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[smoundzou]

Hi, I just joined this forum and would like to have someone, anyone look over this routine and tell me what needs to be added, taken out, or just anything in general that might help..

Thanks in advance!
Steve

Mondays - Legs
Squats (4 warm-up sets) 3 x 4-6
Leg Press (1 acclimation set) 2 x 4-6 -
Stiff leg Dead lifts (1 acclimation set) 2 x 4-6
Standing Calf Raise (2-3 warm-up sets) 3 x 6-8
Seated Calf Raise 2 x 6-8 - View

Tuesdays - Chest & Forearms
Incline Bench Press (4 warm-up sets) 3 x 4-6
Bench Press 3 x 4-6 -
Decline Press 1 x 4-6
Barbell Wrist Curl (1 warm-up) 2 x 8-10
Standing Dumbbell Wrist Curls 2 x 6-8

Wednesdays - Back & Traps
Bent Rows (3-4 warm-ups) 2 x 4-6 - View
V-bar Pull downs 2 x 4-6 - View (Pull-up shown)
Weighted Pull-ups 2 x 4-6 - View
Straight-bar Cable Rows 1 x 4-6
Dead lifts (2-3 warm-ups) 2 x 4-6
Barbell Shrugs 1 x 4-6 -

Thursdays - Shoulders & Triceps
Seated Dumbbell Press (4 warm-ups) 3 x 4-6 –
Seated Military Press 2 x 4-6
Side Laterals (1 acclimation set) 2 x 4-6
Lying Extensions (1-2 warm-up sets) 2 x 4-6 -
Pushdowns 2 x 4-6 - View
Seated Overhead Dumbbell Extensions 1 x 4-6

Fridays - Biceps & Abs
Barbell Curls (4 warm-up sets) 2 x 4-6
Hammer Curls 2 x 4-6
E-Z Bar Curls 1 x 4-6
Weighted Leg Lifts (1 warm-up set) 2 x 12-15
Cable Crunches 2 x 8-10

[Wip]

I am in no way a expert, but seems like its workout overload unless its light workout training. This is what i have been doing for some time & seems to work and have seen it suggested elsewhere.

Monday
Shoulders, Triceps & Chest
Tuesday
Rest
Wednesday
Traps, Back & Biceps
Thursday
Rest
Friday
Legs

On rest days I do abs & cardio....I'm sure someone has something more educated..maybe

Wip

[smoundzou]

I can understand why you may think that.. when you look at everything written down it seems like a lot, but actually I'm only working two muscle groups per day and the entire workout is under 50 minutes. I've done a similar workout to the one you posted but my body seems to do better with the one I'm doing now. I'm really looking for critique on the exercises.. like, too much isolation and not enough compound, or, maybe a better exercise that will hit other muscle groups.. Thanks for your suggestion..

[Boss Man]

Here's a few things.

Add Forearms to Biceps. There's no point training Forearms with Chest, it's pointless. You get a lot of Forearm stimulation with Biceps anyway.

Having said that, Wrist Curls are not great anyway. Think about it, you're working all that weight, and flexing a small Boney joint, that has very little amounts of muscle and connective tissue protection, so you could very well get minor damage to the joint, over several years.

Wrist Curls have been criticised for reasons like this, and whilst I used to do them, I wouldn't now.

If you need more stimulus on the Forearms, when you train Biceps do these instead.

E-Z bar Reverse Curls

Dumbbell Hammer Curls, Inclined ones are quite lethal.

As you already do Hammers, put them last on the Bicep day, to reduce emphasis off Biceps to Forearms, after you've done the bulk of the Bicep work anyway, so you're kind of finishing off with Forearms, by doing Hammers.

Then you don't need to do those iffy Wrist Curl type isolation movements. You don't need to Isolate the Brachioradialis muscles for reasons I described above.

Do Deadlifts first on a Back day, as they are better done when fresh. Also doing it like you are, you're sandwiching Deadlifts inbetween two Upper Back exercises, when you'd be better doing them after each other not split with Deadlifts.

I'd change the order of play for Back day.

1. Deadlifts / lower Back

2. Lats

3. Traps

Work the muscles in that way, so Deadlifts when fresh, Lats next, as they're bigger than Traps, and then into Traps to finish, so you work the Back the same, but go from bottom to top, if that makes sense.

Gives the workout more structure, so you're not training the Back in a higgledy piggledy fashion.

Also, be careful with Shoulders / Triceps. You're doing two Pressing movements for Shoulders, coupled with Tricep work, you might be overdoing it.

Easiest one would be to get rid of Military Presses, as you might be getting some Chest stimulus you don't need, and switch them for some other Shoulder exercise, that hasn't got a Pressing movement in, to prevent possible overtraining of Triceps.

[Wip]

Sorry about the overload comment...I was just wondering when you rest your muscles. Rest is key for growth..some need more rest than others. I should have left your question up to more experienced people...good luck.

Wip

[swanso5]

good on ya for having crack wip anyway...


Mondays - Legs
Squats (4 warm-up sets) 3 x 4-6
Leg Press (1 acclimation set) 2 x 4-6 -...take out
Stiff leg Dead lifts (1 acclimation set) 2 x 4-6
Standing Calf Raise (2-3 warm-up sets) 3 x 6-8...probably only need 1 of these
Seated Calf Raise 2 x 6-8 - View

Tuesdays - Chest & Forearms
Incline Bench Press (4 warm-up sets) 3 x 4-6
Bench Press 3 x 4-6 -...only need 1 press
Decline Press 1 x 4-6
Barbell Wrist Curl (1 warm-up) 2 x 8-10...probably take both out and incorprate into bi day with reverse curls etc
Standing Dumbbell Wrist Curls 2 x 6-8

Wednesdays - Back & Traps
Bent Rows (3-4 warm-ups) 2 x 4-6 - View...probably take out
V-bar Pull downs 2 x 4-6 - View (Pull-up shown)
Weighted Pull-ups 2 x 4-6 - View...do first this day
Straight-bar Cable Rows 1 x 4-6...take out
Dead lifts (2-3 warm-ups) 2 x 4-6...actually do these first and pull ups second
Barbell Shrugs 1 x 4-6 -...i wouldn't do these at all, instead do face pulls

Thursdays - Shoulders & Triceps
Seated Dumbbell Press (4 warm-ups) 3 x 4-6 –
Seated Military Press 2 x 4-6...do db or bb press not both
Side Laterals (1 acclimation set) 2 x 4-6...don't go so heavy on these better with 8+ reps
Lying Extensions (1-2 warm-up sets) 2 x 4-6 -...same here watch those elbows
Pushdowns 2 x 4-6 - View...take out
Seated Overhead Dumbbell Extensions 1 x 4-6...same here watch those elbows...search tiger bend push ups and bodyweight tricpe extensions and give them a crack...best tri exercises you can do

Fridays - Biceps & Abs
Barbell Curls (4 warm-up sets) 2 x 4-6
Hammer Curls 2 x 4-6
E-Z Bar Curls 1 x 4-6...take out same as bb curl
Weighted Leg Lifts (1 warm-up set) 2 x 12-15
Cable Crunches 2 x 8-10

- too many similar exercises (decline, incline, flat bench press all in a row on the same day)
- i'm not a "bodypart" man but a "movement" man with full body workouts or at the very least lower / upper workouts
- some more high work is needed as your nervous system could not be recovering fully from these workouts
- how long ahve you been training for?
- what are your goals?

[smoundzou]

Thanks for all the great advice. I haven't been able to train for about 6 or 7 months due to an injury and I've really lost some muscle mass. Here's my info:
Male:
44 years old
5'10, 190Lbs,
16-19% body fat.

My goals right now are to pack on as much muscle as I can over the next 13 weeks or so. I'm eating low fat, high protein diet about 6-8 meals per day consisting of 3000-3500 calories. Only supplement I'm using is Whey, normally 2 per day and about 3000 of flaxseed oil. I know I would bulk up a little faster if I took in more calories but right now.. I'm having a tough time just getting the 3000-3500. My protein in take in somewhere between 190-250 per day.. I really don't want to overload my body due to my age and not training for so long.. I think I probably need an adjustment time over the next year. I've had some kidney stones in the past and my doc said it could be due to my protein intake?? just a guess on his part..??

After I gain as much as I can over the next 13 weeks I'll probably start doing a 3 day split, upper/lower with light weight and high sets and really heavy up on the cardio to lose fat..

I’ve worked out on and off for the past 20 years but never really took it seriously. At least seriously enough to learn the proper way for the best results.. Now that I’m getting a little older, I’m more concerned with doing everything the right way..

Thanks for the good advice everyone, and I’ll gladly take any more you’re willing to hand out..

[swanso5]

the more protein you consume the more water you should consume to help kidney's process and flush it through but you shouldn't neeed anymore protein than your having now anyway...try regular fish oil in place of flaxseed, it's not great for older males...when leaning down keep lifting heavy but decrease rest, clean up diet and add some HIIT cardio...

[smoundzou]

Can you please explain a little about the flaxseed oil.. I noticed you said it wasn't good for older males and I've never really heard anything about that?

thanks.

[swanso5]

i'm not actually sure why it isn't but i have rerad it in a charles poliquin article and he's propbably the leading strength and conditioning coach on the planet but here's something from another article which is a summary of a charles poliquin certificate (yes he's that good he has his own!!):

• Fish oil isn't a supplement; it's a staple. It's the first recommendation Charles makes to obese clients as it gets them leaner without making any other changes in terms of diet or energy expenditure. According to Mauro DiPasquale, every disease known to man can be helped by taking fish oil... and yes, Charles has checked. Make sure you take 400 IU of vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) for every 10g of fish oil you take.

• Stay away from flax seed oil! It's rarely stable (to date, Charles has only found two brands of stable flaxseed oil in the US) and it will only help get you leaner if you're already lean. Stick to fish oil for your omega 3's. That said, Charles does recommend fresh ground flax seeds, as the lignans bind with estrogen 4 and 16 (a.k.a. the bad estrogens).

entire article here:

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=07-017-training

[Boss Man]