Workouts getting longer---Normal?

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Safeboy43

0
Hello Everyone,

I'm currently about 4 months into my bulking diet and it seems to be going good. I've made some great gains and my reps and weight have been going up steadily at the gym.

Unfortunately, I've run into a bit of a problem lately. I've just upped my weight on most of my lifts and I seem to be getting tired easily. In other words, my planned one hour workout stretched into a two hour because I was taking longer rest periods between sets. I don't know if this is good or not but I know that I left the gym not feeling nearly as pushed as I usually do.

Here is my workout schedule

DB Shoulder Press- 3x12 35lb
Seated Cable Row- 3x12 Plate 9
Overhead Cable Extension- 3x12 Plate 9.5
Cable Bicep Curl- 3x12 Plate 9
Barbell Upright Row- 3x12 55lb
Crunch Machine- 3x15 90 lb
Leg Press- 3x12 230lb
Reverse Crunch- 3x80
Pushups- 2x35
Lunges- 2x20 25lb
Back Extension 3x20 45lb
Lying Leg Crossover- 3x80

I do this three times a week and the other three days are cardio. I'm not sure if it is normal to have the workout strech out this long or should I be pushing myself a lot harder?

Any input is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
 
You should have no more than 8 exercises. I had the same problem and my body was extremely tired after just one day, because you push the muscles way too much. Try cutting out 4 of them.
 
Hey dude,

thats a beast of a workout. I am not surprised you are starting to slow down. Looks like you are starting to burn out. You can probably cut your exercises in half and get just as good inf not better workout.

You might want to try incorporating an upper/lower split and alternate each workout. For eg:

W/O A
Incline bench
cable row
pullup/pull down
shoulder press
flat bench
abs

W/O B
Squats
Step-ups
lunges
abs

Mix up your rep and set sequence each workout too.

Also, make sure your diet is in check so you are getting enough fuel.
 
34 sets, there's ya answer mate....Yeah, i'm probably just repeating what others have said but a little reinforcement doesn't go astray ;)...

Hamstrings? triceps?

Either make the push - ups harder and reach failure earlier or ditch them. Same thing with reverse crunches.

If you were more experienced i'd recommend a split but since you're not, my advice is to just decrease the amount of sets.

Is that the order you do your exercises? If so, adjust it so all the core work is at the end.

reduce the amount of sets to ~ 20
 
I don't know, that actually looks like a pretty easy set up. I don't mean to sound condecending.

You are only working your legs once or twice. You are working the arms quite a bit but all things considered it isn't that difficult. I would actually put in more exercises.

The reason you're slowing down is because you're finally using challenging weight. This is a good thing. But you do want to keep it as intense as possible, so you're in quite the pradicament. Just do your best. If you keep your nutrition good and work hard you're going to see gains. Finish when you finish. You might want to run a circut or some supersets. Superset a tricep exercise with a bicep exercise. Superset pulling with pushing, and superset push ups with your legs and whatever combonations you can think of, as long as you don't hit the same muscles in your superset or circut.
 
Thank you so much for all the replies, everyone! I think I'll give some supersets a try and see if that cuts down on the time. If that doesn't work, I might consider splitting the workout into half and lifting every day.

If I do end up splitting the workout, is there a way to get cardio in there a couple times a week as well?

Is that the order you do your exercises? If so, adjust it so all the core work is at the end.
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No, that's not the order I do them in. I do the core exercises at the end.

Thanks again!
 
I just think less is more sometimes. Something simple like

Squat
Bench
Row

works for a lot of people. I see you lift and do cardio, but you are bulking. Any reason why you HAVE to do the cardio sessions?
 
I would also try and make a set time for recovery between sets, at the most 90 seconds, and see what you can do. Although you may be tired it is possible you could still finish the whole set. Sometimes your mind can get in the way and make you think you are more tired than you are.
 
MarkMyWords said:
I just think less is more sometimes. Something I see you lift and do cardio, but you are bulking. Any reason why you HAVE to do the cardio sessions?
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I mainly do cardio to keep my heart in good shape. I also find the cardio helps me not to tire so fast while on the weights. I eat more of a surplus to compensate for the lost calories, however. Is there still a downfall to this?
 
Nope, I was gonna say just make sure you eat extra to make up for it, but you said you do that, so all should be well. I personally don't do cardio when I'm bulking up, but I do feel like sometimes I should. Ahh well, cutting will occur soon and I'll be running and HIITing plenty.
 
I would never do cardio while bulking, but I would never do cardio ever :)

At the very least I might cut down the cardio to only once a week or even once every other week. But that's just to increase gains, and make it easier to get all the calories in. I don't know about you, but I hate how much I'm tied down by all the food I have to eat. Less cardio=less food for the same gains. In a broad sense.
 
Lei, I actually like cardio, and I agree with you. I feel like I eat all damn day, any cardio meaning having to eat more would drive me crazy...haha

Lifeissoccer, yeah I feel ya, I was just throwin out a sample day.
 
Yeah I know what you mean. On a high cardio day, (Running plus a few hours of walking at work), I sometimes require 3400 or 3500 to make a 250 calorie surplus but I always hate being the guy who has to ask everybody to "slow down" because he's always short of breath. I unload office supplies off trucks, so I'm sure you can see my point. :D

Thanks for all your help again, I'll try some supersets tomorrow!
 
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