Can someone critique my training regime?

[RemainAllHoof]

EDIT: All sorted but left so people can see the thought processes of regular gym goers.

OC's fitness competition thread got me thinking that if I am to participate, I need to refine what I do.

By training, I mean in terms of bulking rather than fitness as I have a separate training regime for the various sports I do!

I try to do it all on one evening and usually do it twice a week depending on other sports training. I always feel like I've done something serious for the next couple of days. I try to do them without momentum being involved in the movement ie slowly but not crazily slowly. I also only train at home.

I am not interested in doing my legs as I get enough of a work-out from martial arts training with body-weight squats and deep stances.

Warm up:
Bear crawls: 3 x 1 minutes
Alternatively, turkish get-ups: 2 x 10 reps; 10 for left side, 10 for right side (no kettle bell)

Core work:
Hanging leg raises: so my feet are higher than my head; 3 x 10 reps
Alternatively, floor wipers, 3 x 10 reps, keeping feet off ground for each set of 10 reps

Chest:
Flies: 3 x 10 reps followed by 1 x 10 dumbell presses
Alternatively, 2 x 30 press ups, feet on sofa.

Lats/triceps:
Dips or pull ups: 3 x 10 reps
Barbell rows or horizontal rows: 3 x 10 reps

Shoulders:
Shrugs with barbell: 3 x 10 reps
Shoulder presses: 1 x 10 reps; after doing the shrugs, I'm worried about dropping the dumbells hence just 1 set.

Finally:
Crunches or hanging leg raises if I feel there's anything left.
Static hold pull ups, again if I feel there's anything left.

I've only been doing this with consistency for about 2 months but what can I expect in the long run? Is it enough?

Thanks.

Edited by RemainAllHoof on Monday 21st November 15:25

[goldblum]

Hi.

To force muscle growth you should train in the 6-8 rep range and no higher.

To achieve this drop in reps you need to add weight..Go with 3 sets of 6,then 3 x 8,then 4x6 etc.Once 4x8 is easy go up in weight. If your goal is short term

there's no real need to periodise (ie a cycle of high reps light weight,then medium reps (10) slightly heavier weight,then low reps (6) heavy weight) but it's up to you.

Personally I prefer training heavy so if I was working towards muscle growth I'd do the first workout.

Do your core work last.

Pressing exercises first,flyes after.

Only do 1 kind of pullup exercise,so do bicep curls instead of chins for biceps.

Scratch the press ups,unless you do them in a handstand position...if you do that then you can cut out traps (shrugs).

Chest,tris

Back,bis

Do shoulders first,before either workout.

[RemainAllHoof]

So basically, go heavier so that I can only do 3 x 6.

Oh, why core last?

Thanks.

[goldblum]

RemainAllHoof said:

So basically, go heavier so that I can only do 3 x 6.

Oh, why core last?

Thanks.

If you decide not to periodise,yes.

Your core is important for stability during most shoulder and chest exercises,so best not to wear it out beforehand.

If you do core last it also means you don't have to work quite so hard.

[RemainAllHoof]

Ah ha! Yes, I noticed that but didn't put 2 and 2 together!!

[RemainAllHoof]

Well, I'm back. I thought I'd ran out of weights but swapping things around, I've increased everything by about 10-15%.

I just wanted to say... we're no longer friends!! *rubs sore muscles*

Interestingly, I found the core work more challenging doing it at the end of the session rather than the start!

[goldblum]

Yep core will be harder work.Well done.Now you've only got to stick to the program for another 3 months!

[RemainAllHoof]

Pretty easy; if I'm going to do it anyway, I just need to actually take on board what people like you are actually saying!

I will have another issue in due course - the need for extra weights. I really can't be arsed with all this swapping around of weights. I think I'll have to buy some plate weights in preparation.

[gjf764]

I know you said that you don't want to train legs but squats are renowned as the best exercise for all over strength and muscle gain. They absolutely smash your central nervous system and release growth hormone.

[RemainAllHoof]

gjf764 said:

I know you said that you don't want to train legs but squats are renowned as the best exercise for all over strength and muscle gain. They absolutely smash your central nervous system and release growth hormone.

You mean, therefore, that it will help the other muscles grow?

[Ordinary_Chap]

RemainAllHoof said:

gjf764 said:

I know you said that you don't want to train legs but squats are renowned as the best exercise for all over strength and muscle gain. They absolutely smash your central nervous system and release growth hormone.

You mean, therefore, that it will help the other muscles grow?

Absolutely, I saw a great deal of overall growth after starting to squat.

There is supposedly a number of reasons but some of them are obvious the squat taxes a great deal of muscles other than the legs. My coach also sighted some research that suggests given it works the largest muscle in the body it also causes testosterone release far more than nearly anything else.

[RemainAllHoof]

Squats is in, then! Thanks.

Should I do it at the start or end? I've changed my order to the following:

Warm up
Shoulder press
Flies or bench press
Dips or pull ups
Shrugs
Barbell or dumbell rows
Core work

[anonymous-user]

Ordinary_Chap said:

RemainAllHoof said:

gjf764 said:

I know you said that you don't want to train legs but squats are renowned as the best exercise for all over strength and muscle gain. They absolutely smash your central nervous system and release growth hormone.

You mean, therefore, that it will help the other muscles grow?

Absolutely, I saw a great deal of overall growth after starting to squat.

There is supposedly a number of reasons but some of them are obvious the squat taxes a great deal of muscles other than the legs. My coach also sighted some research that suggests given it works the largest muscle in the body it also causes testosterone release far more than nearly anything else.

Just by doing squats, deadlift and bench press you will exercise nearly every muscle group. Doing the "big three" will cause the highest release of growth hormone and initiate muscle growth and strength more than doing any other exercises.

[Ordinary_Chap]

I do squats first or second exercise since they can be so demanding if working heavy for growth.

I find squatting interesting because when I squat heavy I feel drained for the rest of the session and when I did bench press the next day that would also be affected because squatting caused such a drain from me.

[RemainAllHoof]

Thanks. Having done a little research, I am going to do deadlifts instead as I don't have anything to get something that heavy on my shoulders and not risk damaging my floorboards should things go wrong.

[Ordinary_Chap]

RemainAllHoof said:

Thanks. Having done a little research, I am going to do deadlifts instead as I don't have anything to get something that heavy on my shoulders and not risk damaging my floorboards should things go wrong.

Well thats fair enough although you can do dumbell squats if thats of help?

Deadlifting and bench are my other two favourite exercises for growth!

[anonymous-user]

Ordinary_Chap said:

I do squats first or second exercise since they can be so demanding if working heavy for growth.

I find squatting interesting because when I squat heavy I feel drained for the rest of the session and when I did bench press the next day that would also be affected because squatting caused such a drain from me.

You should always do the bigger exercises at the start of a session (deadlift for back, squats for legs, bench press for chest) to release the growth hormone and testosterone.

I would suggest that you have a day of rest or alternate exercises between back, legs and chest days.

For example.

Monday - legs including heavy squats.
Tuesday - Arms.
Wednesday - Chest including heavy bench press
Thursday - Shoulders
Friday - back including deadlift.

I would definitely keep back and legs as far apart as possible as your back will definitely be used when squatting.

It may be worth investing in a belt and wrist straps too.

[RemainAllHoof]

Ordinary_Chap said:

Well thats fair enough although you can do dumbell squats if thats of help?

Deadlifting and bench are my other two favourite exercises for growth!

Ah! Didn't think of dumbell squats. Will do them as well.

Thanks, everyone.

[RemainAllHoof]

bmw535i said:

You should always do the bigger exercises at the start of a session (deadlift for back, squats for legs, bench press for chest) to release the growth hormone and testosterone.

I would suggest that you have a day of rest or alternate exercises between back, legs and chest days.

For example.

Monday - legs including heavy squats.
Tuesday - Arms.
Wednesday - Chest including heavy bench press
Thursday - Shoulders
Friday - back including deadlift.

I would definitely keep back and legs as far apart as possible as your back will definitely be used when squatting.

It may be worth investing in a belt and wrist straps too.

Thanks. This is where it gets tricky due to other sports obligations!

[Ordinary_Chap]

Hi thanks for the feedback.

I do the classic pre-exaustion technique with squats.

My split was the old tried and tested;

- Monday; Legs
- Tuesday; Chest/triceps
- Wednesday; Off
- Thursday; Back/Biceps
- Friday; abbs/calvs/shoulders
- Weekend; Off

Although I don't do this anymore even though I've had superb results with it.