Hello,
I’m 42 and I need a daily routine everyday. I’m training at 4:30am before I start work at 5:30am (from home) so I need a good quick and effective daily routine.
My goals are to lose belly fat and grow muscle. My diet is pretty good. I’m Intermittent fasting (18 & 6) and eating at 12pm until 6pm.
I’m trying to grow my back so I want to hit it twice a week.
Could someone please provide some feedback on my program.
Mainly, am I missing an essential movement?
Have you ever looked at Tactical barbell? You’d set it up like this:
M, W, F: 5x5 each of barbell Bench press, weighted pull ups, and back squats. Add 3 sets of DL one of these days while removing a few sets of back squats if needed.
T/R/S: Core work, conditioning (running, KB swings, burpees, etc…)
Obviously it’s up to you, but I wouldn’t like the approach of 6x-a-week lifting, with laundry list of exercises to slog through. I’d think your results will be more impressive by hitting big-money moves more often. Weighted pull ups will blow up your back.
At this point, there is no point to ever talk about anyones programs. The program talk is obsolete. There are lots of proven stuff written by professionals and elite athletes of every sport, that are available for free or for a tiny price. There is nothing anyone can say or suggest that would mean anything anymore.
Can you share it anyway?
Which do you want to do first?
There’s no such thing. I see reps, but not sets. Only one set to failure?
I don’t know what your body composition is like, but I would personally focus on fat loss first through daily energy expenditure, walking and stuff, for it is way quicker
Absolutely, and it creates the most immediate/ dramatic visual impact.
I don’t try to ration other folks’ goals anymore, though, because sometimes I really don’t get where they’re coming from. I do think 90% of us over 20 have to pick one.
Christian Thibaudeau has written many articles on this site that you may find helpful and relevant if you are looking to write a program yourself. Here are a few I would consider reading to begin down that path:
How to Design a Damn Good Program - Part 1
How to Design a Damn Good Program - Part 2
The Very Best Workout Split For YOUR Goals
Then there are some articles about each of these splits mentioned that were posted back on June 19, June 26, and July 3rd.
Go to the main site, and use the article search feature to find these and more.
Would also look into articles concerning fatigue and recovery to round this out.
Looking at your post, my thoughts are similar to what others have already mentioned. I think you can do your own thing and it can work but spending time on programs written by a knowledgeable, experienced person will probably be a better approach. However it can be interesting to try out your own thing and I can appreciate the reasons for wanting to do so.
A few more thoughts:
What is your training goal? What is the one, main thing your are working towards? What is your strategy in your program that is working to get you there, and what is your time frame to do it. The time frame keeps you focused and honest with yourself about progress…is this program working for me??
6 days in a row can get rough. You don’t need to confine yourself to getting everything done inside of a week. This is an artificial limit we often constrain ourselves to. For instance your microcycle could be 9 days instead of 7 letting you get more rest days in between workouts.
I don’t see any progression method built into what you posted. As others have said; it’s a list of days/exercises, and reps without sets.
You’ll need to balance frequency, intensity, and volume in your program. If frequency is 6 days a week then both volume and intensity can’t be high as well.
Good luck!
I agree with the other posters.
If you train 5-6 days a week - you will need to keep volume low, no matter how you put it.
Your program looks like a metcon cycle of sorts, restricted by the muscle you’re attacking that day. The problem you are facing is the probability of the giant superset being sloppy, or at best maintenance work.
Btw, your program is not that far from HIT considering intensity - though each training day in your schedule looks like a specialization routine. If done properly you will eventually fry your nervous system and be predestined for bad recovery (equals bad results). Also, more stress means more cortisol - and an inability to lose weight.
Why not stick to 3 proper training days a week? If time efficiency is important you may be interested in HIT training. Meaning, a full body routine each training day. The Darden 30-10-30 strategy is actually working very well in a home setting with limited equipment. Your workout will last for 30 mins or less. Also, tested for losing weight in a calorie deficit. I made good progress using this technique and recommend it because it is simple to learn. Question is whether you can tolerate being an outsider, as HIT seem to be considered wrong to some.
