Patrick
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Registered: 25th Apr 02
Location: SE London
User status: Offline
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There really should be a Gym Day forum. I tried to register with muscletalk.co.uk to ask this question but couldn't register for some reason 
Anyway, I'm having difficulty working out a new training routine. I have been hitting the gym regularly now for the past 18 months. I have made some good gains in that time but no where near the sort of gains I have been hoping for. My diet has improved significantly over the past 6 months or so, but I seem to have hit a plateau with my training. I've been lifting similar weights now for the past 2 months and finding it difficult to increase reps.
I am currently training 3 days per week (Mon-Wed-Fri) and hitting all muscle groups on each day. I have been doing this since the begining 18 months ago. I want to start doing a split routine, as I have read about these on bodybuilding forums. But I find it hard to believe that you would make better gains by only training each muscle group once a week. i.e. only once a week for biceps/triceps and abs seems silly to me?
Here is a routine I am thinking of trying, how do you think it looks?
Monday – Chest and Triceps
5 Min warm-up
Bench press – 4 sets 6-8 reps
Dumbell flat bench – 4 sets 6-8 reps
Incline dumbell fly – 4 sets 6-8 reps
Skull crushers – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Overhead cable extensions – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Tuesday – Back and Biceps
5 min warm-up
Deadlifts – 4 sets 6-8 reps
Bent over one arm dumbell rows – 4 sets 6-8 reps
Chins or lat pulldowns – 3 sets 6-8 reps
EZ bar bicep curl – 3 sets 6-8 reps
One arm dumbell hammer curls – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Wednesday – Rest and Cardio
Swim before breakfast
Thursday – Shoulders and Traps
5 min warm-up
Seated dumbell military press – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Lateral dumbell raises (side) – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Barbell shrugs – 5 sets 6-8 reps
Friday – Rest and Cardiob
Swim before breakfast
Saturday – Legs and Abdominals
5 min warm-up
Barbell squats – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Leg press – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Calf raises – 3 sets 8-10 reps
Weighted Swiss ball crunches – 4 sets 6-8 reps
Hanging leg raises – 4 sets 6-8 reps
Dumbell side bends – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Sunday – Rest and Cardio
Decent run
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I am currently eating 6 meals a day. An example of a day is:
Breakfast (08.00) - Large bowl of oats, 2x fresh fruit, whey milkshake and CLA
Morning (10.30) - Wholemeal sandwich with tuna and lettuce, banana and weight gain shake
Lunch (13.00) - 140g of ready cooked chicken breast, mixed salad, 2x fresh fruit and CLA
Afternoon (15.30) - Wholemeal sandwich with turkey and lettuce
Dinner (18.30) - Steak, jacket potato and mixed salad and CLA and Creatine (pre-workout)
Supper (21.30) - Cereal, whey milkshake and Creatine (post-workout)
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Please let me know what you think. Any advice appreciated.. 
[Edited on 20-11-2007 by Patrick]
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Hamish
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Registered: 4th Apr 05
Location: Ashtead, Surrey Drives: 100bhp Mint with Hole
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 is what i think
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AdZ9
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Registered: 14th Apr 06
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I feel i repeat myself at least once a week on here, the same stuff  maybe a gym day would be ok then or even a search function which worked well!
If i got some time later i'll post what i think mate, at work at the moment and aint got the effort to go into detail right now. One thing i ask, can you add a time to your food when you eat it, even if its rough.
Also what are your exact goals? Do you want to gain mass or strength or cut etc?
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AdZ9
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Registered: 14th Apr 06
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P.S - The routine looks alright, although theres some tweaks i would make (such as doing dips intead of DB bench press if you have a dipping station). Also you need a rest day, as in a day when you do nothing at all no cardio etc.
If you can post time stamps of when you roughly eat what you do it will be easier to help to see when your timing things and your PreWO and PostWO meals etc
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AdZ9
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Registered: 14th Apr 06
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See you editted mate with times, sorry forgot to ask what time do you work out?
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Marc
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Registered: 11th Aug 02
Location: York
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Do you not think that routine is a bit much?
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Patrick
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Registered: 25th Apr 02
Location: SE London
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I have amended post to include eating times. I have dinner before gym and supper as soon as I get back.
Goal now is to put on mass. Already gained strength over past few months, but want to see the results now.
5ft8 70kg.
Current weights
Bench - 80kg 4 reps
Shoulder press - 55kg 4 reps
Lat - 75kg 6 reps
etc..
I think my problem at the moment is that I'm doing too heavy weights and too little reps?!?!?!
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AdZ9
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Registered: 14th Apr 06
User status: Offline
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Nope, its fine to be honest. The big muscles getting worked the most and then 1/2 exercises to finish off the smaller muscles.
Altho could lose the overhead extensions on triceps day and the one arm curl on biceps, all depends on how much you lift/work on the main compound exercises.
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Patrick
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Registered: 25th Apr 02
Location: SE London
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by AdZ9
sorry forgot to ask what time do you work out?
Usually in gym from 1900 to 2030, but that would change to around 50 minutes with above routine.
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AdZ9
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Registered: 14th Apr 06
User status: Offline
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Im off home now mate, i should be back on later, check back then i'll try and help then mate.
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Aaron
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Registered: 9th Aug 04
Location: Cottingham, East Riding
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Hamish
is what i think
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Brabus
Member
Registered: 25th Oct 07
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Patrick
There really should be a Gym Day forum. I tried to register with muscletalk.co.uk to ask this question but couldn't register for some reason
Anyway, I'm having difficulty working out a new training routine. I have been hitting the gym regularly now for the past 18 months. I have made some good gains in that time but no where near the sort of gains I have been hoping for. My diet has improved significantly over the past 6 months or so, but I seem to have hit a plateau with my training. I've been lifting similar weights now for the past 2 months and finding it difficult to increase reps.
I am currently training 3 days per week (Mon-Wed-Fri) and hitting all muscle groups on each day. I have been doing this since the begining 18 months ago. I want to start doing a split routine, as I have read about these on bodybuilding forums. But I find it hard to believe that you would make better gains by only training each muscle group once a week. i.e. only once a week for biceps/triceps and abs seems silly to me?
Here is a routine I am thinking of trying, how do you think it looks?
Monday – Chest and Triceps
5 Min warm-up
Bench press – 4 sets 6-8 reps
Dumbell flat bench – 4 sets 6-8 reps
Incline dumbell fly – 4 sets 6-8 reps
Skull crushers – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Overhead cable extensions – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Tuesday – Back and Biceps
5 min warm-up
Deadlifts – 4 sets 6-8 reps
Bent over one arm dumbell rows – 4 sets 6-8 reps
Chins or lat pulldowns – 3 sets 6-8 reps
EZ bar bicep curl – 3 sets 6-8 reps
One arm dumbell hammer curls – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Wednesday – Rest and Cardio
Swim before breakfast
Thursday – Shoulders and Traps
5 min warm-up
Seated dumbell military press – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Lateral dumbell raises (side) – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Barbell shrugs – 5 sets 6-8 reps
Friday – Rest and Cardiob
Swim before breakfast
Saturday – Legs and Abdominals
5 min warm-up
Barbell squats – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Leg press – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Calf raises – 3 sets 8-10 reps
Weighted Swiss ball crunches – 4 sets 6-8 reps
Hanging leg raises – 4 sets 6-8 reps
Dumbell side bends – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Sunday – Rest and Cardio
Decent run
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I am currently eating 6 meals a day. An example of a day is:
Breakfast (08.00) - Large bowl of oats, 2x fresh fruit, whey milkshake and CLA
Morning (10.30) - Wholemeal sandwich with tuna and lettuce, banana and weight gain shake
Lunch (13.00) - 140g of ready cooked chicken breast, mixed salad, 2x fresh fruit and CLA
Afternoon (15.30) - Wholemeal sandwich with turkey and lettuce
Dinner (18.30) - Steak, jacket potato and mixed salad and CLA and Creatine (pre-workout)
Supper (21.30) - Cereal, whey milkshake and Creatine (post-workout)
----------
Please let me know what you think. Any advice appreciated..
[Edited on 20-11-2007 by Patrick]
Very Simiar to my routine and seem to be lifting around the same sort of weight.
I do 4 sets on each excercise(pryamid is proven to be successful), light, medium, heavy, medium, if that makes sense.
Mine seems to work well for me and is as follows:
Mon- Chest
Flat Barbell Bench
Incline Barbell Bench
Incline Dumbell press
Flat dumbell Press
Cable Crossovers
Pec Deck
Tue- Shoulders
Upright Dumbell Press
Upright Smith Press
Lateral raises(front)
Upright Rows
Barbell Shrugs
Dumbell Shrugs
Wed- Legs
Squats
Leg Press
Calf Extension
Various other calf excercises
Thurs- Triceps
Close grip bench press
Skull Crushers
Weighted Dips
Cable pull downs with bar
Cable pull downs with rope/chain
Friday- Back and Biceps
Wide grip pull ups
Close grip pull ups
2 armed seated row
bent over barbell row
E-Z bar 21's
Close grip full curls
Dumbell hammer curls
Dumbell normal curls
Rope cable curls
Weekend - OFF
I also try and with the last set of every muscle, to do a dropdown set where i get up to my maxium wieght then drop 5/10kgs all the way down untill i cant even do a rep on the lowest weight just to burn out.
I have also been training for around the same amount of time as you, its best to stick to compound excercises(flat bench, deadlift, squats, military press)if you want to put on size and not to worry too much about going to heavy providing you are doing more that 4reps and have a spotter.
[Edited on 20-11-2007 by Brabus]
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antmashed
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Registered: 2nd Aug 06
Location: Hertford
User status: Offline
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what do you work as?
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Craig W
Member
Registered: 31st Oct 00
User status: Offline
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It seems silly to train each muscle group once a week? No my friend, it's silly training all your muscle groups on every training day. No wonder you're not gaining.
Remember, your muscles grow when you're resting. The work in the gym just tears your muscle fibres down, it's the other 23 hours of the day that count. REST AND NUTRITION. By training all your muscle groups 3 times a week they aren't having anywhere near enough time to repair, and grow.
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bigdan
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Registered: 4th Jan 07
Location: Jarrow (Newcastle)
User status: Offline
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i train mon wed fri or tues thurs sat on my days off i do light cardio or light swimming to help
i eat a sandwich for my dinner and have tea dont snack in between
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Jake
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Registered: 24th Jan 05
User status: Offline
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I'd try and cram in as much simple carbs and protein as possible post workout. What you're taking in at the moment is not enough.
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Craig W
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Registered: 31st Oct 00
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You need at least another meal after your post workout one. Dont worry that it's late, your body needs the nutrition.
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csweatherston
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Registered: 16th Jan 06
Location: Devon
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bodybuilding.com.
done
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csweatherston
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Registered: 16th Jan 06
Location: Devon
User status: Offline
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i would also vary your shoulder and chest workouts more..
the best place to gain mass is upper chest, focusing on mid chest workouts will give you pointy pecs with no depth..
shoulders you should mix in some front/rear delt movements.
...and traps are more back than shoulders.
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bigdan
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Registered: 4th Jan 07
Location: Jarrow (Newcastle)
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by bigdan
i train mon wed fri or tues thurs sat on my days off i do light cardio or light swimming to help
i eat a sandwich for my dinner and have tea dont snack in between
sandwich consists of tune salad in a stottie bun. tea is quite a large meal
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Brabus
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Registered: 25th Oct 07
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Craig W
It seems silly to train each muscle group once a week? No my friend, it's silly training all your muscle groups on every training day. No wonder you're not gaining.
Remember, your muscles grow when you're resting. The work in the gym just tears your muscle fibres down, it's the other 23 hours of the day that count. REST AND NUTRITION. By training all your muscle groups 3 times a week they aren't having anywhere near enough time to repair, and grow.
The have three days a week to repair themselfs, sat sun and wed(legs day).
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Patrick
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Registered: 25th Apr 02
Location: SE London
User status: Offline
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Thanks for the help guys. Will see if I make any improvements doing the split.
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A1EX
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Registered: 29th Mar 00
Location: Turku, Finland
User status: Offline
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what are the best exercises for upper chest, at the moment im doing incline bench, incline dumbell presses and flys?
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Andy Stocker
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Registered: 31st Aug 00
Location: Herts Drives: Porsche 911
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Shouldn't you take a milkshake around 1 hour before you train and immediately afterwards?
And why 2 lots of creatine?
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Patrick
Member
Registered: 25th Apr 02
Location: SE London
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Andy Stocker
Shouldn't you take a milkshake around 1 hour before you train and immediately afterwards?
And why 2 lots of creatine?
I eat a main meal around 30mins before gym so get some good quality protein from that.
2x creatine because I take them in tabs. You take 3 before exercise and 3 after.
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