Am I overtraining??

L

Last Breath

0
Hello guys, i'm a confused from all the contradicting information that I hear from people....Following is my routine, 5 days a week and would like to know if I'm overtraining...btw I'm working out to gain mass. Currently I am 5'9, 164lbs

Monday//Thursday (Chest/Tricep)
Bench Press
Incline Bench Press (alternate with db at next chest day)
Pull overs (useless??)
Fly (Machine)
Skull crusher
Assisted Tricep Dips
Seated Tricep Dips
Abs

Tuesday//Friday (Bicep//Back)
Assisted Pull-ups
Front Lat Pull Down
Close Grip Pull Down
Hamer Strength Rows
Barbell Curls
Alternate DB Curls
Seated Bicep Curls (Machine)
Abs(Friday)

Wednesday (Legs//Shoulders)
Squats
Leg Press
Leg Extension
Leg Curl
Shoulder Press (Ham Str.)
Barbell Shoulder Press
Bar front pulllet me know...

Rear Deldoits (machine)
Calfs (seated)
Abs

I'm not so dedicated to cardio, but have been doing 2 to 3 times a week, 15-20min, for about a mth now...

ty.

LB
 
you're probably not overtraining now, but with that routine you probably will. as soon as you start to platuae, don't be afraid to change things up a bit. I usually stick to 3-4 movement per large muscle group, and 2-3 per small muscle group. I also don't always do 3 sets for 10 reps. If your going for size, I don't think it's as effective as doing more weight(with decent form) and lower reps. A site I like to use for workout routines is ast-ss.com. Check it out and try some. They seem to work for me, but remember, everyone is different. Also, men's fitness had an article last month on cluster training. I used it for a few workouts and liked the change. Change is always good for the body as far as i'm concerned. When I'm toning down for the summer months, I change my workouts around every 2 weeks so I can be sure to hit every part of my body.
 
wow that's a good website...this week i'm trying a new routine and am glad that most of what the guy is talking about is what i'm going to be doing...what I don't get is why 2 sets and not 4?
 
Hm... Doesn't seem to be much logic to your routine, and if you are doing any level of intensity, you are doing way too much volume. Lets go through some things.
See my comments below. ***
Last Breath said:
Hello guys, i'm a confused from all the contradicting information that I hear from people....Following is my routine, 5 days a week and would like to know if I'm overtraining...btw I'm working out to gain mass. Currently I am 5'9, 164lbs

Monday//Thursday (Chest/Tricep)
Bench Press *** okay, this works
Incline Bench Press (alternate with db at next chest day) *** Why alternate?
Pull overs (useless??) *** Yes, useless for your chest considering its a back exercise.
Fly (Machine) *** crappy machine... bad for the shoulders, and overkill if you have already done several sets of benchpress.
Skull crusher *** fine
Assisted Tricep Dips *** Why? You've already done a major midrange tri movement with bench press.
Seated Tricep Dips *** See above, plus, you just did a set of dips.
Abs

Tuesday//Friday (Bicep//Back)
Assisted Pull-ups *** This is fine.
Front Lat Pull Down *** this would be fine if this was your primary lat exercise, but awfully repetitive since you just did pull ups.
Close Grip Pull Down *** varying grips is overrated. This is just another repetition of the first two exercises.
Hamer Strength Rows *** this is fine, or maybe a low pulley row.
Barbell Curls *** fine
Alternate DB Curls *** either this or the b-bell curls... Both are overkill.
Seated Bicep Curls (Machine) *** scrap it. Overkill.
Abs(Friday)

Wednesday (Legs//Shoulders)
Squats *** Perfect! How many sets?
Leg Press *** Hm... Same as above except you don't get the stabalizing effects of the squat. I would scrap it.
Leg Extension *** Why?
Leg Curl *** Again, why? Good mornings or RDL's are MUCH better for hammie development.
Shoulder Press (Ham Str.) *** Huh?
Barbell Shoulder Press *** Same as above except with a BB instead of a DB. Pick one.
Bar front pulllet me know... *** Eh?

Rear Deldoits (machine) *** Do them with DB's. Or do some lateral raises.
Calfs (seated)
Abs

I'm not so dedicated to cardio, but have been doing 2 to 3 times a week, 15-20min, for about a mth now...

ty.

LB
Click to expand...
 
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Last Breath said:
wow that's a good website...this week i'm trying a new routine and am glad that most of what the guy is talking about is what i'm going to be doing...what I don't get is why 2 sets and not 4?
Click to expand...

Very astute question, and probably one that the author should have asked when writing the article. Probably some arbitrary thing he came up with to sound like he knew what he was talking about. Who is the author? Can you post a link to the article? For each person that number of sets is different, because not two of us in this entire forum (or planet) have the exact same nervous system, and we all hit our drop-off points at different times depending on our neural efficiency. That is why I'm always a bit suspicious of anyone who recommends a set number of sets on a given exercise.
 
first off, jp thx for your detailed reply...

I was under the impression that you should be doing 3-4 excercises per muscle group? So I guess I need to reduce volume and jack up the intensity??


Monday (Chest/Tricep)

If I do only skull crushers do you recommend anything else for triceps if I scrap the other two??

about pullovers, as per this site they are for chest:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/DBPullover.html

edit: i'm not sure what part of chest it exactly targets though, but when I do these I feel more in the lower centre of chest and my mid back.

Tuesday (Bicep/Back)
Assisted Pull-ups
Front Lat Pull Down
Close Grip Pull Down
should switch between these 3 weekly or do you recommend pick one and stick to it?

Barbell Curls
Alternate DB Curls
again samething, should switch between these 3 weekly or do you recommend pick one and stick to it?


Wednesday (Legs//Shoulders)
Squats - I do a warm up with bar, then add 25lbs each side for 10+reps, 1 set with 10x45e, and 2 sets with 10x55e

Leg Press *** guess I will scrap it

Leg Extension
Leg Curl
above two were part of my program before so i stuck it...

Bar front pulll - I'm not sure what's this called, but here's a description: you pick the bar and pull it with your arms up to your chin and then lower it till your arms are straight, then repeat for certain reps...

Rear Deldoits (machine) *** Do them with DB's. Or do some lateral raises.
I'm not sure about lat raises will look into it...


I must clear one thing up jp, when I started I got a PT and these were basically his routines that he had shown me during the sessions...however since the summer I have witnessed no gain (infact I lost like 5lbs, though I've gained it back)
 
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jpfitness said:
Very astute question, and probably one that the author should have asked when writing the article. Probably some arbitrary thing he came up with to sound like he knew what he was talking about. Who is the author? Can you post a link to the article? For each person that number of sets is different, because not two of us in this entire forum (or planet) have the exact same nervous system, and we all hit our drop-off points at different times depending on our neural efficiency. That is why I'm always a bit suspicious of anyone who recommends a set number of sets on a given exercise.
Click to expand...


btw, here's the link where I was confused why 2 sets and not 4



edit: he does ask for 3-4 warm up sets in some places...
 
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