Is my routine good for trying to lose weight and tone/cut up

Hey all,

I am a 33/m, 6'1", 210 lbs.
I have been exercising somewhat regularly for the last 10 years or so.
I was 186 lbs forever and then about 4 years ago my metabolism crashed big time. I guess it comes with age. :rolleyes:
Anyway, I have had weight slowly creeping around my midsection for the last four years and it seems like my exercising and routines are not doing the job in getting me back under 200 lb again.
I have in the last two years drastically cut back on my alcohol consumption, red meat consumption, upped my veggie+ salad intake and added a lot more cardio to my exercise routine. Actually I used to not have any cardio in my exercise routine, just weights.

Ideally, I would like to get back down into the 180s again and also get nice and cut. I have read almost every sticky in most of the forums and my head is swimming with information, some contradictory. :confused:

I would like to know if it is possible to lose the weight I want and cut myself up with the routine I am currently on. I am concerned as some of the threads I have read here, people said that you cant do more than an hour at the gym, or that it is almost impossible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, or that split routines are not as effective as full body workouts.
Wheeeew! There is a lot of information here.

Anyway, this is my routine which I more or less try and stick to:


Day 1: Chest & Tricep
Warm-up Treadmill (1.25 miles)
Incline Dumbbell Bench (5 sets, 10-15 reps)
Dumbbell Flies (4 sets, 10-12 reps)
Weight assisted Triceps dips (5 sets, 10-12 reps)
Machine Bench Press (5 sets, 10-15 reps)
Triceps press machine (5 sets, 10-15 reps)
Lightweight Dumbbell Flies (4 sets, 14-18 reps)

Day 2: Cardio & Abs
Treadmill (2-3 miles)
Roman chair Leg Lifts (6 sets, 12-16 reps)
Machine Crunches variable weight (5 sets, 20-30 reps)
Oblique Side raises on 45degree bench (4 sets, 10-15 reps)
Elliptical Machine (45-60 minutes)

Day 3: Back & Bicep
Warm-up Treadmill (1.25 miles)
Machine Seated Row (5 sets, 10-15 reps)
Dumbbell curls (5 sets, 10-12 reps)
Machine Lat Pull-Downs (5 sets, 10-15 reps)
Barbell Curls (4 sets, 8-12 reps)
Lower Back Extensions (4 sets, 8-12 reps)
Elliptical Machine (45-60 minutes)

Day 4: Off
Relax

Day 5: Shoulders & Cardio
Warm-up Treadmill (1-2 miles)
Dumbbell Shoulder Press (4 sets, 8-12 reps)
Dumbbell Lateral raises (3 sets, 8-10 reps)
Dumbbell Front Raises (3 sets, 8-10 reps)
Machine Shoulder Press (5 sets, 10-12 reps)
Lightweight Lateral & Front Raises (2/2 sets, 12-16 reps)
Elliptical Machine (45-60 minutes)

Day 6: Legs & Abs
Warm-up Treadmill (1.25 miles)
Roman chair Leg Lifts (6 sets, 12-16 reps)
Machine Crunches variable weight (5 sets, 20-30 reps)
Oblique Side raises on 45degree bench (4 sets, 10-15 reps)
Machine Leg Press (5 sets, 12-15 reps)
Machine Calf Raises (5 sets, 20 reps)
Machine Leg Extensions (5 sets, 12-15 reps)
Machine Hamstring Curls (4 sets, 10 reps)

Day 7: Off
Crawl into fetal position and collapse


Any critiques, and advice is much appreciated.
Thanks!!
 
i doubt your metabolism has crashed thats an excuse most people use (no disrespect) you are probably just eating more than your burning.
infact many studies show that fat people have a faster metabolism than there slimmer freinds (carrying all that weight around).
IMO you would burn of more cals doing a fullbody workout m,w,f, using mostly compounds and some ss-cardio after,on tu,th, do some HIIT cardio.
 
Well, I am 33- that's why I say my metabolism crashed, which is why most people gain weight when they gain age. And there was most definitley a point when I was like 28-29 when I was shocked at the amount of weight that my body was putting on and keeping on.
Also, around then I got a more permanent computer desk job - so lots and lots of sitting around. Probably also a big factor.

So, if I start full body workouts, will I still be getting the benefits that I get with split routines? There is no way I can incorporate all the exercises I do in my split workouts into one day!

What exactly are compund exercises?
 
first you have to many sets 3 to 4 sets is enough,its easy to fit them into fullbody do an A,B,C, routine ie you do this on chest day
Incline Dumbbell Bench (5 sets, 10-15 reps)
Dumbbell Flies (4 sets, 10-12 reps)
Weight assisted Triceps dips (5 sets, 10-12 reps)
Machine Bench Press

do this
mon.Incline Dumbbell Bench,3 sets.
wed,Weight assisted Triceps dips 3 sets
fri,Machine Bench Press 3 sets.Dumbbell Flies 2 sets
and do the same with all bodyparts.

compounds are deadlifts,bench-press,squat,etc.
 
Read the new rules of lifting. Compound lifts, FBW's. Don't isolate.

Also your diet is really key here. Age 30-35 your bodys hormonal system slows down, as hormone production slows, so does your metabolic rate. With a slower metabolism your body increases fat storage and slows muscle production. With a low GI diet you can burn more fat for energy. Learn/ask questions about a low GI diet, and drink alot of water at your deskjob.
 
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Thanks for your replies.
I am gonna try the FBWs. I think that the change in my routine will be really good for me as I have had the same sort of split routine for many years and I'm sure my body has grown somewhat accustomed to it.
Hopefully this will shock my bod somewhat.

I'll look into a low GI diet. I always see commercials for it on TV, I just thought it was another generic corny fad diet. But on your reccomendation, I look into it.
 
Read the new rules of lifting. Compound lifts, FBW's. Don't isolate.

Also your diet is really key here. Age 30-35 your bodys hormonal system slows down, as hormone production slows, so does your metabolic rate. With a slower metabolism your body increases fat storage and slows muscle production. With a low GI diet you can burn more fat for energy. Learn/ask questions about a low GI diet, and drink alot of water at your deskjob.

Growth hormone enhances the utilization of fat by stimulating triglyceride breakdown and oxidation in adipocytes. Once you start hitting older age this process is slowed, but not by much until around your 60s.
You actually do not produce less, your body simply secretes less. You will roughly make the same amount throughout your life (after puberty) though your body will not release as much.
Even so the decline is not "much" until one hits their 60s where the total daily release of hGH is about halved.

I would not consider a "Low GI diet" even a diet. Your simply not eating Foods with a high GI rating, Not to mention the GI of food changes according to what you eat with it. For example if i eat a serving of White bread alone its GI rating is around 70 which is rather high, but if i eat it with a big meal with mash potatoes and steak the white breads GI rating drastically drops to acceptable levels.
 
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