provisional training schedule - advice?

[mini_mouse]

Well I checked out my local gym today in the hopes of joining but .... argh!! It was about the size of a shoebox, with no windows - just one pokey room - and complete with a fat, hairy old man who kept making obscene gestures in my direction Guess that one's off the list then! I'll look for other options nearby me but, in the meantime, I bought a pair of dumbells today ... getting the damn things home, however, was another matter entirely! I also bought 2 books: Bodybuilding Basics by Robert Kennedy (it was published back in the dark ages of 1980 but at least the pictures are purdy ) and 90-day Fitness Plan by Matt Roberts. With the help of them I've come up with some sort of vague plan and was hoping you guys would be able to offer your opinions on it? ...

At the moment, because I'm not yet with a gym, I'll just do the "home" workouts (A + B) twice a week each. I'll add in the other 2 days when I get gym membership.


HOME - WORKOUT (A) (Mondays + Thursdays):

Squats - 15rm
Lunges - 15rm
Pressups - 15rm
Bicep Curls - 3 sets of 15rm (with 6.6lbs)
Hammer Curls - 3 sets of 15rm (with 6.6lbs)



HOME - WORKOUT (B) (Tuesdays + Fridays)

Tricep Overheads - 3 sets of 15rm (with 4.4lbs)
Lateral Raises - 15rm (with 6.6lbs)
Basic Crunches - 15rm
Reverse Curls - 15rm
Full Crunches - 15rm



GYM - WORKOUT (Wednesdays + Saturdays)
*still don't know what weights I'll use for the resistance machines*

Chest Press - 20rm (with ??lbs)
Single Arm Row - 3 sets of 15rm (with 6.6lbs)
Pec Flyes - 15rm (with ??lbs)
Leg Curls - 15rm (with ??lbs)
Lat Pull Downs - 15rm (with ??lbs)
Dips - 15rm


I've only put in one or two leg exercises because I'm focusing on my upper body for the moment. Prioritising hamstrings over quads (I've still got a paranoia about building on my quads ).

What do you think? Too little, too much? Okay combination? I need some serious direction here cos otherwise I'll be up shit creek without a paddle

 

[diamonddiceclay]

but the book"the metabolic diet"by m dipasquale-it is excellent

 

[Gladiola]

Regarding the gym.. if you really want to build muscle, you are limited working out at home unless you have a home gym (i.e. more than some dumbells). There are jerks at every gym everywhere - it's a fact of life - learn now to ignore them (a walkman & a look of serious intensity & "F&% OFF" helps).

Pressups - are they PUSH-UPS? (Like military, down face to the floor).

With program design - you always want to pre-exhaust: work larger muscle groups first. In compound moves, the smaller muscle groups are the weak link in the chain (for example - bench press, your triceps will impede your ability to bench, they assist but are weaker than pecs & front delts) - if those smaller muscle groups are exhausted FIRST - you REALLY won't be able to press enough to work pecs at all.
So work larger muscle groups first.

I would put shoulders before tris on Home Workout B.

Workout A- are you doing 3 sets of the squats & lunges 15 reps?

What's a 'full crunch vs. basic crunch'? IF the full includes pelvic tilt as well as lifting upper body - then it's compound - put the compound things first.

THe order of the gym workout doesn't make much sense to me... but I've written too much already. Don't worry about weight, as soon as you do a rep or 2, you'll know if you need to go up or down - you'll figure it out.

I've only put in one or two leg exercises because I'm focusing on my upper body for the moment. Prioritising hamstrings over quads

PROBLEM PROBLEM PROBLEM
Do NOT over train one muscle group relative to another.... when they are directly relational - like opposing groups- as quads to hams. You can SERIOUSLY hurt yourself. If you have a muscular imbalance, that can put a strain on the knee joint, you can actually have problems doing compound exercise like squatting or simply WALKING - once your hams get relatively stronger due to uneven training, quads will be weaker & you can end up with all sorts of bizarre injuries. Do NOT train one any amount significantly more than another.
You will NOT get huge --- & any muscle you do build won't come over night anyway & will go away very quickly & easily if you want it to. You must believe this with 100% certaintity - otherwise you'll be working against yourself mentally with any weight work, & then what's the point?! The mind is the most imporant thing (see New@gettinbig's signature).

 

[mini_mouse]

Re: Re: provisional training schedule - advice?

The Metabolic Diet? I'll go check it out at Amazon.com - thanks

Regarding the gym.. if you really want to build muscle, you are limited working out at home unless you have a home gym (i.e. more than some dumbells). There are jerks at every gym everywhere - it's a fact of life - learn now to ignore them (a walkman & a look of serious intensity & "F&% OFF" helps).

Hehe, ok! I hadn't given up the idea of joining the gym altogether, I just wasn't that taken with this particular one. It seriously was the most basic of basic, i.e. 2 treadmills, 2 rowing machines, a couple of free weights, a bench press... and the general atmosphere was just dead. The place would make working out about as appealing as jogging on the spot in a morgue. There's two other gyms that look more promising though so I'm gonna go see them tomorrow. I *wish* we had a gym at home but, unfortunately, my dad is too ill to even consider walking 'round the block, and as for my mum, she has a personal trainer called Belinda come 'round to the house twice a week. Belinda's version of a workout involves rolling from side to side on her butt bones and doing 'breast stroke' movements for an hour (she's 94lbs @ 5'6 ... and mum wonders why I have problem with her ). So it's going to have to be gym membership for me

Pressups - are they PUSH-UPS? (Like military, down face to the floor).

Yeah, push-ups (military ones).

In compound moves, the smaller muscle groups are the weak link in the chain ... - if those smaller muscle groups are exhausted FIRST - you REALLY won't be able to press enough to work pecs at all.
So work larger muscle groups first.

Ok, I didn't know that - I'll have to juggle the order of exercises around a bit then. It's right to do push-ups before bicep/hammer curls then? And I'll put the lat raises before tri overheads.

Workout A- are you doing 3 sets of the squats & lunges 15 reps?

How would I do sets when the move isn't alternating arms/legs like with squats? Should I do 1 set of squats, 1 set of lunges, 1 set of squats ... ? Or do I just pause in between each set?

What's a 'full crunch vs. basic crunch'? IF the full includes pelvic tilt as well as lifting upper body - then it's compound - put the compound things first.

The 'full crunch' is a combination of the reverse curl and basic crunch so, yes, it's a compound ... I'll put it first then

Do NOT over train one muscle group relative to another.... when they are directly relational - like opposing groups- as quads to hams. You can SERIOUSLY hurt yourself.

... I'll add in the leg press to go with the leg curls then...

You will NOT get huge --- & any muscle you do build won't come over night anyway & will go away very quickly & easily if you want it to. You must believe this with 100% certaintity - otherwise you'll be working against yourself mentally with any weight work, & then what's the point?! The mind is the most imporant thing (see New@gettinbig's signature).

You're right. I do trust that, with the right effort and right training, I will see the results I want to see. That's why I'm wanting to do this. The leg thing is something I've blown way out of proportion because, as you say, it's not like any muscles will spring up overnight anyway! I'll take it by the day and see how it (and I) develop(s). Thanks for taking the time to help

 

[Gladiola]

Re: Re: Re: provisional training schedule - advice?

The place would make working out about as appealing as jogging on the spot in a morgue.

Very descriptive analogy there! Yes, atmosphere is important in a gym, but a gym with lousy atmosphere is better than no gym. So long as you have other options, that's great!

It's right to do push-ups before bicep/hammer curls then?

Yup, fine.

How would I do sets when the move isn't alternating arms/legs like with squats? Should I do 1 set of squats, 1 set of lunges, 1 set of squats ... ? Or do I just pause in between each set?

Yes, When ppl talk about doing 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps... you do the 8-12 reps to FAILURE (so the last rep is the last one you can possibly do *with good form* - then rest about 60 seconds & stretch, do another set. When you work unilaterally (right, then left at separate times) once you've done each side once - that is ONE set! You can do upperbody moves together (both arms curling at once).
3 Sets per exercise is good to start with. 2-3 exercises per muscle group - so if you're doing you're whole body in 2 workouts each week, then you may have over 6 exercises 6*3= 18 sets in a workout. That make sense?

... I'll add in the leg press to go with the leg curls then...

Actually I'm not entirely certain that doing squats, lunges, & leg curls would lead to an imbalance... I just wanted to be sure you weren't deliberately training your hams more than your quads & you understand why this is bad. That goes for balancing back/chest & bi/tri as well.

It is OK to tweak your physique to a certain extent though. That's the great thing about muscle! For example - I don't bother to do calves & I've cut out doing my traps (they're big enough!) but my calves get work doing step aerobics & my traps get work with other back work (dead rows, seated rows).

Thanks for taking the time to help

You're very welcome, it's given me something to do at work! I just wanted to be sure that you had NO fear of muscle... because you don't need your own mind working against you.