T Nation

Routine Critique Welcome

Beginners
#1

Hi guys,

first post but been reading for a while. I have been training for around 3 years and made what I consider modest strength gains to put me above the average guy in the street. I have primarily spent most of my time doing full body splits as such so everything gets worked 3 times a week but with different priorities per workout-tending to be based around 5x5 sets and reps. I have created a new workout regime to bring more focus to certain areas and wondered what peoples thoughts were and if anything was missing. Thanks in advance.

Monday

Barbell Bench press-3x8
Incline DB press- 3x8
db flyes- 2 x 10
Bar dips to failure x 2
skull crushers-3 x 6

Tuesday

Bent over barbell rows-3x8
Pull ups-3 sets
deadlifts-4 x 6
lat pull down-2 x 12
barbell curl (ez bar)- 3 x 8
hammer curls-2 x 8
straight barbell-21’s

Wednesday- Rest

Thursday

Squat-3x8
Lunges-3 x 5 per leg
deadlift- 3 x 6
leg press machine (basic machine)- 1 x 20
calf raises machine-6 x 8

Friday

Military Press-3x8
lateral raises- 3x8
bent over db flyes-2x10
press ups
tricep kicks-5x5
tricep rope pull down
Barbell ez bar curls-3x8

saturday & sunday off

ps. all sets are number of working sets. Warm up sets also performed depending how i feel on the day. I have now completed a week of this and feel worked.

#2

I don’t agree with your finishers and how youve distirbuted your volume but that’s just my personal opinion and you know your priorities better than I do. otherwise it looks like all basic movements/lifts have been covered and you’ll have enough recovery in the split, especially with shoulders and chest being separated by two days of rest. deadlifting on Tuesday and Thursday might suck for you unless you do different variations on both days (conventional on Tuesday, stiff leg on Thursday) but you’ve got one day of rest in between which can be enough depending on how much you’re eating.

goals?

#3

Cheers, the overall aim is to put size on everywhere, particularly legs as they have not had as much focus as they should of in the past. I did notice the deadlifts were quite close together and although I do eat a lot I will monitor that. Doing two types of variation is a good shout and maybe thats what i will do to be honest. The reason for arm isolation at the end of workouts is mainly for my ego-although I am getting bigger over time I still crave size and definition on my arms.

#4

If your goal is to add size to your legs, wouldn’t it make sense to add more volume to them?
You have 10 sets for legs and 9 sets of curls–possibly more depending how many sets of 21’s you do.

If you want to emphasize legs you could hit them twice- once heavy/once light–light as in higher rep

Heavy:
Squat-5x5
Lunges-3 sets

Light:
RDL-3x10
Leg Press-2x12-15 (Pause at bottom–they suck to do but work)
Leg Curls- 3x10

It’s more volume for legs, but at same time you manage intensity by going heavy 1 day and light (relative) another.