New routine and some specific questions

[Snowbat]

Hey guys,
I did a complete change in my workout routine. I felt it was better to create a new thread instead of posting on my old one.
Anyways, here is what one workout looks like:

- 3 sets of pull ups. At this moment I manage to do 6,6,5. I'll start adding weight once I can do 10,10,10 easily.
- 3 sets of dips. I currently add 33lbs of weightplates and manage to do three sets of 15 reps. I need to buy extra plates as I suppose 15 is too easy right?
- 3 sets of one legged squats: also 33lbs added, 20 reps per set. Here too, I need more weight
- 3 sets of one legged calf raises: still 33lbs added, still 20 reps per set, still need to add weight
- 3 sets of hammer curls: 10, 8, 6 reps
- 3 sets of tricep curls... or whatever the name is. I basically lie down on my back, hold the plates above my head, stretch my arms and so forth. Here I 15, 12, 10 reps.
- 2 "sets" of hammer hold... or whatever you call it. I hold a dumbell on one side and put all the weight on the other side. Then I hold it as long as I can. I do this twice or each arm. I know my forearms already get a workout from the curls and pull ups, but really, they're so used to getting hammered in martial arts (back when I used to practice them) that they really need to be hammered extra now.

I do this on sunday, tuesday, thursday. I started doing this since 10th january (so this week is the eight week)
I also changed my diet. Calculated well, I eat about 500 cal more of what my body would need.
Here's what I eat chronogically:
- I get up: I eat a yoghurt and a banana
- I arrive at work around 8:30am: I eat 4 slices of brown broad and jam (I know I should be eating cheese or something with this, but as a breakfast, eating anything that is not sweet with my bread makes me gag. I shit you not)
- At around 10:30am: I eat another slice of brown bread with jam
- Lunch: half a brown French bread (or baguette if you see what I mean) with cheese and ham
- At 4pm: A slice of brown bread with cheese
- When I arrive at work: another banana
- Supper: This varies, but it's usually about 67grams (2.3oz) of brown rice, veggies and about 8.8oz to 10.5oz of meat or fish. I usually eat steak, veal, tuna, codfish or salmon.
- As a desert: some soy-based pudding

I barely ever need junk food since I easily get acid reflux.

My objective is to gain weight. I still have a very fast metabolism, I'm still hyperkinetic and I'm still a hardgainer. At the moment I weigh a miserable 180lbs (I did gain 4.5lbs since I started this workout though) and I'm 6'3" tall.
I don't really need to look huge like Arnie in his best days, but I want to look more than average. I want to see a fit, above average guy in the mirror and not a scrawny guy.
Does this look like a decent workout and diet plan to you?

I got three more specific questions too:

1) Do you allow yourself to skip a workout every once in a while because you're really tired (in my case, combination of a really exhausting weekend with friends and extreme stress at work this week)? Is it bad to do that every once in a while?
2) I heard that it's a good thing to take a week break from working out every once in a while too. However, all articles say you should do it "when your body tells you to". I know myself: if I base myself purely on that, I'm gonna feel guilty guaranteed. If however someone tells me it should be every X weeks, it'll feel like it's really scheduled and not make me feel guilty. I know its stupid but it's just a psychological thing. At what frequency would you recommend I take a break?
3) Lets say I am happy with my physique one day and don't want to gain nor lose ny more. How exaclty can I maintain current mass?

Thank you all!

 

[75th]

First off, you need to eat more. A lot more. And you have virtually no protein in your diet. Your diet should NOT revolve around bread, jam, and bananas. EVERY meal should include red meat, eggs, chicken, tuna, pork, or something. If you're a "hardgainer" (which I dont think we can be sure you are - youre not eating or working out properly) you'd want to eat no less than 4,000 calories per day, which is probably 1,200-1,500 over your maintenance.

As for your workout, its no good. Look into Starting Strength. Essentially, it's:

Workout A

Squat 3x5
Bench 3x5
Deadlifts 3x5
Pullups 2x10

Workout B

Squat 3x5
Press 3x5
Barbell Row 3x5
Dips 2x10

Go to the gym every other day and alternate those workouts. Increase the weight 5lbs every time you go. But yeah, just google Starting Strength and go from there.

 

[ramnares]

75th is spot on, sorry bro but your diet is all wrong. If you really are a hard-gainer then you should be eating all the time, and definitely have some type of meat/protein thrown in. There are tons of protein supplements available if you don't feel like eating meat/fish at every meal. Not much I can really add to what he said because he's right. Your routine has no compound lifts so all the gains you're seeing are beginner gains which will plateau.

As for your questions:
1) Do you allow yourself to skip a workout every once in a while because you're really tired (in my case, combination of a really exhausting weekend with friends and extreme stress at work this week)? Is it bad to do that every once in a while?
I highly doubt you're at the point where you're working with heavy enough weights to need recovery time. However, this is subjective. Some guys need to be hitting the gym constantly (Tblock had a post on this a short while ago) while others can get away with 3-4 days at the gym. In my case, if I'm feeling tired I still go to the gym and work at 70-80% of the weights I would usually use.

2) I heard that it's a good thing to take a week break from working out every once in a while too. However, all articles say you should do it "when your body tells you to". I know myself: if I base myself purely on that, I'm gonna feel guilty guaranteed. If however someone tells me it should be every X weeks, it'll feel like it's really scheduled and not make me feel guilty. I know its stupid but it's just a psychological thing. At what frequency would you recommend I take a break?
The general consensus here seems to be 'work out a couple months - take a week off.' If you read some of the posts, however, you'll see a lot of guys say the same thing - they feel guilty taking off completely and end up working out anyway. From what I've seen it looks like 3 months on - 1 week off is the trend.

3) Lets say I am happy with my physique one day and don't want to gain nor lose ny more. How exaclty can I maintain current mass?
There are tons of calculators available to determine what your caloric needs (and the corresponding breakdown) are to main current mass. It's more a combination of eating right to match your routine. Get to that point and ask this question then.