Critique This

[Tom Treutlein]

Exercise Selection
Incline Bench 3x8
Military Press 2x8
Parallel Dips 1x8
Chin-Ups 2x8
Shrugs 2x8
Curls 2x8
Crunches 2x8

Frequency: 3x/week Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Rest Times: 1 minute between warm-ups, 2 minutes per set
General Premise: Attempt to increase the reps by 2 every session. Once 4 extra reps have been achieved increase the weight by 2.5/5/10 lbs. (depending on the lift and your progress) and drop the reps back to eight.

Every 4th week negatives will be preformed, where every rep is lowered for ~6 seconds, and exploded during the concentric portion of the lift. Negatives will be done 6, 8, then 10 reps M/W/F to counter some of the possible stress from the heavy eccentric microtrauma.

Possible activities for non-training days: heavy bag training, hiking, jogging, cycling, basketball.

Nutrition Guidelines: 3100 cals, 200 grams of protein

Basic Diet:
6:30 AM Total Raisin Bran, 8 oz. Milk, 8 oz. OJ
8:30 AM Protein Shake (44g Whey), 2 glasses milk
10:40 AM Grilled chicken on wrap w/lettuce & tomato
3:00 PM 1 Cup Oatmeal
4:15 PM Protein Shake(44g Whey, 2 glasses milk)/Dextrose (PW)
5:15 PM PB&J (ANPB, Whole Wheat Bread, 2 tbsp Jelly)
6:30 PM 2 Tbsp ANPB & Olive Oil
8:30 PM Protein Shake (44g Whey), 2 glasses milk

Statistics:
Height: 6'
Weight: 177
Age: 17
Training Experience: 2 Years
Goal 1: Size (vanity)
Goal 2: Health Maintenance (longevity)
Goal 3: Slight loss of bodyfat (vanity)
Weakpoints: Upper body
Strongpoints: Lower body

The areas I wish you increase are the biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, lats, and traps. Those muscles are being hit 3x a week. I don't have a need for the lower body being hit. It will from any type of running I do. I don't need them to be stronger or larger, just in good shape. My upper body, however, needs more mass. As least, I feel this to be so.

 

[wildonsquats]

I think you need some form of lower back exercise, deadlift or bb row. However although legs may not be important to you now, don't shortchange yourself and 2 or 3 years later be thinking, god my legs suck, i should have worked them out before. Remember that your upper body will be out of proportion to the rest of your body afterwards.

 

[Tom Treutlein]

I don't plan on allowing my upper body to grow too much. I'm not concerned with being huge. I just want to increase the size of my upper body a bit more, which is lagging already. I'm happy with the size of my lower body.

I feel the crunches will take care of my lower back in terms of supporting it. I'm no athlete or bodybuilder, so I shouldn't have a problem anyway. Also, I'm thinking of tossing out the shrugs and letting the chin-ups take care of my back. They never have guys in the military train their lower backs (to my knowledge) and they don't have problems. Point being, it's not necessary as far as I'm concerned.

As for the rest of the routine and its goals (to build a larger upper body - strength isn't much of a concern) would you say it will be efficient, so long as it is accompanied by the right diet?

Also, I'm lowering the Military Press to 1x8 instead, because shoulders get burnt out from 3x8 on incline bench presses.

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

I don't have a need for the lower body being hit. It will from any type of running I do.

bad idea.. you need to hit lower body, ie. squats/ deads/ cleans to put OVERALL size... running actually burns muscle mass if your not doing HIIT type cardio.

 

[Tom Treutlein]

What do you mean to put "overall" size? I'm only looking to add to some key areas on my upper body. I see plenty of people who never squat or deadlift and they manage to grow just fine. The muscles are stimulated, and they respond and adapt by becoming stronger and bigger so they're not as susceptible to that stimulus the next time around. The body doesn't know what lift you're doing, it just knows certain muscles are being hit.

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

What do you mean to put "overall" size? I'm only looking to add to some key areas on my upper body.

read-- Super Squats: How to Gain 30 Pounds of Muscle in 6 Weeks by Randall J. Strossen.... then youll understand what Im talking about

 

[Tom Treutlein]

I'm guessing you're just talking about how squats require so much effort behind them and target the body as a whole and release growth hormones, which in turn could help lead to a larger frame. All I know is, I see people who don't do them, and they manage to get pretty big. The only reason I don't want to throw them in as of now is because there is already a lot of volume and it's hard to make these workouts short already, considering I'm hitting them all 3x a week. I don't want to hinder my recovery ability.

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

your program-- all upper body 3/wk is def overtraining for a natural athlete.... try this-

Mon-- Push Day=Chest and Triceps
Tues- cardio- (run, bike, jog, or even better sprint)
Wed--Cleans, Jerks, Pull + Back
Thurs-cardio (see above)
Fri -- Leg Day
Sat/Sun-- Rest

do heavy compound lifts in your weight-training..ie squats, deadlifts & bench. Liek I said- these lifts add mass ALL over & will make you bigger...

hope this helps

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Muscles recover within 48 hours for the most part, it's just the CNS that can't keep up. This is what I've learned, at least. If the volume is relatively low each training session, like I have listed there, then shouldn't I be able to recover with little or no problem?

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

look Tom- you asked for a critique of your workout plan & I gave you one!! it sounds like your really not interested in changing it...so stay w/your upper body only routine & see if it works for you

 

[Tom Treutlein]

I appreciate your advice and all, and I figured people would be telling me to add legs in. I'm just saying, assuming it wasn't going to get changed at all - then are the exercises chosen, and the set/rep schemes, along with the premise of the routine (the way it progresses) - does that look good for bringing on some size gains?

 

[lavi]

Well I think she's saying it doesn't look great, and is explaining why she thinks that.

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Yeah, I know. Let's say, though, that squats aren't going to get added in. Would a fairly low amount of volume, done 3x a week, and allowing for enough recovery work?

 

[WalkingBeast]

Brother Tom!! As ive said before, your routine looks much too low volume to me. So I cant give you my blessings on that! haha The exclusion of legs is also fine if you are satisfied with them. Also youve told me your not looking to get too big, just another 2 inches on the arms or so. Also youve contradicted this statement a few times and have told me you want to get bigger then that. Still, in order to gain those 2 inches your still going to need some volume and intensity IMO. Two all out intense sets would do little to nothing for me personally. And this has held true even a few months after I started training. We're all different though. All I can tell you is test it out and see what happens. If it doesnt work for you, Id reccomend my high volume/high intensity approach. Id reccomend it now, but I see your intent on trying this routine. The exercise selection is decent, the amount of sets is way too low IMO. Once you find a good routine stick to it for a while. Switching routines frequently is detrimental. I saw you were last doing that BFS routine and now this routine. It takes more then a few months or weeks. Just be sure the routine you choose is solid.

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Box Squat 3x8
SL Deadlift 2x8
Heel Raise 2x8
Rows 2x8
Chest Dips 2x8
Chin-Ups 2x8
Incline Bench 2x8
Military Press 2x8
Lateral Raise 2x8
Crunches 2x8
Curls 2x8
Wrist Curls 2x8

Would that be better?

 

[muscledog95]

yes

 

[casualbb]

It's good to do legs... if for nothing other than fat prevention. If you're eating to bulk, which it looks like you are, there are going to be a lot of extra calories. Better for those to go to building up your legs when they would have otherwise gone to fat.

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Yes, I'm definitely eating to bulk. Good point on the fat prevention, Casual. Legs eat up a lot of energy.