Another Novice Thread.
Don’t worry, I’m saving my ‘before’ picture in a lock box. I’d like some advice on my current workout. I’m 5’9’’ 155 with a pretty % of body fat on my skinny ass. I’ve been lifting for two years, since I was 16, and in that time have gone from 130 to 155.
My goal, of course, is to at one point be as lean as I am now and weigh over 200lbs.
I’ve changed my routine a lot over the past two years. Here’s what I’ve been doing for the past month. It’s a bastard child of Westside for Skinny Bastards and Christian Thibaudeau’s Training Strategy Handbook.
Upper Body Repetition (Monday)
Bent-Over Barbell Row
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
Pull-ups
Dumbbell Military Press
Barbell Curls
Barbell Tricep Extensions
Upper Body Functional (Thursday)
Power Cleans
Dips
T-Bar Rows
Push-Press
Chin-ups
Dumbbell Pullovers
Lower Body (Tuesday/Friday)
Front Squat
Back Squat
Snatch-Grip Deadlift OR Deadlift
Leg Curl Machine
Good Mornings OR Glute-Ham Raise
Dumbbell Lunges
Calves
Every Upper Body Day I do some rotator cuff and rear deltoid isolation exercises. I do dumbbell side bends, the crunch machine, and other isolated ab work at the end of Upper Body days if I have time. I figure on lower body days I’ve taxed my lower back enough to not do any core work.
On Upper Body Repetition Days I do 1 warm-up with a weight pretty close to what I use for my 2-3 working sets. I shoot for 8-12 reps. On Upper Body Functional Days I do 1 warm-up set with a weight pretty far away from my 4-5 working sets. I shoot for 3-6 reps.
On Leg Days I do 5 sets of 6 for front squats, pyramiding up the weight and I try to start each new workout with a higher amount of weight on my first set. As the weight goes up I do less reps. Once I get to the last of 5 front squat sets I’m only doing about 3 or 4 reps. Back squats I also raise weight throughout and try to start each workout with a higher starting weight. But I end up starting at 10 and working down to 2-3 reps.
For snatch-grip deadlifts I do 3x8 but for conventional deadlifts I do 5x5-3 reps. For good mornings I do three sets of 12, 10, and 8 adding weight in between each one. If I do glute-ham raises instead I do 2 sets of 20 reps. On the Leg Curl I do 3 sets of 8. Lunges I do 3x10. Calves I do sets of 20 until my feet feel like they’re going to split apart.
I don’t take any vitamins. I have a bowl of oatmeal, a fruit, and some eggs or bacon every breakfast. I eat at least two plates of lunch at my reasonably healthy cafeteria where I can get a good amount of protein, vegetables, and carbs. At dinner I just eat a normal plate of carbs, proteins, and vegetables. After I workout in the afternoon I have a shake with 2 bananas, 4 scoops of protein powder, and 20oz of skim milk.
Looks good. Take a deload week every now and then. Just halve the sets or the reps.