T Nation

Gym Advice Welcome

Bodybuilding
#1

I have reviewed ALot of the info on this website and was wondering if anyone could shed some light on what if anything i could do to improve my time spent at the gym.
i am 6 feet tall and currently weigh about 200lbs. i have been going to the gym doing this routine for the past 2 months, i still consider myself a beginner. My goals are to continue shedding fat while gaining muscle like so many others.
i have lost 20lbs so far but am looking to start gaining muscle and have yet to see and significant gains besides toning up mostly.

day 1 (chest and tri’s)

incline bp
decline bp
flat bp
cable crossovers
tricep push down
lying tricep press
rope push down

day 2 (biceps and shoulders)

hammer curls
preacher curls
reverse preacher curls
close grip pull ups
db shoulder press
cable raises
behind the head pull downs
shrugs

day 3 (abs and back)

decline sit ups
weighted side bends
knee ups
chain saws
standing barbell rows(bent over rows? w/e)
stiff leg deadlifts

day 4 (legs)

back squats
leg press (sled type machine)
calf raises
leg extensions
leg curls
deadlifts

rest days 5,6,7

As i said before, i am definately still a beginner. i hope i am on the right track. i have been doing 3 sets of each excercise pyramiding weight and lowering reps.( 3x12, 3x10, 3x8) i have been using as much weight as i feel like i can handle but not sure if i should lower reps on sets and increase weight or what.
i have been supplementing with protein shakes, omega 3,6,9, multi vitamin, amino acid, creatine, glutamine, and have been using a fat burner.
Again i am still a beginner and havent had any help with this routine or supplement program and am looking for any advice no matter how brutal.

#2

[quote]ogdenjh1 wrote:
I have reviewed ALot of the info on this website and was wondering if anyone could shed some light on what if anything i could do to improve my time spent at the gym.
i am 6 feet tall and currently weigh about 200lbs. i have been going to the gym doing this routine for the past 2 months…
[/quote]

That’s not entirely the worst beginner’s routine in the world, but there’s room for improvement. While it’s certainly not typical of programs usually posted here, bottom line…you dropped 20 pounds in 2 months. Congrats on that, but I’d pretty much scrap the routine now and go with something totally new and more well-rounded.

First of all, do you have to train 4 days on, 3 days off, or can you spread out the training days a bit?

Secondly, you’ve got 31 pages worth of training article archives at your disposal, going back almost 9 years (Holy shit, that really is alot.)
http://www.T-Nation.com/articleCategory.jsp?category=training&hiOnly=&pageNo=1

Flip through them and see if anything catches your eye, then give it a test run for a while. Maybe 4 weeks, maybe 6, maybe longer depending on the program. You really can’t make a “wrong” choice, since you’re still in a learning phase.

How’s your nutrition plan? I saw the supplements you’re taking but didn’t notice mention of an actual food program. That can be a crucial part of how much muscle you retain/build while burning fat.

#3

Consider trying a full body workout 3 to 4 times per week or an upper/lower split twice per week. Frequency is very kind to beginners.

#4

You probably won’t gain a lot of muscle while you’re losing weight at that rate. I would suggest more compound lifts, some full body workouts, and an increase in healthy food. Make sure you’re getting good pre/peri/post WO nutrition too.

#5

Nutrient timing play a large role in whether or not you end up learner and more muscular or fatter as pointed out most recently by Chris Shugart’s Surge experiment.

Any of the articles on nutrient timing by Dr. Berardi will help you time things for the best effect.