Please take a quick look at my program
- Thread starter Bigguy
- Start date
ali2
New member
Ali, I'm busy today....
Does anyone know if there is a way to mark a thread after I've viewed it so I don't forget it?
If you don't hear from me Ali please bump this thread so I see it.
No problem Steve
Bump...
taac9772
New member
Hey, I'm new at this so help me out!
So here it goes, I am 35, I went through a divorce and went from 180 lbs to 118 lbs. I was very active in working out when I became single. I loved to go to the gym and lift. Then I took a turn for the worst.I was smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, stopped working out and have ballooned once again. I have quit smoking 2 months now and my problem is I just cant get myself back into the gym. I need a push, any advice?
So here it goes, I am 35, I went through a divorce and went from 180 lbs to 118 lbs. I was very active in working out when I became single. I loved to go to the gym and lift. Then I took a turn for the worst.I was smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, stopped working out and have ballooned once again. I have quit smoking 2 months now and my problem is I just cant get myself back into the gym. I need a push, any advice?
I am still in the losing phase of things, currently 5'4" and 180 or so. My initial goal was 150 but I have decided to just keep losing until I'm happy with how I look.
I want to continue losing my excess fat, getting fairly lean (if that is even possible for me) and once I am done with the fat loss, I think I would like at add some muscle. I have a hard time describing how I want to look partly bc the only word that comes to mind is toned, which I so often used incorrectly.
Already, I WT 3 x/week, I also do cardio 3 x/week for 30 min per session on average as well. I do what is probably too many exercises, if you want them, I'll post them. I want to get more efficient w/o losing effectiveness.
Only 'problem' is a herniated disc, which hasn't really bothered me since I've lost weight, I know my limits and plan accordingly.
Caloric intake is approx. 1800 per day with some fluctuation.
Thanks Steve, I've been at this for such a long time now, I just don't want things to get stagnant - gotta keep the ball rolling, you know?
Alright Ali, let me hear what you're currently doing in your WT routines. Also, what are your limitations?
I'm not sure what advice you're looking for. You've lost the weight before and now you want to do it again, but are having trouble finding the motivation. The choice is yours. You either want it or you don't.
Have you read the stickies?
ali2
New member
Ready? This is a pretty long list...and in no particluar order
Squats - 100lb 2 x 10
Overhead presses - 55lb 2 x 10 (or to failure depending on when I do this in the routine)
Bend over rows - 55lb 2 x 10
I just started trying deadlifts, I have only done them once so far, 2 x 10, first set at 65lbs, second set at 85lbs
Bench press 75lb 2 x 10
lat pulldowns 85lb 2 x 10
horizontal row 90lb 2 x 10
shrugs 40lb ea 2 x 10
bicep curls 20lb ea 2 x 10
forearm curls 25lb 2 x 10
shoulder raises front and side 10lb ea 2 x 10
chest flies 20lb ea 2 x 10
there is this one thing, the best i can describe it as is an inverted sit up - i lean down over a sled-type thing and raise back up, it does the lower back i think that is 2 x 10
i think this is everything...i am sure it is too much stuff but hey, that's why im asking you, right
seriously, thats steve...
as for limitations, i don't really know that i have any, just the herinated disc that doesn't really give me trouble...
ali2
New member
Eek
Yes - I do all of those each day that I train unless I am pressed for time. I do this three days/week - T/R/Sun
If I were training 3 days per week with your goals, I would do something more sane in terms of volume. I'm amazed you haven't run into aches and pains thus far! There just isn't a need for all that stuff. The ROI is nothing if not negative.
Three days per week is fine. I would also be following a fullbody routine but it would be a lot different consisting of the basis exercises with little to no isolation work. I would also vary intensity throughout the week by following different rep ranges.... maybe something like a high, low, medium day. That's not written in stone.
Take me for example. I'm currently dieting and I'm lifting 3 days per week.
Day 1 looks like this:
Squats 5x3 (that's 5 sets of 3)
Bench 3x5
Row 3x5
Day 2:
Towel Pullups 2x12-15
Incline DB Press 2x12-15
Bis 2x12
Tris 2x12
Abs 4x10-15 using various exercises
Calves 2x12
Day 3:
Deadlifts 5x3
DB Row 3x5
DB bench 3x5
This fits what I'm currently doing but I'm just trying to prove a point that you're doing wayyyyy too much here.
The possibilities of how you structure a program are endless and there really isn't a right and/or wrong once the basics are covered. You have to always be able to answer this simple question relative to what you're doing in the gym:
Why am I doing this?
If you can't answer this, you're in trouble. Any old fool can come up with an answer, obviously... but you have to be able to answer it well.
So why are you training like this, Ali?
My philosophy with regards to WT while dieting for physique goals is quite simple:
1. Diet is king.
2. True strength training preserves strength and muscle (think appropriate volume using 4-10 rep range). What is appropriate volume? One exercise per major muscle group using 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps. This isn't written in stone... for instance if you varied your intensity throughout the week, that would be your high day and your low day might be something like 2 sets of 10-12 reps.
3. Metabolic work is icing on the cake if needed.
Metabolic work = high rep, high volume, low rest stuff. Think circuits and/or complexes for example.
4. Make sure true strength training is in place and appropriate diet before worrying about metabolic work.
5. Strength training is kept extremely simplistic as noted above... so much so that I wouldn't be able to sell my ideas if I tried.
6. The key factor to me in a dieting individual is stress management. Recovery is at a premium on lowered calories, and this only becomes more pronounced as you become leaner and have to further reduce calories.
7. Don't chase personal record lifts. Pushing yourself to failure during your sets goes against everything I say in #6.
I could go on and on and list 20+ bulletpoints but I don't want to muddy the waters. I think the biggest point I want to make is the goal of strength training while dieting is to do just enough to stimulate muscle maintenance, yet not so much that you're completely destroying your body.
That split you have there for yourself is something a drug using bodybuilder would use during a bulk.
Three days per week is fine. I would also be following a fullbody routine but it would be a lot different consisting of the basis exercises with little to no isolation work. I would also vary intensity throughout the week by following different rep ranges.... maybe something like a high, low, medium day. That's not written in stone.
Take me for example. I'm currently dieting and I'm lifting 3 days per week.
Day 1 looks like this:
Squats 5x3 (that's 5 sets of 3)
Bench 3x5
Row 3x5
Day 2:
Towel Pullups 2x12-15
Incline DB Press 2x12-15
Bis 2x12
Tris 2x12
Abs 4x10-15 using various exercises
Calves 2x12
Day 3:
Deadlifts 5x3
DB Row 3x5
DB bench 3x5
This fits what I'm currently doing but I'm just trying to prove a point that you're doing wayyyyy too much here.
The possibilities of how you structure a program are endless and there really isn't a right and/or wrong once the basics are covered. You have to always be able to answer this simple question relative to what you're doing in the gym:
Why am I doing this?
If you can't answer this, you're in trouble. Any old fool can come up with an answer, obviously... but you have to be able to answer it well.
So why are you training like this, Ali?
My philosophy with regards to WT while dieting for physique goals is quite simple:
1. Diet is king.
2. True strength training preserves strength and muscle (think appropriate volume using 4-10 rep range). What is appropriate volume? One exercise per major muscle group using 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps. This isn't written in stone... for instance if you varied your intensity throughout the week, that would be your high day and your low day might be something like 2 sets of 10-12 reps.
3. Metabolic work is icing on the cake if needed.
Metabolic work = high rep, high volume, low rest stuff. Think circuits and/or complexes for example.
4. Make sure true strength training is in place and appropriate diet before worrying about metabolic work.
5. Strength training is kept extremely simplistic as noted above... so much so that I wouldn't be able to sell my ideas if I tried.
6. The key factor to me in a dieting individual is stress management. Recovery is at a premium on lowered calories, and this only becomes more pronounced as you become leaner and have to further reduce calories.
7. Don't chase personal record lifts. Pushing yourself to failure during your sets goes against everything I say in #6.
I could go on and on and list 20+ bulletpoints but I don't want to muddy the waters. I think the biggest point I want to make is the goal of strength training while dieting is to do just enough to stimulate muscle maintenance, yet not so much that you're completely destroying your body.
That split you have there for yourself is something a drug using bodybuilder would use during a bulk.
ali2
New member
Ok. I have had zero problem with pain. I don't know if that is good, bad or lucky but it just is. Point duly noted though.
Why no isoliation work? Is it ineffective at this point or will my goals be achieved through a full body program? Not in disagreement, just trying to educate myself.
I see this. What do you do for abs? The only ab excercises I know are crunches - anything you recommend in particular? Towel pullups - is this something I should be trying? I know it is what you are doing but you clearly know what you are doing - should I look at something similar? Are the pullups I do with the counterweight acceptable?
Because my uneducated self looks at those sets you listed above and has a hard time believing that I could accomplish anything with so little. It is just a matter of reprogramming myself. I honeslty wasn't hurting and had no problems with it and my body was responding so I thought that it was working.
To be honest, I know you know your shit, there is just a part of me that is freaked that if I pull back, I will get fat. Totally unreasonable, I know, just residual mind games if you will.
Thank you for this - I really appreciate you taking the time to do this - I have to rethink what I am doing and make some changes.
Ok, that freaked me out - never in a million years would I have thought that.