Check out my Training Regimen

[Icculus]

Hey all...I have a training plan that I have been using for a couple of weeks and it doesn't seem to be too effective. I used to work out my entire body 3x a week instead of splitting it up (which it seems, should not be done), and I got better results than this.

NOTE: Currently, I use the gym in my apt complex, so there's nothing there for a leg workout. As soon as I get my finances straight, I plan on joining a gym again adding legs to make a three day routine.

NOTE: I'm a fatass @ 20+ BF so I need to cut ALOT but bulk up a decent amount. Please give constructive critiques.

Day 1
-------
CHEST
DB Bench Press 4 x 10
DB Incline Press 4 x 10
Machine Flies 3 x 10
TRIS
Cable Pushdowns 3 x 10
DB Kickbacks 3 x 10
SHOULDERS
Military Press 3 x 10

20 mins cardio

Day 2
-------
50 mins of cardio

Day 3
-------
BACK
Close-Grip Pulldowns 4 x 10
Bent-over Rows 3 x 10
Wide-Grip Pulldowns 3 x 10
BICEPS
Standing DB Curls 3 x 10
Incline DB Curls 3 x 10
TRAPS
DB Shrugs 4 x 10

20 mins cardio

Day 4
------
50 mins of cardio

Repeat Day 1

 

[Goin_Big]

If I were you I'd drop the flies out
do you have a barbell and a bench so you can do flat barbell bench and maybe incline barbell bench instead of using dumbells?
On your pulldowns, I'd pick whichever one you feel more in your back and do that exercise instead of doing both
the rows are good though
the rest looks good although I still think you'd get better results if you used barbells more often than dumbbells
if you have a barbell or course

 

[LeanTeen]

Try heavier weights. Try weights that you can only get 6 or 7 reps with. Also try adding an exercise with 3 or 4 sets to each body part. It seems like your workouts are a bit too light. Hope this helps.

 

[Goin_Big]

Heh, I guess that explains why you have the name leanteen.
Why would you tell him to do more sets, which will likely lead to overtraining, as he seems to be doing too many sets as it is.
You are right though on that he should go for a range of 6 to 7 reps.

 

[einstein1]

If you have a lot of body fat, maybe the cardio you're doing now isn't cutting it. Make sure you are hitting your target heart rate. There is also some overlap in your training that could be causing overtraining: you are doing flat and incline bench press, pick ONE. You are also doing close and wide grip pull downs, pick ONE (i prefer close grip). Same thing with your DB curls, stick with the incline curls (using strict form). If you are doing 3-4 sets of ten per exercise, you are not using enough weight. Do 2 sets of 7-10 using the most weight you can while maintaining strict, for each exercise. If you can do more than 10 reps, increase the weight.

 

[Icculus]

Couple Things....

The fat is coming off fine. I can notice a difference in the mirror. I'm talking more along the lines of my strength gains. (I'd also assume that 20 mins on lifting days, and 50 mins on off would be pushing the limit of catabolism

I heard that you should aim for around 12 sets for each big muscle group (chest, back, legs) and 8 for the smaller ones. Wouldn't it then make sense to have 3-4 diff lifts for the big and 2-3 for the small?

I hear you all on the lowering of reps and raising of weight. That's the biggest change I plan on making.

What else all?

 

[GenetiKing]

Icculus,
Do you feel tired a lot? Are you getting sick easily? Are you losing the motivation to train? Are you staying sore for way too long after training sessions? Are you easily irritable?

If you answered "no" to these questions...YOU ARE NOT OVERTRAINING!

It cracks me up how easily this term is tossed around and abused. The above questions refer to the symptoms of overtraining. It's just like getting a cold, if you don't have runny nose, sore throat, and feel tired...you don't have a cold! This isn't rocket science!

You are not doing too many sets.

You are not doing too much cardio.

The only possible way you could be overtraining on your current routine is if your diet is horribly bad and your rest habits suck.

If this particular routine isn't working that well (and sometimes they don't...everyone is different) then switch it up but your training volume is fine.

The only way I might suggest you drop your number of sets (volume) is if you were a hardgainer looking to put on lots of mass but apparently it's the exact opposite with you.

 

[einstein1]

Before I address Genetiking's defination error of overtraining I have a rhetorical question for Icculus. If you do 12 sets for major muscle groups and 8 for the smaller ones, I want to ask you this: If you don't make progress with that workout, are you going to add another set or subtract one? Start with my recomended 1-2 sets to positive failure. If you don't see progress, you can always add a set. As for having 3-4 different lifts for the major muscles, look at the anatomical structure. The pectorial can only contract with a pushing out motion (bench press) and pulling your arms into your chest (flies). Therefore, you only need 2 lifts to maximally contract the pectorial. Everything else is a deviation of these two basic movements, find one prss and fly exercise you enjoy and stick with that. The same logic applies to the smaller muscle groups (like the bicep). The bicep can only contract in the curled position. Find one curling exercise and stick with it.

Now for Genetiking: You are right! Bodybuilding is not rocket science. I think we could both agree the overtraining is the fastest way to cold stop any bodybuilding progress. My question for you is, do you have to have symptoms of overtraining in order to be overtraining? I would argue no. Some people (including myself) feel sick after doing one heavy set of squats. Have I then overtrained my legs because I feel sick (even after just one set)? The simple logical defination of overtraining is: doing any more exercise than what is minimally required to make a strength or mass gain. If I can make progress (on my chest) after only 2 sets of 10 (taken to positive failure), then why should I do 10-12 sets. If I don't make progress after 10-12 sets, then how do I know whether to add or subtract one? You said in your post that that the only way you can overtrain is by not eating enough or resting enough (I agree with the resting issue). Should I then eat more (which would lead to fat)?

 

[GenetiKing]

Before I address Genetiking's defination error of overtraining I have a rhetorical question for Icculus.

Sorry, no definition error. Grab a college textbook and look it up.

My question for you is, do you have to have symptoms of overtraining in order to be overtraining?

Yes.

Some people (including myself) feel sick after doing one heavy set of squats. Have I then overtrained my legs because I feel sick (even after just one set)?

You might feel nausious but you haven't actually came down with infection, LOL!! Overtraining individuals get sick easier due to their bodies' lowered glutamine levels (among other things). It's not only the most aboundant amino acid in human skeletal muscle tissue, but glutamine also plays a vital role in the immune system. "Sickness" refers to the body's inability to effectively stave off infection...not feeling nausious after doing legs. I assumed Icculus knew the difference.

The simple logical defination of overtraining is: doing any more exercise than what is minimally required to make a strength or mass gain.

No. You just defined "overreaching"... which can be acute. Overtraining is more chronic in nature.

You said in your post that that the only way you can overtrain is by not eating enough or resting enough (I agree with the resting issue). Should I then eat more (which would lead to fat)?

No, I didn't say that. I said the only way he (Icculus) was going to overtrain on that particular routine was if his diet was inadequate and/or he didn't get good rest. And I made that comment after looking at his training volume. That doesn't mean that the same statement is applicable to someone spending 3 hours in the gym everynight, doing 35 sets for every musclegroup. Icculus is only hitting chest with 11 sets and back with 10! There's no way that's overtraining...not even overreaching...unless he's simply getting bad nutrition and very little sleep and rest.

I also didn't say that eating more is the solution to higher volume training. Eating more and eating better are two totally different things.

 

[einstein1]

Genetiking: I hope you didn't take my last post personally (that was not my intent). Icculus said that he wasn't making satisfactory progress with his current workout. Assuming his diet and rest are not factors, then what else is there to modify except his volume? Should he add or subtract a set? And how would you really know that his volume isn't causing him to overtrain [again, assuming his diet(including glutamine) and rest are not factors]? This will be my last post in regards to overtraining on this thread, since we could probably argue all day about the issue (which would be a waste of both of our time).