Is my workout effective?

J

jokerswild1130

0
Well I am trying to both loss fat and add some muscle mass. I wanted to get some feedback on my workout and diet. Currently I am on a 4 day split getting into the gym tues/thurs/sat/sun. I try to get at least 12 sets in for the large body parts and between 6-9 for the smaller ones.

Tues: rep ranges are all similar
Shoulders and Triceps
3 sets dumbell presses (usually 8-10 reps)
3 sets lat raises
3 sets front raises
3 sets upright rows
3 sets tricep pushdowns
3 sets tricep extensions
3 sets rope extensions

Thursday: rep ranges are all similar
Legs
4 sets squats
3 sets leg press
3 sets leg curls
3 sets hack squats
5 sets calf raises

Saturday: rep ranges are all similar
Back and traps
3 sets deadlifts
3 sets bent rows or dumbell rows
3 sets lat pulldowns
3 sets hammer strength or cable rows
4 sets shrugs

Sunday
chest and biceps
5 sets flat bench (5 reps building up from 135 to 225)
3 sets dumbell or hammer strength inclines 8-10 reps
3 sets cable flyes 10-12 reps
3 sets pushups to failure
3 sets barbell curls 8-10 reps
3 sets dumbell curls 8-10 reps
3 sets of 21's

I have added HIIT 2x a week after lifting and try to get 20 minutes of steady state cardio on the other 2 days. I also do a bit of walking in the morning and evening. Diet info is detailed at the link below.



Would really love to get some feedback from folks. FYI...I checked my BMR which 2944 per day. I have been averaging around 1800 eating 5-6 meals a day and focusing on healthy foods.
 
How you gonna add muscle with only 1800 caloreis? I dont really want to comment on the routine because Im not a bodybuilder split type. I will say that if I had four days to train, I wouldnt be doing that. :)
 
tonymcclellan said:
How you gonna add muscle with only 1800 caloreis? I dont really want to comment on the routine because Im not a bodybuilder split type. I will say that if I had four days to train, I wouldnt be doing that. :)
Click to expand...


Im open to suggestions. Im trying to lose about 2lbs a week so Im cutting around 1000 calories a day from my BMR. What would you do in terms of 4 days of training?
 
I'm sure as hell no expert, but one of the few things that I see in common with lifting workouts in which the goal is to lose weight, they all use full-body workouts every day. I think the idea is to get more of your muscle torn up, thus causing your body's metabolism to increase quite a bit over the next few days in order to repair all your muscle.

Also, especially when cutting, the phrase "you are what you eat" couldn't be more true. Everything looks well-proportioned and well within the confines of a proper diet. It seems that your exercising is what needs a little more work right now.
 
You cannot work Back and traps on one day, and on the next the Biceps and chest. Because you're basically working your biceps 2 days in a row. Maybe you'd want to workout your Back and biceps in the same day. And work the chest with the traps.
That way, you pre-exhaust your biceps with some back work, and do few additional sets of curls to totally exhaust the biceps.
Don't worry about using splits, in this forum It's cool to hate splits, But how many of you have you actually tried splits?
I've never done FBW, I've always been using splits and it gave me and still giving me great results.
My final point is, the best workout is the one that works for you. Try the splits, if they're giving you the results you want, stick with it, if not, try FBW.
 
^ Yep, many people who go to my gym do splits, iv been brought up to do a split routine, i barely knew any different until i was introduced to the brilliant fitness forum :)

If i trained on my own, i would probably switch to a FBW.

And JokersWild, on 1800 cals your most likely to be losing muscle aswel as fat.
 
vojdancov said:
You cannot work Back and traps on one day, and on the next the Biceps and chest. Because you're basically working your biceps 2 days in a row. Maybe you'd want to workout your Back and biceps in the same day. And work the chest with the traps.
That way, you pre-exhaust your biceps with some back work, and do few additional sets of curls to totally exhaust the biceps.
Don't worry about using splits, in this forum It's cool to hate splits, But how many of you have you actually tried splits?
I've never done FBW, I've always been using splits and it gave me and still giving me great results.
My final point is, the best workout is the one that works for you. Try the splits, if they're giving you the results you want, stick with it, if not, try FBW.
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I actually switched up the order so that I am hitting Back on Thursdays now and Legs on Saturdays. I was finding my arms to be tiring quickly when working biceps. I will try and up the caloric intake...its funny, Ive found now that Im eating healthy its hard to actually take in the correct amount. I get full much quicker cause the volume of food is higher while the calorie content is lower.
 
jokerswild1130 said:
Im open to suggestions. Im trying to lose about 2lbs a week so Im cutting around 1000 calories a day from my BMR. What would you do in terms of 4 days of training?
Click to expand...

I would do Westside or something along the lines of an upper/lower split. Some people get results from your type of split, but most don't.

However as long as you're training consistently, you'll see progress.
 
Would a FBW be more effective then an upper/lower split? I have considered switching to a FBW 3x a week and doing HIIT 2x a week (non lifting days). Mixing in some steady state cardio on the other days.
 
The effectiveness of your workout all depends on how well you follow your training plan. To some extent, any training plan will work if you dedicate yourself to it. Sorry for the vague response...
 
Would this be too much in terms of a FBW?
Day 1:
deadlift
squats
seated rows
leg curls
dumbell shoulder press
incline dumbell press
front raises
barbell curls
tricep pushdowns
lower abs

Day 2:
bent rows
leg presses
hammer strength high rows
hammer strength chest press
cable flyes
arnold dumbell shoulder presses
lateral raises
calf raises
seated dumbell bicep curls
tricep extensions rope
upper abs

Day 3:
Machine squats
Lunges
Low rows
Pullups
Flat Bench Barbell press
Barbell Shoulder press
Dumbell flyes
upright rows
Barbell curls
Tricep pushdowns
obliques
 
That looks like a bunch of stuff just thrown together. Too many exercises for a fullbody.

A FBW should consist of compound exercises that work the body as a whole. Not isolation exercises that when added together work the body as a whole.
 
jokerswild1130 said:
Would this be too much in terms of a FBW?
Day 1:
deadlift
squats
seated rows
leg curls
dumbell shoulder press
incline dumbell press
front raises
barbell curls
tricep pushdowns
lower abs

Day 2:
bent rows
leg presses
hammer strength high rows
hammer strength chest press
cable flyes
arnold dumbell shoulder presses
lateral raises
calf raises
seated dumbell bicep curls
tricep extensions rope
upper abs

Day 3:
Machine squats
Lunges
Low rows
Pullups
Flat Bench Barbell press
Barbell Shoulder press
Dumbell flyes
upright rows
Barbell curls
Tricep pushdowns
obliques
Click to expand...

Listen to Tony, seriously. I was a guy like you up until very recently that just went with the flow and made up my own program.

You should really start with a good, proven and tried, beginner program like the one in the book "Starting Strength" or you could try the 5X5 program.

I finally saw the light recently and I think that's really the place where beginners should start.
 
try something like

workout A

Squats
behind the neck press
arnold press
bench (variations)
bent over rows
dumbell row

workout B
Deads
Bench (variations)
seated row
pullups
dumbell row
dumbell shoulder press

and just alternate these....the reason I suggest splitting the squats and deads, is that they seem to tax my body too much, and the second one that I do ends up suffering, although thats just me. Just fool around with your workout, keep changing it and eventually your body will tell you what it likes, and what it will benefit more from the most.

It is mostly trial and error that gets you to success
 
NoSweatNoGlory said:
try something like

workout A

Squats
behind the neck press
arnold press
bench (variations)
bent over rows
dumbell row

workout B
Deads
Bench (variations)
seated row
pullups
dumbell row
dumbell shoulder press

and just alternate these....the reason I suggest splitting the squats and deads, is that they seem to tax my body too much, and the second one that I do ends up suffering, although thats just me. Just fool around with your workout, keep changing it and eventually your body will tell you what it likes, and what it will benefit more from the most.

It is mostly trial and error that gets you to success
Click to expand...

It would be better to hit shoulders 3x a week but chest only once?
 
where are you getting that from? of course not

btw thats just an example. exercises are not in any particular order. chest is in both.
 
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