New workout...opinions?

[JoBu]

Okay, so I started a new workout today and I need some feedback. First of all, I just finished Phase 1 of the South Beach diet so I haven't had carbs in 2 weeks. As a result all my weights are down significantly...I felt so weak...which is a little discouraging even though I understand likely why. I have typically worked specific parts each day...chest and tris one day, back and bis another, legs and shoulders another. I decided to do something totally different and try a whole-body routine twice a week without any direct arm work. That is probably another reason my weights were down today. I'm trying to convince myself that my body isn't used to doing all kinds of different things in one workout and as a result the weights are suffering across the board...and by doing this workout my body will have to adapt and I'll be bigger and stronger as a result...sound reasonable? My goals are to lean out and build mass...don't care about strenght or power. I'm 178 down from 192 about 4 weeks ago thanks to cardio and the diet. Also got BF tested at 14% today...like to get down 8-10% for summer.

The workout: I'm looking to do this Monday & Thurs/Fri...same both days except swapping squats and deads every other workout. Tuesday and Saturday will be an off days, 45-60 min moderate cardio (elliptical, rower, bike) plus 5x5-based abs on Wed, 45-60 min cardio (running) Thurs and Sun, and another standard ab circuit whenever I feel like fitting it in...probably Sunday.

The idea is to focus on compound moves and get a good whole-body workout twice a week. I'm thinking I'll try this for 4 weeks and see how it goes and then take it from there.

What I did today:

Dips - body weight 3 sets 12/11/8reps
Pull-ups - body weight 3 sets 10/7/6reps
Squats - 235 3 sets 10/10/10reps
Flat bench - 165 3 sets 7/5/5reps - I felt like a 15yo girl
Shrugs - 145 3 sets 15/15/12reps
Hanging clean and press - 3 sets 55/75/75lbs 12/10/10reps
Bent-over rows - 3 sets 75/95/95lbs 12/10/10reps

About 1-2 min between sets and 3-4 min between exercises. Did the whole thing in 55 min. then did 25 min light on the bike. I wasn't planning on the shrugs tossed them in there. So, how does this look? should I keep everything in the same order? I was most disappointed with the bench...just felt so weak...maybe because it directly followed squats?

JoBu

 

[Tom Treutlein]

It seems good except for the lack of ham/lower back work.

 

[OMEGA]

these type of workout are great for getting refreshed

and still making gains without living in the gym

I would substitute Incline press for Bench

and ditch the hanging clean press

and throw in some lateral raises for shoulders here and there

 

[JoBu]

Thanks. I've never done flat bar bench on a regular basis so I figured that would be good for a change. I've typically done flat and incline DB presses. Maybe I'll switch between incline and flat BB bench EO workout. If I ditch the hanging clean-press I'll need something else for shoulders...military presses I guess.
I'll be tossing in some accessory work whenever I feel up to it...lateral raises, calf raises, stuff like that.

JoBu

these type of workout are great for getting refreshed

and still making gains without living in the gym

I would substitute Incline press for Bench

and ditch the hanging clean press

and throw in some lateral raises for shoulders here and there

 

[JoBu]

How about some SL deads once a week...and then maybe back hypers on Wed when I do the 5x5 abs?

It seems good except for the lack of ham/lower back work.

 

[JoBu]

Bump...

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Definitely drop the flat benches for inclined.

Yeah, do SL deads. I'd do them twice a week. That'd be enough. Don't worry about the hyperextensions.

 

[OMEGA]

check this out

http://boards.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=288042&highlight=reg+park

 

[JoBu]

That sounds tough...deads/squats/bench...all 5x5 in the same workout! I kight substitute that for my workout every couple weeks when i really want to torture myself

check this out

http://boards.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=288042&highlight=reg+park

 

[thorsky]

How about some SL deads once a week...and then maybe back hypers on Wed when I do the 5x5 abs?

The SL straight back deads are great for your hams. If your going to do rounded back, that'll hit the errectors, but be careful. I think you may want a bit more upper back. Maybe some wide grip seated cable rows mixed with some close grips. Or dumbell rows. I tend to just keep doing sets of pullups in between other sets to build my lats.

 

[JoBu]

So I decided to make this a training log thread for my new workout. Today was my second day in the gym and I'm getting the bugs worked out. My bench is still piss-poor...although I'm still on the no/low carb diet. I've decided to make beanch a 5x5 style and make it the first thing I do after some light warm-up. I think that it is suffering because I'm doing both dips and pull-ups immediately before and my arms are basically compromised as a result. Also, the left side is clearly the problem...I could definitely get 2-3 more reps out of my right side but the left just fails.

I also thought about dropping the hanging clean and presses but decided to keep them. I think I get significant benefit from the standing position plus the controlled action of lowering the bar back to the hanging position really hits the front of my shoulders. I think it's a better overall body move then going with plain military presses.

So, here's today's workout:

Pull-ups - body weight 5 sets 10/8/6+2 negatives/5+3 negatives/5 negatives
Dips - body weight - 3 sets 12/10/10reps
Flat bench - 5 sets - 6@165/5@165/6/6/5@145
light sets of 15 reps - leg extension and leg curl
Deads - 3 sets - 12@195/12/12@225
light sets of 15 reps - leg extension and leg curl
Hanging clean and press - 3 sets @75 12/12/12reps
light sets of 15 reps - leg extension and leg curl
Bent-over rows - 3 sets @95lbs 12/12/12reps

Abs:
5x5 decline crunches with DBs
Mini ab circuit:
Side bridges - 30sec hold 2x per side
Leg lifts - 35 x 2

About 1-2 min between sets and 3-4 min between exercises. Did the whole thing in an hour 20min then did 25 min light on the bike. I tossed in the light leg work since I wasn't doing squats today just to get a little blood flowing through them.

 

[JoBu]

1/25/04 - Sunday

10 min warm-up on bike
5x5 decline abs with 50lbs
2x25 twists
18 min interval rower
30 min hill treadmill

 

[JoBu]

1/26/04

Well, today I figured out the right order for my routine. Definitely put bench first after a light warm up.

Flat bench - 155lbs 5 sets 10/7/7/5/5
Pull-ups - body weight 5 sets 9/7/8/4+4neg/5 neg
Dips - body weight 3 sets 12/11/9reps
Bent-over rows - 95lbs 3 sets 12/12/12
Squats - 235 3 sets 10/10/10
Hanging clean and press - 80lbs 3 sets 12/12/12
Clave raises x3
Incline DB - 40's 2x10
20 min bike

Took 70 min without warm-up and bike.

 

[JoBu]

1/28

Was on travel for work today so I had to deal with the "fitness" room in the hotel. They had some DBs so I decided to do a little dedicated arm work.

db curls - 25lbs 3 sets 12 reps
db ext - 40lbs 3 sets 12 reps
hammer curls - 25lbs 3 sets 10 reps
conc curls - 25lbs 2 sets 10 reps
db kick-backs - 15lbs 2 sets 10 reps
SLD with 40lb DBs - 3 sets 12 reps

 

[JoBu]

1/30/04

Now that I have the order of lifts figured out and everything seems to be set, I decided to up the weights and drop reps a little...aside from bench which I'm closer to being at the right weight for 5x5. I'll go 175 next workout and that should be a perfect 5x5. I had another rep or two on the first two sets this week but backed off at 7 and 6.

Flat bench - 165lbs 5 sets 7/6/6/6/6
Pull-ups - body weight 5 sets 10/7/7/4+4neg/3+3 neg
Dips - body weight 3 sets 12/8/10
Deads - 275 3 sets 7/6/5
Hanging clean and press - 95lbs 3 sets 8/6/5
Bent-over rows - 95lbs 3 sets 12/11/10
Incline DB - 45's/50's/45's 12/8/8

I might pick up some straps for deads. I had more in my body but my hands just couldn't hold the bar. I had to go very slow because if I exploded at all I would have just left the bar on the floor.

Didn't do any cardio after because I didn't eat as much today.

 

[JoBu]

Training journal continued HERE