Started weight training three weeks ago, suggest changes to my routine

B

Bob Sacamano

0
I'm doing this same routine three times per week.

(I'm also going to post the weight I normally do)

4x8 BB flat press @ 85, 95, 105, 115
4x8 seated rows (machine weight)
4x8 lat pull down to chest (machine weight)
3x8 seated DB press @ 20 pound DBs
1x20 parallel squat @ 135

As you can see by my bench numbers I go up by 10 pounds per set. I do this on my rows and pulldowns too.

I occassionally throw in some dips, chin ups, and leg raises too.

I'm 6'4" @ 188. BF% probably around 15% (this is really just a guess, I haven't been measured)

I try to do all compound exercises. I've been told that these are best for noobs and hardgainers.

I've been lifting using this routine for three weeks now and have noticed gains in muscle. This is encouraging.

I was thinking of moving over to a two day split. So I can add some more exercises. I'm afraid of just adding more exercises to my routine now (doing them all three times per week) because of overtraining. I was thinking that I could add deadlifts, some variations of the bench press, and maybe some olympic lifts.
 
I have almost the same workout as you except I throw a few targeted lifts in there such as biceps, I dont do squats simply cuz my form blows. I dont know if you would want to do that ladder from the begining, from my experience ladder doesnt move up that fast. I would try to add dead lift in there but what olympic lifts you thinking pretty much deadlift, squat and bench are really main ones. Already seeing gains it only gets better!
 
Not too bad, I think youre fine with your three day split you have going now, although deadlifts are excellent, especially if you wanna put on some mass. How long have you been doing this routine? If you have been doing it for a while you can try to move up in weight so some sets will be less reps, for example warming up with more reps and working up to lower reps.

For the presses, you could switch off each week, or even months between dumbbells and barbell, since both of them are flat. And the other chest exercise (right now you have flat DB presses), you could do incline or dips, maybe switch those off too.

If you can do chin-ups and pull-ups it would be better to do those instead of the pulldowns, or do the pulldowns after the chins.

And why only one set for squats? I would do more sets, lower reps, at least less than 20, if you are too sore, you could only do the squats twice a week, on your first and last workout day.
 
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