Workout Program Critique (Skinny guy)

[ghott]

First of all...this is my first post. I've been searching around and reading a lot around various sites.

I'd like you guys to take a look at my current workout...and I'll give you a little bit of background of where I've been, and where I want to go with my body.

So my stats:
AGE: 21
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 167 lbs.
Body Fat %: Unsure, but it is very very low. (Less than 10%)

I'm very skinny, and very tall. I'm a lanky guy. I used to run Cross Country back in my high school days.

My goals:
My main goal is to get CUT and look good.
To gain a lot of muscle mass.
To get strong, and define my muscles.
All to boost my confidence, and look, and feel better!

My diet as of right now:
I eat as healthy as I possibly can. Lots of fruit and vegetables. I even eat the ones that I don't like haha. I've cut down on the sweet sugary stuff a lot. I've been trying to eat as high a protein diet as possible to try and gain some mass. Lots of fish, chicken, beef, pork, eggs, peanut butter. I don't drink soda. I drink a lot of water, milk, and fruit drinks. I usually eat about 2 of the METRX Collossal bars a week (before I work out), and drink about 6 of the high protein "Boost" nutritional drinks a week. I take 2,000mg of Vitamin C a day...this is mostly just to try and stay healthy and not get sick. I am on no multivitamins....and I'm currently looking for one that will suit me best. I am on none of the weight gain supplements....I haven't gone to GNC or anything like that to get anything. This is mostly because I have no researched any of the supplements, and I like to thoroughly research a supplement BEFORE I put it into my body.

I've been to the gym...on and off...not serious...for about 4 years. Like I said, this wasn't serious gym time...just an on/off type thing. I had a personal fitness class both in high school, and in college, so I know the proper form for most free weights. I would consider myself a novice lifter.

Just recently, I decided to get serious about lifting thanks to my good friend "Hobbs." I started lifting seriously with my current workout schedule (which my buddy made for me) about a month ago and I've been seeing great results so far!

My workout is as follows:

(Just for reference...4 x 12 means 4 sets of 12 reps.)

Sunday: OFF DAY

Monday: (CHEST)
- Bench Press - 5 x 12,10,8,6,4
- Incline Bench Press - 4-5 x 12
- Decline Bench Press - 5 x 8-12
- Cable Crossover - 5 x 12
- Decline Dumbell Press - 5 x 12
- HammerStrength (Iso-Lateral) - 5 x 12
- Butterfly Machine - 5 x 12

Tuesday: (LEGS)
- Squat - 5 x 8
- Lunges - 5 x 12
- Leg Extensions - 5 x 12
- Leg Curls - 5 x 12
- Calf Extensions - 5 x 12
- Calf Raises - 5 x 12
- Leg Press - 5 x 12

Wednesday: OFF DAY

Thursday: (BACK, BICEPS, FOREARMS)
- Lat Pull Downs - 5 x 12
- Dumbell Rows - 5 x 12
- T-Bar Rows - 5 x 12
- Dumbell Curls - 5 x 12
- Curlbar (E-Z bar) Curls - 5 x 12
- Forearm Exercise - 3 x 60
- Twist-Ups - 5 x 12

Friday: (TRICEPS, SHOULDERS)
- Pulldowns - 5 x 10
- Diamond Pushups - 5 x 12
- Rope Pulldowns - 5 x 10
- Tricep Kickbacks - 5 x 12
- French Press - 4 x 15, 1 x 20
----these first 5 exercises are done in a continuous loop
- Military Press - 5 x 12
- Lateral Raises - 5 x 12
- Front Raises - 5 x 12
- Shrugs - 5 x 12

Saturday: OFF DAY

I also work my Abs very thoroughly each day that I work out. Decline sit-ups, Decline leg-lifts, and crunches. Sometimes these are weighted exercises also.

I've been wanting to include some cardio workouts in my off days...but its just too cold outside here in West Virginia to run. And I absolutely HATE running on treadmills.

Now I have been told, just recently...today that is...that this is WWAAAYYY to much volume. And from searching around, looking at other's workouts...I would definitely agree. I've also been told that I should definitely add the Dead lift and Press to my routine....and I will be.

I'm thinking I should revise my plan, and do less SETS/REPS and more WEIGHT. I've been hearing a lot about the 5X5 plan...and I will be researching it thoroughly. I believe instead of working 1 body part 1 time a week, I will work each body part twice a week with less SETS/REPS.

The good news is...from the current workout...I feel I have A LOT OF MUSCULAR ENDURANCE haha!

Again, I've been seeing good results with this workout. My weight has been going up each week, and I'm feeling stronger and stronger.

I tried to be as thorough as possible, and include as much information as possible as well.

I'd like your honest opinion on what I need to do, what I don't need to do, or just any advice in general. Maybe suggest nutritional informatin, suggest a supplement, suggest a multivitamin or anything. My ears are open...and eyes are wide! Go easy one me tho!

Again, my main goal is to get my muscles defined and CUT.

THANKS!

 

[s8nlilhlpr]

So my stats:
AGE: 21
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 167 lbs.
Body Fat %: Unsure, but it is very very low. (Less than 10%)

I'm very skinny, and very tall. I'm a lanky guy. I used to run Cross Country back in my high school days.

My goals:
My main goal is to get CUT and look good.
To gain a lot of muscle mass.
To get strong, and define my muscles.
All to boost my confidence, and look, and feel better!

Ok sounds like you have a good plan, just don't know what you are supposed to do about it. First order of business is to read the training sticky posted above, and buy a copy of Starting Strength.

6'3" @ 167lbs is very skinny for your frame. If you want to build muscle, you have to EAT and eat a lot. Healthy is good, but caloric surplus is better. Some people nitpick and eat barely enough food and gain 1lb a month. Others (myself) don't care, because we have such a hard time gaining weight that we will eat anything.

I am 5'10" @ 195lbs right now, I started at 145 two years ago. I won't stop eating and gaining until I hit 225 at which point I will clean up the diet and recomp.

Your workout routine looks like something from a personal trainer at a chain gym. If you want to gain weight, you need to realize that every exercise you do burns calories, which means you have to eat MORE to make up for it. I prefer to keep it short and sweet with the most effective movements, and leave the fluff for when I need to loose some fat/define.

DROP all the crap iso-movements for now. DROP all cardio. Don't think about adding deadlifts/press DO IT NOW.

Simple workout

A
Squat 3x5
Deadlift 3x5
Overhead (standing) press 3x5

B
Squat 3x5
Bench 3x5
Row 3x5

MWF, alternate A,B everytime. Some weeks it will be ABA others BAB. ADD weight every time you go to the gym, even if its only 1lb. This is a simple 3x5 workout with progression, much more effective than countless curls and leg extensions. Start with 100lbs, next time 105, 110, 115, 120, etc.

You need to work your abs once or twice a week, or your back will start to over compensate for weak abs.

Post videos of your squats and deadlifts so that everyone can correct your form. Better form prevents injuries and will allow you to lift more weight. DON'T look at other people at the gym, 90% of them are idiots and have no clue. DON'T worry about the amount of weight you are lifting, it is more important to slowly increase over time, than to max out 2 weeks into a program.

 

[Guinness5.0]

I agree with the above. The workout you listed is absolutely horendous. I'm not knocking you personally, just saying that that workout is bad.

Doing the basics and getting better at them t each successive workout is the best way for anyone new to weights to progress. When we're newbs, we basically all need the same things. Once you get your strength up by a bit (and you ought to be able to run a super-simple program like the one entailed above for months) things get just a bit more complicated. But going to the gym and hammering a bodypart mercilessly for an hour is not going to get you very far. You need frequency and progression in the big lifts, and little else.

And with that lanky frame you've got, I suspect your biggest challenge will be having the discipline to eat enough to fill it out.

 

[ghott]

Thanks for the info guys.

Sounds like I need to EAT EAT EAT! And scale back my exercises a bit!

Do you guys feel I should maybe start taking a weight gaining supplement? I have yet to start researching this sort of stuff. I would definitely like to hear some personal opinions tho.

THANKS!!!!

 

[Guinness5.0]

Thanks for the info guys.

Sounds like I need to EAT EAT EAT! And scale back my exercises a bit!

Do you guys feel I should maybe start taking a weight gaining supplement? I have yet to start researching this sort of stuff. I would definitely like to hear some personal opinions tho.

THANKS!!!!

There's nothig magic about supplements, but they're essential if you just cant get the cals any other way. I would stick with a very simple plan in terms of supps -- get a protein powder. It really doesn't matter much what kind -- don't read the ridiculous claims on the bottles as they all serve basically the same function. One you might look into is Muscle Milk. The good thing about that brand is that it has protein and lots of healthy fats so you can jsut use the powder and water. With straight protein powder you'd pretty much have to add something to it to get a decent meal relacement, whereas with muscle milk it's all there.

The key is the calories. I would err to the side of eating junk food all you want as long as you eat healthy, protein-rich foods as well. If you begin to put on fat rapidly then scale it back, but again, I think you will be hard-pressed to get fat given your current height/weight.

 

[ghott]

There's nothig magic about supplements, but they're essential if you just cant get the cals any other way. I would stick with a very simple plan in terms of supps -- get a protein powder. It really doesn't matter much what kind -- don't read the ridiculous claims on the bottles as they all serve basically the same function. One you might look into is Muscle Milk. The good thing about that brand is that it has protein and lots of healthy fats so you can jsut use the powder and water. With straight protein powder you'd pretty much have to add something to it to get a decent meal relacement, whereas with muscle milk it's all there.

The key is the calories. I would err to the side of eating junk food all you want as long as you eat healthy, protein-rich foods as well. If you begin to put on fat rapidly then scale it back, but again, I think you will be hard-pressed to get fat given your current height/weight.

Thanks a lot for the tips. It all makes sense.

And yes, I've always had a hard time gaining weight. It seems as if tho my metabolism is very high....that...and I can never sit still.

 

[anotherbutters]

Very solid info above. I agree things shouldn't be complicated at this stage. Just keep increasing how much you squat, bench, dead, row and press, eat enough to gain weight and you'll see progress.

Adding a lot of milk (especially whole milk) to your diet is a good way of increasing your calorie and quality protein intake. If you can manage a gallon a day, that's perfect.

 

[TomoUK]

Thanks for the info guys.

Sounds like I need to EAT EAT EAT! And scale back my exercises a bit!

Do you guys feel I should maybe start taking a weight gaining supplement? I have yet to start researching this sort of stuff. I would definitely like to hear some personal opinions tho.

THANKS!!!!

i agree there is no point buy a weight gain supplement, for a start they are horribly overpriced. I just use a simple flavourless protien powder and stick it in a blender with milk, raw oats and ice cream or fruit or something for flavour. But use it on top of your regular diet rather than a meal replacement. Its an easy way of adding a few 100 calories to your daily uptake.

 

[Andalite]

go read starting strength and practical progrmaming

 

[crossy]

Agree with pretty much all teh above. Its actually nice to see someone make the effort and post up all the info and have some form of plan rather than the usial "i want to be big give me a routine" threads. Theres a ton of info in here in the stickys also check out the diet section as there is some info in there about bulking and some usefull calculators, doet plans etc.

Welcome to the forum