Critique of my workout please???

Long time no see guys.

Anyway, well I got back into weights. Still haven't gone back to training, but I'm trying!
I would just like a critique of my workout style.

20 min warm up on exercise bike (my cardio is rubbish anyway!)

Then I usually do 3 exercises, maybe 4. Mostly in circuit form. Or if I'm doing 4, I do 2 exercises in a circuit and then the next 2.

My main exercises are:

pull ups - 3/4 rep - 3 sets
leg extensions - 12 to 14 rep
bicep curls - 7/8 rep
deadlift - 8 rep
bench press (chest) - 3/4 rep
bench press (triceps emphasis) - 5/6 rep

I do other exercises now and again also like shrugs and triceps kickbacks.

I am looking for strength and speed mainly.

Basically, i want to know how many reps etc I should be doing.
Like, i can only manage about 3 reps on a pull up....decent for strength?

By the way......can pure strength and speed go hand in hand with endurance, or must one sacarafice one for the other???

 

20 min warm up on exercise bike (my cardio is rubbish anyway!)

I would suggest a warmup that consists of dynamic movements and stretches instead. If you want to work on your energy systems, then do it on the days you don't lift.

pull ups - 3/4 rep - 3 sets
leg extensions - 12 to 14 rep
bicep curls - 7/8 rep
deadlift - 8 rep
bench press (chest) - 3/4 rep
bench press (triceps emphasis) - 5/6 rep

If you can only do 3 pullups, try for 8 or 10 sets of 3. With only 3 sets you're looking at a maximum volume of 12 reps: that's not enough.

Ditch the leg extensions. Do squats, or lunges, or high box stepups, but don't do leg extensions. Especially if you're looking for strength and speed.

Also, make sure that you're doing multiple sets with your exercises, and not just a few reps. Your total volume is far too low, you need multiple sets. Try to keep your volume for any given exercise between 15-30 reps. 10x3, 3x5, 4x6, 2x10. As for loading, you should stop the set once you feel the speed is slowing down. If you're slowing down before the set is supposed to be over, then drop the weight a little next time. You should be able to get all reps in all sets at maximal speed (For some of the heavier lifts, it may not feel like you're going very fast, but the point is to explode and move the weight as fast as you possibly can, even if that's only a few inches a second)

By the way......can pure strength and speed go hand in hand with endurance, or must one sacarafice one for the other???

Depends on which endurance you're speaking of. If you mean aerobic endurance, then no. The greater your aerobic endurance, the more you'll lose speed and strength, and vice versa. If you mean anaerobic endurance, then yes, they go hand in hand very well. Look at olympic sprinters - they're very strong, incredibly fast, and have great anaerobic endurance.

 

You need a better program than that. I don't see squats and i see execises done in partial ROM.

google Bill Starr 5x5 its a great startup program.

if you can't do full Rom pullups, do assisted pullups till you can do them on your own.

And NEVER EVER do partial ROM for the sake of adding weight. Form over weight any given day

 

no offence,but you'll never get much strength from that workout

 

Sorry but that Bil Star thing I looked up on geocities was all over the place, its hard to make head nor tail of it.


Thanks for ripping my plan to shreds......seriously!
Thats what I wanted. Now that I know its useless I would like to build a new one with the help of some guys/gals who know their stuff.


So I am looking for strength and speed.

I guess I should stick to compound exercises through full ROM yes?

ie. olympic lifts, bench press.....what else? (I dont have a squat rack)

So what kind of reps and sets should I be doing, how often per week, how many exercises per workout (about an hour available) etc...

I have found in the past I get tired easily, so I always wonder if I really could push it to say 10 sets or so....

 

compound exercises are the only ones that will give you real strength gains.
the deadlifts should be the emphasis of your program because that exercise works total body strength. you should be doing no less than 3 sets of deadlifts, but preferably, more than 3. since you haven't worked out in a while, the 8 rep range is probably fine for now, but you want to eventually lift in the 1-6 rep range, lifting very heavy weights in order to get optimal strength gains.

leg extensions do nothing but make your legs look good. you won't get much strength out of them. it's more of an asthetic affect, which is why bodybuilders like to do them. i'd say drop them because they get you tired, and you won't get much stronger. you don't have a squat rack, but you can still squat with dumbells. you can also hold the barbell at your hips and squat. squats should be your second priority exercise, because it also works the whole body.
you can also work the legs and hips by doing lunges with dumbells.

for upper body, stick to bench press, pullups, military press and bendover rows. these exercises would take care of every important muscle group in the upper body. except maybe rotator cuffs, which you also might need to work separately.

so in regards to sets and reps, you should aim for the 1-6 reps range eventually. however, since you're just starting out after a long break, maybe lift a bit lighter, at the 8-10 reps range. you should do at least 3 sets for every exercise. you might be getting real sore, again because you haven't lifted in a long time, so try for 2 days a week for every muscle group, well spread out. this means if you have time to work your whole body, you only lift twice a week, with 2-3 days rest in between lift days. you can also split between upper body and lower body, so you can do squats & deadlifts on say, monday, and tuesday you do upper body, meaning bench press, pullups etc. you won't work lower body until maybe about thursday, and you won't work upper body until around friday. something along the lines of that. sound good?

 

Sounds good!

Right, so......

Stick to compound exercises.

Interchange between lower body days and upperbody days?

Lower body: squats, deadlifts, lunges

Upper body: military press, bench press, bent over rows

At least 3 sets, aiming for the 3 to 6 rep range max.


I like to workout once every 2 days so a day in between?
ie. Monday LB, wednesday UB, thursday LB, saturday UP
Or should I change that???????

I'm past that really sore stage....I've been doing a little bit for a few weeks now.

About pench press, and military press.....what difference does the width of your grip matter?

 

There was a post similiar to this, it recomened going to www.exrx.net. There is alot of good information there. I started the high intesity low volume training, it doesn't take alot of time and seems to have some scientific evidence behind it. I have done it for two months now and I must say it is the best workout I have done. I've alread increased my workout weight an average of 10-20 pounds. Plus the workout is relatively quick so there is more time to devote to cardio, martial arts, etc.....you may want to give it a try. Hope this helps. Also was in Dublin for my wife and mines honeymoon, love Ireland and can't wait to get back there some day!

 

your weekly schedule actually looks good. you're getting plenty of rest in between. but after a couple more weeks of lifting, you'll find that you'll be getting less and less sore, and you can add more lifting days and decrease the rest periods. but only lift when the muscle groups you're working are not sore.

many people like to interchange between upper and lower body because it works for them. you don't have to schedule your program like this, it's just a popular preferance. i like to do total body, 3 times a week. some people split pushing movements (bench, military press) on 1 day, and pulling (pullups, rows) on another. it depends what works out for you, as long as you schedule it in a way that you get rest for every muscle group you work, it's fine.

with bench and military press, when you change the grip, it changes the relative action of the muscles you use. a wider grip works the chest more, while a closer grip works the triceps more for bench. for military press, wider is more shoulders and narrower is more triceps. i like to grip at shoulder width because i feel it works both muscle groups equally.

 

Right thanks for all the help guys. If I have any other questions I'll get back to you on this thread!

Oh, and by th way, instead of fussing over the amount of sets, is it a good idea to just go till you can't any more???


doc97.......you actually like this country??? I hate to say it but I aint that patriotic!

 

Oh, and by th way, instead of fussing over the amount of sets, is it a good idea to just go till you can't any more???


be careful not to overtrain

12-16 sets for a bodypart is plenty

 

Please say you meant reps...

 

nope
i did mean 9-12 sets per body part

 

9-12 sets per bodypart? How many body parts do you have? It's kind of arbitary but if you split into legs, back, chest, shoulders and arms that would involve a total of 45 to 60 sets for a full body workout.

It's not about how much work you can handle, it's about what gives optimum results. The volume that powerlifters and weightlifters does is far too much for an MAist who has energy system and skill work to also fit in.

I'm finding that 10-15 sets per workout gives me the best results.

I really feel that once a lifter goes past 2 straight sets it's not really possible for the weight to be an x rep max. Therefore, the extra volume means a sacrifice in load.

 

Remember, he's not looking to solely increase his relative strength, which is the 1-6 rep range, he's looking to increase his speed strength, so he wants to go with a 15-30 rep volume performing explosive compound movements.

In a single workout? Like cxw said, if you're doing that many sets you'll have to seriously decrease the load, and at that point you're working muscular endurance more than muscular strength.

 

here you go

http://www.eclipsegym.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=57

 

well let's see: chest,arms,back,tri's,bi's, legs
and if your doing less than that your really not pushing yourself.
i split mine up like this
mondays and thursdays- chest and arms
tuesdays and fridays - shoulders and back
wednesdays and saturdays- legs

workouts take about 40 -50 minutes

 

So your recommendation of 9-12 sets per body part is based on the assumption of body part splits.

I should have pointed out that my 10-15 sets recommendation excluded warm-up sets.

If you believe your progress is optimal then great, carry on with your high volume.

I've personally done high volume periods and have not gained much from it, apart from CNS fatigue and sore joints. And yes, I pushed myself hard in the hope of neural and/or hypertrophy gains.

There is a trade-off between volume and load. And I believe there are diminishing returns from extra sets.

Ultimately it's what is working for the individual that counts. If you're making good gains, then don't change. If you not, you might want to reconsider some things.

 

thats what i kept trying to tell the resident "book" know- it- all.
not every approach will work for everybody, youy have to test it out and gauge your results. i have done evrything from 2 days on- 2 days off, to 4 days on-1 day off, to working each bodypart only once a week, to low volume high reps, to high volume low reps. Basically, you need to experiment with different types of workouts and find what works best for you, and when you hit a wall, change it up

 

I see that you dropped the Pull ups in your proposed routine. Put them back in.

Otherwise its starting to look good. Stick at what you proposed for a month or two. It will get you moving in the right direction without getting too technical.

Personally I steer away from too much shoulder, bicep and tricep work and concentrate on squats, single leg squats, bent over rows, pull ups and bench presses.

Good form and not lifting too heavy too soon are what you should be after before worrying about periodisation, split workouts, etc ...

Then re-vist the question and start trying to work out where go next.

If you are after speed then you may like to add power movements and plyometrics. However, with no real strength base I would leave them out for now.

What's your core routine?

Regards,

Tigs