Need Critique on this Workout Plan.. [FITNESS HEADS PLEASE ENTER]

[illmaticsoulchild]

I received these workout routines a couple years ago from another NT'er I talked to, so if the routines are solid, all credit to him.

Anyways, I'm about a month away from completing P90X and I am pretty satisfied with the results so far. Continuing on, I would really like to increase mystrength and be a bit bulkier. Continuing P90X Phase III doubles is an option, but I would also like to try something different. In this plan I piecedtogether, I basically added the routines I got a couple years ago and some of the P90X routines that I really liked.

BTW, I am planning to do 3 sets of each exercise in a "circuit" type manner. Also, the reason I am not running everyday is because of my knees. I amconsidering alternatives for cardio though..

My main concern is this: Are the "main" routines for the 4 days (M,T,TH,F) enough, or should I make it 6 and just throw out the Plyometrics and maybejust keep Yoga for the rest day (instead of the X-Stretch)? Would I have enough rest, or is that overkill?

Thanks in advance..

 

[illmaticsoulchild]

Anyone..?

 

[smedroc]

It looks like a heavy schedule to me.....You on roids???

Monday looks especially OD

seriously though, if your lifting heavy it looks like too much.

 

[stringer bell 32]

Damn, dude

Legs and back on the same day?


Thats hardcore, brah

 

[damnthosejs]

...can you fill us in about the Sets/Reps on these?

you're working your back hardcore + 4 exercises for bis...you're arms gotta be damn sore coz it's like working your bis 8x.

 

[durden7]

Thats overtraining.

Youve got a Lat Pulldown and Pulldown to the Front? You only need one of those, and never do a lat pulldown which goes behind your head.

3 seperate calf exercises? You only need one. Get rid of the leg extensions as well

4 bicep exercises is too many.

 

[jthagreat]

with as much "work" you are doing...i imagine you'll have to eat whenever your not workin out. it will be pretty tough to get "bulkier"with all that "work"

 

[jflip]

If you're not dead after just doing A1-A6, then you need to be lifting with more intensity. Another thing, you shouldn't be runningeveryday. What's your goal? That would help a lot.

 

[joseph camel jr]

Don't run before lifting, do it after.

Do deadlifts on back day, it's not primarily a leg exercise.

If you want a 4-day split, do:

1- Legs
2- Chest/Tris
3- Back/Bis
4- Shoulders/Traps/Abs


Also drop some of the exercises, do maybe a third of those exercises and do 3-4 sets of them. Focus on heavy presses rather than light-weight exercises thatbuild almost zero mass (tricep kickbacks, etc.)

Here's what I'm currently doing

Chest: Flat BB Bench- 4 sets, Incline BB Bench 3-4 sets, DB Alternating Flat Bench - 3 sets, Flies- 3 sets, Cable Flies- 3 sets

Back: Deadlifts - 5 sets (low reps), Bent over BB Rows- 4 sets, Pullups - 3 sets, DB Rows ("lawnmowers")- 3 sets, Lat Pulldowns- 3 sets

Legs- Squats - 4-5 sets (depending on weight/reps, sometimes I go for low reps i.e. 5 max, other times i'm doing up to 8-10), Leg press -4 sets, Legextension -3-4 sets, Calf raise -4 sets

Arms- Bicep curls - 4 sets, close grip bench - 4 sets, chinups- 4 sets, skullcrushers- 4 sets, cable curls- 3-4 sets, pulldowns - 3-4 sets

Shoulders- Military BB press- 3 sets, shrugs- 4 sets, Military DB press- 3 sets, Front raises- 3 sets, Lateral raises- 3 sets, Machine military press(sometimes)- 3 sets, Reverse flies? (don't know the name, gets the rear delts)- 3 sets

 

[durden7]

If you're not dead after just doing A1-A6, then you need to be lifting with more intensity.
Waaaaiiiitt. What?

Do deadlifts on back day, it's not primarily a leg exercise.
Tecnically it IS a leg exercise, but its rarely done on that day.

 

[joseph camel jr]

Well of course but it's your hamstrings and especially your back that will be doing the majority of the lifting.

Leg day usually = glutes and quads and calves, at least for me.

And good luck doing squats + deadlifts on the same day, I would pass out.

 

[durden7]

7 shoulder exercises? wow

 

[joseph camel jr]

just did it today.....minus the machine military press. got it done in 50 min.

edit: i also do 3 sets of behind-the-neck BB military press.


also anyone feel free to suggest changes to my routine i've been doing it for about 8 weeks im feeling it's time for a change.

 

[durden7]

A 50 min shoulder workout? Cut that down by atleast 20 min.

Just noticed this:

Monday: 15 exercises + Running + over 300 reps for abs. (3 sets each, no idea how many reps..... thats a lot a massive workout) Half of this is an intenseworkout.

 

[joseph camel jr]

really? all my workouts are usually ~50 minutes. bad?

 

[jflip]

Originally Posted by Durden7

If you're not dead after just doing A1-A6, then you need to be lifting with more intensity.

Waaaaiiiitt. What?

Do deadlifts on back day, it's not primarily a leg exercise.
Tecnically it IS a leg exercise, but its rarely done on that day.
I was referring to your chest portion on Monday. You should be dead tired after performing those exercises.

Joseph Camel J posted a good split.

 

[durden7]

really? all my workouts are usually ~50 minutes. bad?
Well 50 min for just shoulders is a lot. Its a fairly small group of muscles.

I was referring to your chest portion on Monday. You should be dead tired after performing those exercises.
You dont have to be dead tired about those workouts to have achieved a quality lift. Its only 5 exercises

 

[superbowlhomeboy217]

The routine you laid out looks more like a "bodybuilding" routine then one aimed at gaining strength and bulk. If you're serious about gainingstrength check out Bill Star's 5x5 http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow1/5x5_Program/Linear_5x5.htm

 

[jflip]

Originally Posted by Durden7

really? all my workouts are usually ~50 minutes. bad?

Well 50 min for just shoulders is a lot. Its a fairly small group of muscles.

I was referring to your chest portion on Monday. You should be dead tired after performing those exercises.
You dont have to be dead tired about those workouts to have achieved a quality lift. Its only 5 exercises
If you're not fatigued after performing more than 4-5 exercises on a given day targeting specific muscle group(s), you cancertainly be lifting with much more intensity.

 

[k0befomvp]

Way too many isolation exercises. You don't need to do your triceps and biceps twice a week.

 

[joseph camel jr]

Originally Posted by jflip

Originally Posted by Durden7

really? all my workouts are usually ~50 minutes. bad?

Well 50 min for just shoulders is a lot. Its a fairly small group of muscles.

I was referring to your chest portion on Monday. You should be dead tired after performing those exercises.

You dont have to be dead tired about those workouts to have achieved a quality lift. Its only 5 exercises
If you're not fatigued after performing more than 4-5 exercises on a given day targeting specific muscle group(s), you can certainly be lifting with much more intensity.

I don't know about that man. I lift with intensity every time. On the rare occasion I'm not "feeling it," I just get up andleave without finishing my workout and do it the next day. I can't stand the feeling after a subpar lift.

On shoulder day I feel like I can't lift my arms up after my first set of military. I start with 135 and go up to a set of 225 where I try to get ~3 repsout. I do shrugs after to rest my shoulders and then I do lighter-weight behind the neck military presses. Then I go to dumbbell military after a littlebreather, then the lateral and side raises, rear delt flies, and maybe the machine presses at the end.

I think of the 3 presses as the only really substantial shoulder exercises. shrugs are traps, raises are super light weight, delt flies hit the back of theshoulder, and the machine presses I don't even do that much anymore and I mean....it's a machine press. I don't even think of those as real lifts.

 

[morningstar7777]

Who sent you that routine? Arnold?

 

[d723]

Chest / Tris
Shoulders
Back / Bis
Legs
Clean up

Rest on Wednesday / Sunday

Your plan seems really inefficient too.