A Critique..

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

On my workout

I posted this on Fahrenheit…but wanted to post it here as well to get a varied response…

I am currently lifting four days a week. I workout in the morning after bringing the kids to their various activities. It is my “ME” time.

Monday
Chest,Triceps,Shoulders,Abs
Dumbell Bench Press
Fly Aways
Skull Crushers
Kickbacks
Press Aways
Military Press
Front Shoulder Raise
Lateral Raise
Weighted Crunch
Seated Knee ups

Tuesday
Legs,Back,Biceps
Squats
Straight Leg Deadlifts
Seated Calf Raises
Lat Row
Barbell Bent Over Row
Good Mornings
Barbell Curls
Deadlift
21’s

Wed
Cardio/30 minute run

Thursday
Chest,Triceps,Shoulder,Abs
Barbell Bench Press
Pec Dec
Narrow Grip Bench
Dips
Pressdown
Barbell Military Press
Shrugs
Rotator Cuff Work
Dumbell Crunch
Leg Ups

Friday
Dumbell Step Ups
Leg Curls
Standing Calf Raise Weighted
Lat Pulldown
Dumbell Bent Over Row
Back Ext. Weighted
Dumbell Curls
Lying Dumbell Curls
Resistance Band Curls

I was told that I should try the Arnold 50. All exercises 2 x 25 and when you can exceed 25 up the weight. My w/o partner said that he made great gains, uped weight and lost fat doing this. It seems strange to me…what do you think? I thought Waterburys’ stuff was strange too and after seeing American Girl, I know that works. So my mind is open. Any thoughts on this or my workout.

I am currently eating

Breakfast PC
PWO PC
Lunch PF
Snack PF
Dinner PC I know…but I like my carbs with dinner…
Snack PF

This puts me at 1600 cals a day give or take…

Thanks,
Michelle

edited to add…5’4" 160lbs easy muscle gainer

2

Looks good.

I would ditch the shoulder exercises, cut back on the isolation exercises like flyes, kickbacks, and concentrate on compound exercises instead. An inclined dumbbell or barbell press works the pecs, triceps AND front deltoids.

But that’s just my opinion.

It looks good.

I wouldn’t recommend 2x25. Do 3x 15 instead and up the weight if you reach 15, than work it back up from 10 or 12 to 15.

Your luch could be PC if it’s 1h to 1h30 from your PWO.

1600 cals seems a bit low to me, especially when you work out 5 days a week.

3

Thanks for the tips. Are you suggesting that I could change my lunch to PC and have 4 PC meals a day? Or suggesting that I switch my lunch and my dinner? I won’t give up the carbs at dinner. That is the time I have the hardest time saying no to them.

Michelle

4

[quote]Bittabit wrote:
On my workout

I posted this on Fahrenheit…but wanted to post it here as well to get a varied response…

I am currently lifting four days a week. I workout in the morning after bringing the kids to their various activities. It is my “ME” time.

Monday
Chest,Triceps,Shoulders,Abs
Dumbell Bench Press
Fly Aways
Skull Crushers
Kickbacks
Press Aways
Military Press
Front Shoulder Raise
Lateral Raise
Weighted Crunch
Seated Knee ups

Tuesday
Legs,Back,Biceps
Squats
Straight Leg Deadlifts
Seated Calf Raises
Lat Row
Barbell Bent Over Row
Good Mornings
Barbell Curls
Deadlift
21’s

Wed
Cardio/30 minute run

Thursday
Chest,Triceps,Shoulder,Abs
Barbell Bench Press
Pec Dec
Narrow Grip Bench
Dips
Pressdown
Barbell Military Press
Shrugs
Rotator Cuff Work
Dumbell Crunch
Leg Ups

Friday
Dumbell Step Ups
Leg Curls
Standing Calf Raise Weighted
Lat Pulldown
Dumbell Bent Over Row
Back Ext. Weighted
Dumbell Curls
Lying Dumbell Curls
Resistance Band Curls

I was told that I should try the Arnold 50. All exercises 2 x 25 and when you can exceed 25 up the weight. My w/o partner said that he made great gains, uped weight and lost fat doing this. It seems strange to me…what do you think? I thought Waterburys’ stuff was strange too and after seeing American Girl, I know that works. So my mind is open. Any thoughts on this or my workout.

I am currently eating

Breakfast PC
PWO PC
Lunch PF
Snack PF
Dinner PC I know…but I like my carbs with dinner…
Snack PF

This puts me at 1600 cals a day give or take…

Thanks,
Michelle

edited to add…5’4" 160lbs easy muscle gainer[/quote]

That seems like ALOT to me. Its just me but I honestly have to wonder about your training intensity if you are able to complete all these lifts four times a week. I mean the idea of doing squats,Stiff legged deadlifts and regular deadlifts,not to even mention rows and good mornings on the same day gives me a headache just thinking about it. I would really think about giving TBT,TTT or ABBH. It maybe just me but your program seems way off.

5

I haven’t started this particular routine yet. I guess I won’t be. I still have alot to learn.

I will check out some of your suggestions. I feel a bit insecure about trying some of the routines here because at times I am unsure of them. I will re-read some and try to find one that works for me.

I want to go Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri so I would need one that can be done as a two day split…One day I’ll get it right :wink:

Thanks again.

Michelle

6

then look for something that works in “planes”

Look for horizontal pushing and pulling
Look for vertical pushing and pulling
Look for hip dominant legs
Look for quad dominant legs.

This, to me is the ideal 4 day split.

Vary your intensity on given days, and adjust those intensity partameters as you progress.

7

Monday

Chest,Triceps,Shoulders,Abs

Dumbell Bench Press
Narrow Grip Bench
Skull Crushers
Military Press
Shrugs
Weighted Crunch
Seated Knee ups

Tuesday

Legs,Back,Biceps

Squats
Straight Leg Deadlifts
Seated Calf Raises
Lat Row
Deadlift
Barbell Curl

Wed
Cardio/30 minute run

Thursday

Chest,Triceps,Shoulder,Abs

Barbell Bench Press
Narrow Grip Bench
Barbell Military Press
Shrugs
Rotator Cuff Work
Dumbell Crunch
Leg Ups

Friday

Legs,Back,Biceps

Dumbell Step Ups
Leg Curls
Standing Calf Raise Weighted
Lat row
Back Ext. Weighted
Dumbell Curls
Lying Dumbell Curls

Is that better?

Thanks,
Michelle

8

[quote]Bittabit wrote:
Thanks for the tips. Are you suggesting that I could change my lunch to PC and have 4 PC meals a day? Or suggesting that I switch my lunch and my dinner? I won’t give up the carbs at dinner. That is the time I have the hardest time saying no to them.

Michelle[/quote]

Christian wrote a nice article about carbs and when to eat them. http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=811783

It’s worth a read.

As it happens I use a 2-split at the moment and my aim is to do it twice a week, but this sometimes doesn’t happen because of job-commitments.

Anyway, this is how it goes. I do 4 sets on every exercise and the work-out should be completed in about 1 hour. Also, I mix one muscle group with another (preferably an antagonist). So pecs are mixed with upper back, 1 set of bench press, 1 set of seated row, repeat 4 times: this is 4 sets of bench press / seated row.

day 1: pecs, upper back
bench press / seated row
incl. bench press / cable pull down
triceps & biceps: cable push down / concentration curl (usually I can squeeze out 2-3 sets before my time is up, I’m pretty strict about the 1 hour limit.)

day 2: posterior chain / legs
Romanian Deadlift / seated calfs
Hyperextension / abs machine
followed up by weighted crunches

day 3: shoulder rehab & half an hour of cardio

day 4: chest & upper back
incl dumbbell press / assisted pull up
dumbbell press / seated row small grip
triceps & biceps: dumbbell triceps extension / hammercurl

day 5: posterior chain / legs
good morning / standing calfs
wood chop / shrugs

day 6: shoulder rehab & half an hour of interval cardio

day 7: rest

I’m not saying you should copy this workout. It’s only meant to show that you could do about 5-6 exercises with 4 sets in 1 hour when you take 1 minute rest in between. Reps are 6-12. Extra reps don’t take much time, unless you want to do a load of them.

So you can expect to perform 20-25 sets in 1 hour (if you include up to 10 minutes of warming up) with about 1 minute interval between the reps.

That’s why a recommend compound exercises that target “area’s” instead of specific musclegroups.

9

Wreckless…

I know when I SHOULD eat them…edited to say: whoops didn’t mean to sound like a bitch there…carry on…

I just don’t want to give them up at dinner. So rather than add a 4th carb meal…I switched em.

Currently it is like this

8:00 am PC
9:30-10:30 Workout
11:15 am PWO PC(more of a lunch)
1:00 pm PF
3:00 pm PF
5:30 PC
8:30 PF

Sample Menu

Oatmeal, berries, coffee

Roast beef sandwich with tomato onion cucumber lettuce mustard on whole wheat, orange

Tuna salad with olive oil/balsamic vinegar

Protein drink, smoked salmon

Dinner
3-4 oz meat, fat trimmed
Salad with FF dressing
whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce

Cottage cheese

10

I know how you feel, I prefered carbs at lunch also. It takes some getting used to, but I managed it.

11

So, was the revised workout better?