Lost & Confused

Whats up guys. Ive been working out for a couple years now, mostly serious, but came to the realization i was doing everything wrong, from nutrition to sets to repititions.

I have a friend that told me i have sensitive insulin levels which might be the problem why im not able to show improvements over periods of time.

I use to eat carbs all over the place morning, 3 hrs later, again, an again etc. My friend told me to eat carbs only in the morning and post workout, which made more sense. An he also gave me a new routine:

NEW ROUTINE
monday
deadlifts 4,4,8,10
pullups 4 sets till failure
rows 5,5,8,10
core
tuesday
flat bench 4,4,8,10
1 arm db press 4,4,8,10
core
wednesday
close grip pulldown 5,5,8,10
wide grip rows 5,5,8,10
3 sets of BB curls diff variations
core
thursday
squat 4,4,8,10
Db lateeral raises 4x12
incline Db press 5,5,8,10
core

He said specifically these workouts are for intensity + giving you anough energy after to do cardio in the evening or w/e you want. Before this routine i did ALOT more exercises, which he (my friend) said leads to overtraining.

So again my question is, is this an appropriate workout routine? my goals are to shed fat (got diet in check) and bulk up when ive lost BF. Im just really confused right now about carbs, to rep ranges to how many sets for which goals etc. Any critiques are welcome. thanks alot

The split seems fairly standard, not many exercises each day though. Also, i never understood the point in doing 1 arm db presses, just do both at the same time.

no trap work?? barely any shoulder work?? well state your goals then we can decide what is a good workout plan/diet for you. btw a good way to set-up your workouts is to use the weider principles

As of right now, i am trying to shed BF, guessing im at 18% right now, mostly in chest an waist but not THAT bad. I would like to bulk up but my friend stated that im insulin sensitive meaning i should lose the fat first then bulk up.

insulin sensitive? that sounds like you could be type 2 diabetic? how did he come to the conclusion your insulin sensitive?

i use to eat alot of carbs protein fats etc (mostly healthy)… he said that my body was insulin sensitive an it reacts to carbs more or something an thats why i cant lose BF. something about my body burns up the protein i eat as food rathar than my body absorbing it for nutrients.

on another note i have high blood pressure genetically an get frequent blood rushes to the head if i stand up too quick. i dnt consider myself over weight, i am 6ft 195 guessing 17-18% bf an waist size 34

[quote]Wilmernuts wrote:
no trap work?? barely any shoulder work?? well state your goals then we can decide what is a good workout plan/diet for you. btw a good way to set-up your workouts is to use the weider principles[/quote]

since when didnt deadlifts and rows target traps? …well wide grip is more lat specific.

i personally think this routine is shit and wont bring any size unless youre a rank beginner.

Follow a program that helps you with your goal (fat loss). There are some good ones on T-Nation. Follow a good one and achieve your goals!

And yes, anyone who is eating a lot of carbs with all their meals will end up most likely putting on some fat or having insuling (pre-diabetic) issues.

I like the idea of eating starchy carbs only for breakfast and post-workout. Any other carbs during the day should come from fruits and veggies (fibrous foods with good nutrients).

Check out some of Alwyn Cosgrove’s articles if you are interested in fat loss. He has posted a few real good fat-loss programs on the site.

I recommend his stuff over 10x3 for Fat Loss (which others seem to recommend often - but I’m not fond of that program personally). Alwyn knows fat loss. He’s very successful at it with his clients!

[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
Wilmernuts wrote:
no trap work?? barely any shoulder work?? well state your goals then we can decide what is a good workout plan/diet for you. btw a good way to set-up your workouts is to use the weider principles

since when didnt deadlifts and rows target traps? …well wide grip is more lat specific.

i personally think this routine is shit and wont bring any size unless youre a rank beginner.[/quote]

could you post up a better one?

You should listen to your friend instead of always doubting everything you hear…

Or else go set up your own workout by READING T-Nation!!

[quote]thekidnextdoor wrote:
You should listen to your friend instead of always doubting everything you hear…

Or else go set up your own workout by READING T-Nation!!

[/quote]

He should listen to his friend, why? Is “insulin sensitive” the new buzz word?

Most of you need to be more skeptical of what you read AND hear. Get a real education so you can know difference between bullshit and reality.

Here’s a tip: most of the “insulin sensitive” diagnoses flying around are utter bullshit. You don’t judge how your body responds that specifically before you ever get serious in the gym for YEARS.

Seriously, what’s up lately with so many people dishing out advice like the OP being “insulin sensitive”? Then we have another thread where people diagnose scoliosis based on 90 degrees rotated pictures over the internet. A month ago, everybody posting pics had “scapular winging”.

OP, as you’ve been training for a while already, nobody can spare you the effort of finding out yourself how your body reacts to different training and nutrition parameters. Information on this and other sites, from books etc. can help to a degree, but in the end - barring the possibility you get professional assistance from people who really know their stuff - you’re on your own. To me, that’s one of the most interesting aspects of it all, though.

[quote]michael2507 wrote:
Seriously, what’s up lately with so many people dishing out advice like the OP being “insulin sensitive”? Then we have another thread where people diagnose scoliosis based on 90 degrees rotated pictures over the internet. A month ago, everybody posting pics had “scapular winging”.
[/quote]

If we don’t clown them on it when it pops up, it will continue and get worse.

Experience and results are king, not what some other newbie read somewhere.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
michael2507 wrote:
Seriously, what’s up lately with so many people dishing out advice like the OP being “insulin sensitive”? Then we have another thread where people diagnose scoliosis based on 90 degrees rotated pictures over the internet. A month ago, everybody posting pics had “scapular winging”.

If we don’t clown them on it when it pops up, it will continue and get worse.

Experience and results are king, not what some other newbie read somewhere.[/quote]

We should create new profiles, pretend to be complete noobs and chime in on every thread like this.

Since they will think that we are clueless idiots too, they’ll believe every word we say.

Logic can’t win this battle.

[quote]michael2507 wrote:
Seriously, what’s up lately with so many people dishing out advice like the OP being “insulin sensitive”? [/quote]

IMO, this is one of the problems of the Information Age.

Don’t get me wrong I love the internet, online banking, quick researches etc… but I think some people get carried away and believe they can become virtual “experts” by reading a handful (or perhaps even more) of articles or studies on whatever subject interests them.

Although you can learn things in this manner it doesn’t replace a formal education where you have professors assessing your interpretation of what you’ve read. This is huge.

Secondly, articles will usually focus on the interesting/fun flavors-of-the-month (makes sense as there primary goal is usually to sell products or entertain) instead of the “dry” basics leaving readers without a proper foundation.

Thirdly, because they are written for layman they are watered down. We only get a Readers Digest version which gives us a general understanding of what’s happening. Sadly some people confuse it with an education.

gets off soap box

TELL your friend you mean insulin resistant ! not sensitive (sensitive is a good thing with insulin)