my routine...help?

L

lobolink

0
Hey guys,
I'm still fairly new to this page, but i've been workin out for about a year and three months now, i'm 21. I weighed about 225 when i started and now weigh about 208. So i do some cardio and some weight lifting. Well this is my routine usually. i only have two variations so far but these are my focuses for now:

routine 1: chest/triceps
routine 2: back/biceps/shoulders

My legs are already fairly thick (more muscle than fat, but not toned) but i do need to start working on them soon. I go to the gym about three times a week. say one week i do #1, #2, #1 and the following i do #2, #1, #2 and so forth. Before each workout i do an intense cardio (for me anyway) for 15 min. to get my blood flowing and start the sweat. i had read in a men's health i believe that it'll help someone like me who wants a little boost losing weight. after each workout i also do several ab exercises, but my abs tend to get tired and cramp fairly soon and i don't want to over do it.

Well one of my friends told me to keep my pushes away from my pulls. So since you pull for back and push for shoulders, should I not do shoulders and back at the same time? What other sections should i not work on at the same time?
Next does my workout seem all right? What can i do to improve and what suggestions do any of you have?
And i don't have a specific diet that i'm following, but i'm definitely eating healthier than i used to. Well I'll await a response and we can continue the discussion, thanks in advance to those that respond.
 
First thing I would suggest is you dump that routine for a Full body. That gets repeated quite a bit around here for a reason.

You can not nor will you ever "tone" a muscle. A "toned" muscle is one which has very little bodily lipid covering it. The term "riped" and "toned" go together here. In order to achieve them. One needs both a solid amount of muscle mass and a low body fat %.

I'm a tad short on time here. So that's why I might have skipped a question or two.
 
Even if you don't go with a full body, make sure you are working your full body (via an upper/lower split or whatever method). I think full body would be best for you right now, but you've got to get your legs in there. Regardless of how big they may be right now, doing some large compound lifts is necessary to get good results. Most of those (at least the really significant ones) involve the legs.

Squats, deadlifts

Incorporate them. If you can go 3 times a week, do a full body starting with squats or deads (rather than an isolation exercise).

I'd also put the cardio on off days or at the end. If you burn yourself out before you start lifting, you'll never be lifting at your best.

There are push/pull routines, which put push exercises on one day and pulls on another, but with 3 days a week and in your position, I'd still go with a full body in which you'll be doing pushes and pulls in each workout. It's fine.

Anyhow, I hope that provided some help.
 
Yeah that was a great help. Just so i get this right, by full body you mean do back/chest/biceps/triceps/legs/abs...everything, each time i go? Or like you said, do a split between those but do legs and such regardless?

As far as cardio, any suggestions for an intermediate like me?
 
yeah, entire body every time you go. and you don't need much more than 3-4 compound movements and a coupple of assistance/isolation moves.

Squat
Bench
Row
pullthroughs

you got your entire body right there. 5 exercises.
 
Hence the beauty of compound lifts. Hit a squat or deadlift, a horizontal push (e.g. bench press), horizontal pull (e.g. row variation), vertical pull (e.g. chins and chin variations, lat pulldowns), vertical push (e.g. shoulder press, dips (though sometimes you'll see dips as a horizontal push)).

Squats and deads hit a slew of body parts. Too many to name. Things like bench and dips hit your chest, triceps and shoulders. Chins work back, forearms, biceps and on and on.

By using the larger compound movements you work harder and get more done faster. If you want to toss on some calf, bicep, tricep isolation on the end, go for it. But try to start with some of the larger ones, hitting all your muscle groups first. You'll feel the difference after your first day.

Good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top