Now Bodybuilding - Critique Needed

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

First post here in quite some time! Made steady bodyweight progress and almost random strength increases… however my concern is getting my current routine critiqued in terms of PURE BODYBUILDING!

  • It is basically based on reading the bodybuilding bible and various other threads of importance around this forum, just wondering what the big guys think of it.

Day 1: Chest & Triceps
-BB Bench- 3x6-8
-Incline bench- 3x8-10
-Bench Flyes- 3x8-10
-CGBP (few inches off chest)- 3x6-8
-Close-grip EZ tri ext.- (bar doesn’t come past eye level) - 3x8-10
-Tricep rope extensions- 3x8-10

Day 2: Back (Lats) & Rear delt & Biceps
-Wide-grip pull-ups- 3x6-8 (second two sets weighted)
-BOR- 3x8-10
-One-arm row (kroc style) 3x10+
-Pinwheel DB curl 3x6-8
-Incline bench db curl 3x8-10
-Preacher bench DB curl -3x10-12
-Bent over R.delt raise- 3x10-12

Day 3: Hamstrings & Calfs
-Deadlifts- 3x6-8
-Stiff-legged deadlifts- 3x8-10
-Seated hamstring curls- 3x10-12
-Standing smith machine calf raise- 3x8-10
-Hammersmith(?) calf machine- 3x8-10 (may not be hammersmith but plate-loaded cable-free style)
-Seated calf-raise machine- 3x10-12

Day 4: Shoulders & Triceps
-Standing military press- 3x6-8
-Seated DB shoulder press- 3x8-10
-Standing lateral raise- 3x10-12
-Weighted dips- 3x6-8
-Close-grip EZ tri ext. - 3x8-10
-Tricep rope extensions- 3x8-10

Day 5: Biceps & Rear delt
-Weighted hammer-grip pull-ups- 3x6-8
-Pinwheel DB curl 3x6-8
-Incline bench db curl 3x8-10
-Preacher bench DB curl -3x10-12
-Face pull- 3x8-10
-Bent over R.delt raise- 3x10-12

Day 6: Quads & Calfs
-Back squat- 3x6-8
-Leg press- 3x8-10 (Front squat a possible substitute?)
-Extensions- 3x10-12
-Standing smith machine calf raise- 3x8-10
-Hammersmith calf machine- 3x8-10
-Seated calf-raise machine- 3x10-12

Day 7: Repeat

Rest days: As life throws them/I see fit. Typically 1-2 a week on average.

Reps: 6-8 meaning typically 8 on all but highest set where I hopefully max at 6-7.

Any glaring weaknesses here? I’m not at a stage where weak points seem worth a mention but since I didn’t isolate my arms for at least a year and a half of 3 years training they are slightly behind, training them twice a week has unsurprisingly started making them grow, who’d have thought eh?

-Should I most likely be doing some trap work? (need straps)
-Is this lower volume then what most big guys are doing?
-Are my rep ranges erring on the high side? I have ALOT of strength potential left to put it lightly…
-Does anything look retarded? What would you do differently & why?

Cheers guys.

2

Have you given any thought to now you’ll address the nutritional aspect of “bodybuilding?”

Have you established any sort of consistent eating habits in the recent past?

Can’t have one, without the other.

3

[quote]synergy93 wrote:
Have you given any thought to now you’ll address the nutritional aspect of “bodybuilding?”

Have you established any sort of consistent eating habits in the recent past?

Can’t have one, without the other.

[/quote]

This.

4

I’ve gone from 183 to 192 morning weight definitely mostly muscle (big money I know right) on my recent diet which consists of (on average):
4-egg 4 wholemealtoast breakfast, sometimes beans, usually butter on the toast

1500 calorie stir-fry mix of 440-660grams of meat (chicken or beef) with 4 eggs and mushrooms, 200grams white/brown rice

Dextrose & Whey & Creative & BCAA workout shakes totalling around 1000 calories

Various foods to take me over rough caloric allotment, often a big meal with my girlfriend (curry(coconut milk)/stirfry(light soy) either 100gram rice or smallish portion of noodles. Filler foods include sandwiches, toast, fruit.
Oat&whey&bcaa shakes to top up calories where needed.

It might not seem as set in stone as is needed but it’s worked for me this far, I may need to add a little more to take me to over 200 though.

Does the routine look ok then?

5

If that diet has gotton you the gains you’ve experienced, then by all means keep it until things stall. IMO people rush to constantly make changes, and in this case, thinking you need to keep adding cals every week even though you’re making steady gains will only increase adipose accumulation.

S

6

I hear you stu, definitely feel like going for steady weight increases rather then drastic is the way to go, so basically just staying with this diet till I don’t see any increases at all in say 2 weeks or so then force myself to eat that little bit more. Steady bulk for me to 230+, ha. In the gym my weights are going up a rep or 2 per week so I guess it’s just up to me to keep consistent… in 20+ weeks I guess I might have slightly more respectable lifts (here’s to hoping, my last year of lifting hasn’t been too amazing strength wise).