So I am going to start this program

So I finally decided that I'm just gonna stop trying to lose weight (21 yr, male, 5'3, 124 lbs) to reduce fat and go into gaining muscle.

My bf % is pretty high, (don't have a lot of muscle)

I finally got my hands on a bench, and already had some dumbells and treadmill

MWF alternating weight lifting A and B

Workout A
Warmup (10 minute brisk walk)
Barbell Deadlift (1 set)
Barbell Bench Press (3 sets)
Lateral Pull Downs (3 sets)
Abs, weighted crunchs (3 sets)

Workout B
Warmup (10 minute brisk walk)
Dumbell Squats (3 sets) (no squat rack to do barbells)
Standing Military Press (3 sets)
Bent Rows / Pendlay Rows (3 sets)
Abs, weighted crunchs (3 sets)

Mondays and Fridays only: Alternating dumbell curls

Tuesday, Saturday, Sunday, Cardio ~45 mins jog on treadmill

Thursday, rest day, 30 minute walk

Unless someone has a serious problem with this I'm going to start this next week. I try to research but I get a lot of conflicting info and I really just want to start lifting, so unless this is a really bad routine I'm going to start it.

My goals are to gain muscle mass while keeping my fat gain pretty low.
I am thinking starting at 6 reps and then every workout keep the same weight but do more reps until I get to 12 then increase weight to make 6 near my max again and so on.

Is this ok or should I be upping weights every time?

My diet is another story though, I know I should not be eating junk food, candy etc, but I already don't do that.

Right now I am pretty much eating: fruits, vegetables (salad), milk (in cereal), cheese, whole wheat bread, whole wheat cereal, nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts), brown rice, baked potatos and for meats chicken breast, sirloin, fish,

Of course I'll have a cheat meal a week if I go out with friends.
I only drink water like 95% of the time, no alcohol. An occasional half glass of fruit juice.

I know I have to be eating a lot more when I start doing this to gain muscle mass so I need to eat more protein throughout the day and are PWO shakes needed? If so what do you recommend? I always hear people say whey in water or milk or something? If not what should I do post workout?

When I was losing weight I was always aiming for losing a lb a week. So I should be aiming to gain a lb a week of muscle now?

Also, is it possible I can lose fat this way as well? Or will I only lose that after, like start a cutting program after 9 months or whatever.
Or will my muscles I get help pull my fat in?
Because I think I'm really fat right now and I don't like it.

Heres some pics to show you where I'm at (was 160 lbs, now 124 lbs, over 9 months), let me know if you think its ok for me to go on this routine:






Thanks for the help.
 
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I think you should search this forum for full body weight training workouts. Karky, MReik, and a number of others have posted very good, balanced, and effective routines.

I commend you on looking to start a well rounded, effective routine but I have to tell you but the routine you've constructed is lacking substantially

1 set of deadlift makes no sense. Alternating dumbbell curls two days a week serves virtually no purpose. Your goals are better served by, either a 3/week FBW, or a 4/week upper-lower split.

Your missing crucial, foundation movements like lunges and pushups. While not necessary, you have no triceps isolation. But in the routine you've puttogether you need them to balance out the biceps isolation.

There is a plethora of ab/core training activities far superior to weighted crunches (you can easily find dozens in this forum alone),

As a side note, the pulldowns are called Lat Pulldowns becuase they target the LATissimus Dorsi, not because they're a lateral movement.

I'm sure others will have comments as well, but these are the ones I noticed right off the bat.

Good luck!
 
I think you should search this forum for full body weight training workouts. Karky, MReik, and a number of others have posted very good, balanced, and effective routines.

I commend you on looking to start a well rounded, effective routine but I have to tell you but the routine you've constructed is lacking substantially

1 set of deadlift makes no sense. Alternating dumbbell curls two days a week serves virtually no purpose. Your goals are better served by, either a 3/week FBW, or a 4/week upper-lower split.

Your missing crucial, foundation movements like lunges and pushups. While not necessary, you have no triceps isolation. But in the routine you've puttogether you need them to balance out the biceps isolation.

There is a plethora of ab/core training activities far superior to weighted crunches (you can easily find dozens in this forum alone),

As a side note, the pulldowns are called Lat Pulldowns becuase they target the LATissimus Dorsi, not because they're a lateral movement.

I'm sure others will have comments as well, but these are the ones I noticed right off the bat.

Good luck!

Thanks for the help. I already decided to scrap the dumbell curls.
I want to do FBW 3 days a week.

I actually already knew why it was called a lateral pull down :)
I've been reading a lot!

I also decided to add lunges and step ups as so.
You really think I need push ups though? I thought Bench Press basically worked the same muscles.

I've actually been doing 3 sets of pushups while I've been losing weight. I'm up to 3x25. I got no problem doing those just thought they were obsolete with my new workout.

I hear you about the abs, I just put down the crunchs without doing a lot of research.

Hows this for now?

Workout A
Warmup (10 minute brisk walk)
Barbell Deadlift (3 sets) (put on 3 sets then?)
Barbell Bench Press (3 sets)
Pull Downs (3 sets)
Lunges
Core (TBD)

Workout B
Warmup (10 minute brisk walk)
Dumbell Squats (3 sets) (no squat rack to do barbells)
Standing Military Press (3 sets)
Bent Rows / Pendlay Rows (3 sets)
Step Ups
Core (TBD)

The reason I can't use someone elses workout straight off is because I only have limited equipment compared to some because I'm doing it form home.

I mean, I read the thing in the stickies, I have vertical push, vertical pull, horizontal push, horizontal pull, unilateral movement, lower body, and will add a core movement when I figure out what hahah.

Anything wrong with what I have now?

Thanks again for the help!
 
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Yeah, I would definately look into more "full body" workouts, especially when starting...and commend you on trying to build a balanced workout plan from the get go. One tip I can give you (of which I don't know of anyone on here that would argue) is that building your legs will spurt the most muscle growth from every part of your body. Just looking over your routine that you built up, your legs are not given good workout. It seems you are all upper body. That too is a mistake that most people make, especially in the beginning, but working your legs releases the most testosterone and growth hormones into your body, thus causing EVERYTHING to go more.

Good luck with your training.

Tony
 
Yeah, I would definately look into more "full body" workouts, especially when starting...and commend you on trying to build a balanced workout plan from the get go. One tip I can give you (of which I don't know of anyone on here that would argue) is that building your legs will spurt the most muscle growth from every part of your body. Just looking over your routine that you built up, your legs are not given good workout. It seems you are all upper body. That too is a mistake that most people make, especially in the beginning, but working your legs releases the most testosterone and growth hormones into your body, thus causing EVERYTHING to go more.

Good luck with your training.

Tony

Well I have Squats and Deadlifts, what else should I add?

Honestly I'm getting pretty frustrated trying to make a workout so unless someone can tell me how to change my workout so its good enough or can point me to an actual workout I'm just going to do this. Because every time I post a workout I'm going to do people say its not good but cannot give me one that is good.
 
Don't get frustrated man. Fitness, even though based on scientific fact, isn't exactly a science. People have different opinions and beliefs about what works best. That's why there are soooo many different routines out there. Each routine addresses different ways of thinking. You have high rep training, low rep training, dog crap training, olympic/power lifting, explosiveness, endurance, body building...and the list goes on and on.

I only brought up the lack of leg training in your workout because Workout A only has ONE set of deadlifts. Deads and squats are two basic moves (although very disciplined) that will build strenght and size quicker than anything else. Personally, I would do more sets with them than the other exercises, but that's just MY opinion. At the very least, keep them on the same number of sets as everything else.

If you want to learn some basic and very sound advice, pick up the book "New Rules of Lifting". There are good principles and routines in there, and there is no overthinking your routine because there are a LOT of routines pre-made in there that will hit all the muscles in your body.
 
I have to agree with XTony. No one knows it all, and no one gets it right all of the time. You need to focus on a well balanced workout. Think of your body as capable of doing three things: Pushing(IE: Bench, Pushpus, Overhead Press), Pulling (Deadlifts, pullups, rows), and Standing Up (Squats, lunges, etc). As long as you incorporate, at a minimum, one exercise that does each of these things you've achieved balance.

Next, think about the way your body moves within each of "macromovements". For example, pushing could be dips, bench, overheads, pushups etc.

Now look at which muscle groups are recruited the primary movement, and the secondary movement. Again, for example Lat Pulldowns primarily target the Lats, but your biceps, and rhomboids fire up as secondary movers.

Just remember, you don't have to do everything, every time. Overhead press is a great shoulder move, so is a lateral raise. Bench press is a great chest movement, so is the pushhup. As long as you combine intensity and consistency with variety in your workouts, you will find success.

This is a great website to visit: It breaks down all the movements by body part and by exercise. Pay most attention to the "target muscles" more than the synergists" ExRx Exercise & Muscle Directory

No more frustration! Being frustrated is like sitting in a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but doesn't get you anywhere.

Good luck!
 
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