes
2 stair climbers
1 leg press machine
1 bench machine (no not smith machine)
military press machine

As you can tell, it is pathetic and not an option.

 

[Skilla_Staz]

You have destroyed my arguement.

However, it would be incredibly wise to find a friend or somebody that can get you to lift 3 days a week. I would try.

 

[afc_recovering]

Thanks for the advice Skilla_staz... I'm definetely going to try to find a workout buddy who's older then me. Surely there's someone out here who wants to get in shape:rockon:.

One final question:
How much is consuming 6-12 beer per weekend effecting my results? I love going to parties and drinking with my buddies, so if it only has a slight effect I can deal with that. I already gave up weed because I always got stoned and ate entire bags of chips or tons of chocolate, which always made me feel sick afterwords.

 

[Skilla_Staz]

Read this.

 

[afc_recovering]

So I've been using a mix of Brian and Efforts routines for about a week and a half. (I know, not very long) I told myself I was just going to listen and not change anything. But when my buddy at the gym (by looking at him knows what he's doing) asked me where the hell my back excercises were. So... is there a reason you neglected back?