ORIGINAL: solace
Ok so I'm a new guy here, and i have been reading through some of the articles on here and most are very interesting, but i do have a few questions about peoples routines and mine specifically.
Ok background first, as i have worked out on and off since i was 17 (im 28 now) i usually get in pretty good shape and then usually stop and then i re-start up (usually because of life stuff = girlfirends) and the cycle repeats. So now i am looking for a good routine were i don't have to sacrifce hours upon hours in the gym a week and maintian a good figure. Heres goes the questions.
1. Whats a good amount of sets to exercie ration. Currently i run a 5 day split as i hate trying to 2 different body parts in the same day. It looks something like this:
Day 1. Shoulders / Traps
Shrugs - 3 sets
Shoulder press - 4 sets
Behind the neck shoulder press - 4 set
Lateral raises - 3 sets
bent over reverse flyes - 3 sets
Day 2. Back
Chin-ups - 4 sets
Pull-ups - 4 sets
bent-over rows - 4 sets
bent-over rows (close grip) - 4 sets
Day.3 Chest
bench Press (db or bb) - 4 sets
Incline press - 4 sets
Flys (either cable or db) - 3 sets
Decline - 3 sets
Day 4. Biceps
barbell curl - 4 sets
seated curls - 3 sets
preacher curl - 3 sets
cable curls - 3 sets
forearms - 4-6 sets of various exercises
Day 5. Triceps
Seated dips - 3 sets
Pull downs - 3 sets
skull crushers - 3 sets
Single arm cable pull downs - 3 sets
Day 6. i alternate every other week with legs.
I didn't list any reps as i vary them depending on what i am looking for and how i feel.
Any feed back would be good.
Thanks
You say you don't want to spend hours in the gym, but you're probably already spending more than most people on this board with similar aims to yourself. The routine you've posted up is a crap one. You do legs only every other week? Why?
You've got 4 exercises for your biceps (13 total sets), which constitute one third of your upper arm, and 4 exercises (16 total sets) for your back, which constitutes half your torso and is (along with your legs, which you only train every 2 weeks) the strongest part of your body. The whole routine is terribly proportioned.
Why do you hate doing 2 different body parts on the same day? You say you train legs as one- but they consist of hamstrings, quadriceps and calves; but you train biceps and triceps on their own, as if legs are more naturally "of a piece" than arms. Nothing in this routine makes sense.
If you're concerned about the amount of time you're spending in the gym, cut down to 3 times a week for a start. This will, inevitably, mean training more than one bodypart a session- but this is no loss, because having single days for biceps and triceps is stupid anyway. Train either with a 3 day split-
1) Pull: Back & Biceps,
2) Push: Chest, Shoulders and Triceps and
3) Legs-
or with 3 full body workouts, eg
1)Bench Press
Squat
Bent Over Row
Good Morning
2) Deadlift
Overhead Press
Dip
3) Front Squat
Incline Press
Pull-up
Stiff-legged Deadlift
Or if you prefer isolation exercises and lots of direct arm work, try something like HST:
www.hypertrophy-specific.com