Please critique my routine

[wanarun]

Here is my new routine I am planning on starting next week. I plan on working this routine along with heavy cardio for 8 weeks natural, then starting gear and changing up the routine. Let me know what you think please.

Breakdown:
Mon: Chest, Bis, Abs
Tues: Quads, Hammys, Calves, Abs
Weds: Off
Thurs: Shoulders, Tris, Abs
Fri: Back, Calves, Abs

Specifics:
Monday:
Flat DB press 3 x 10,8,6
Incline Bench on Smith (Barbell tends to hurt my shoulder) 3 * 10, 8, 8
Dips 2 x Failure @ 3 min
Pushups 2 x Failure @ 5min
EZ Bar Curls 3 x 10, 8, 6
Dumbell alternating curls, 2 x 10, 10

Tuesday:
Squats 4 x 10, 8, 8, 6
Extensions 2 x 8, 8
Curls 2 x 8, 8
Calf raises 5 x 15,15,15,15,15

Thurs:
Military Press 3 x 10, 10, 10 (I like to do this light, fear of hurting shoulder)
Superset: 8 reps each x 2
Front Raises
Side Raises
Rear Raises
Upright Rows 2 x 10, 10
Seated French Press 3 x 10, 8, 6
Kickbacks 2 x 12, 12

Friday:
Chins 4 x Max @ 3 min
Seated Row 3 x 12
DB Row 2 x 10
Hyperextensions 2 x 25
Calf Raises 5 x 15

Well thats the plan, trying to keep the workouts under 1hr. Im a very hard gainer, my ab routine is pretty solid and I change that up a lot so I didnt write it down, but abs arent really a concern. Please let me know what you think.. All exercises are performed in the order written.

Thanks!

 

[lemur]

how long have you been training? if you are a hardgainer, why are you doing cardio? what are your goals?

I would ditch kickbacks, leg extension, leg curl, smith bench (if barbell hurts, smith is just gonna screw something else up), switch seated rows with bent over barbell rows, and add in stiff legged deadlifts and barbell (against a wall) hack squats.

I would also try and find some way to get CG bench into either your chest/tri routine.

I also recommend ditching hypers and db rows and deadlifting.

 

[louden_swain]

Pretty good! All I can say is train hard, eat good, and rest. You will certainly add muscle to your frame.

 

[wanarun]

I am doing heavy cardio because I am a collegiate swimmer and still need to maintain a very solid cardio fittness level. My goals are to gain about 2-3 lbs of lean muslce over the 8 weeks. I also want to improve my running ability, hence additional cardio. Thanks for the help guys!

 

[wanarun]

I am doing heavy cardio because I am a collegiate swimmer and still need to maintain a very solid cardio fittness level. My goals are to gain about 2-3 lbs of lean muslce over the 8 weeks. I also want to improve my running ability, hence additional cardio. Thanks for the help guys!

 

[wanarun]

I am doing heavy cardio because I am a collegiate swimmer and still need to maintain a very solid cardio fittness level. My goals are to gain about 2-3 lbs of lean muslce over the 8 weeks. I also want to improve my running ability, hence additional cardio. Thanks for the help guys!

 

[wanarun]

I am doing heavy cardio because I am a collegiate swimmer and still need to maintain a very solid cardio fittness level. My goals are to gain about 2-3 lbs of lean muslce over the 8 weeks. I also want to improve my running ability, hence additional cardio. Thanks for the help guys!

 

[Deepsquat]

you are over doinfg shoulders ..but otherr then that nice job at limiting the sets.

 

[gettinlarger]

you say inclines hurt your shoulders, and are afraid of going heavy with militaries. strengthen them up. do you work your rotator cuffs at all?

 

[wanarun]

Yeah, I do a lot of rotator cuff exercises with like theraband and all that stuff to strengthen them. I just have swimmers shoulders and they just dont take kindly to lifting. They are very "loose" if that makes sense.

Thanks for the help!

-wanrun

 

[Deepsquat]

what the hell are you talking aboiut ...don't take kindly to lifting!!!!?
You are doing2-5 times as many sets as i do for shoulders...let me repeat you are doing toooooooooo many sets for shoulders!!!!!! Your bench presses work the front delts...your inclines really work the fron delts ...your dips really work your front delts...and your db rows ...and seated rows work the rear head ...shoten up your routine along these line for shoulders.....dumbell or milatary press 3x 8-12
lateral raises 2x 10-12
cleans 2x 6-8 ...thats enough for the love of god!

 

[USMC War Dog]

True Hardgainer

If you are a true hardgainer (someone who doesn't respond well to any type of lifting), don't expect to gain muscle mass if you're doing cardio. I understand that you must maintain your endurance. It's good to lift for whatever reason. I recommend focusing more on mass during the offseason. If you're lifting for mass, I don't know what your goals are. As for the routine, it doesn't look bad. I agree with the others when I say, "Too much volume for the shoulders." Shoulders get a lot of indirect stress during chest/back movements. Front delts get worked with almost every chest movement and pulling exercises (like chins, pulldowns, rows...etc) stresses your rear delts. I've found that I gain mass quickly when I do fewer movements, few workouts and heavy sets. I like to do low-medium heavy sets. I guess it's what you would call HIT. Whether you choose to go low or high volume, a good thing to follow is use the big exercises. In order to gain mass, the major areas of your body has to grow (Legs, back and chest). All the other areas usually keep up, but if they don't they're not too hard to tie in. Three lifts to focus on would be Squats/Bench Press/Deadlifts. Don't just do three lifts for your whole routine, just keep these high on your priority.