Looking for some advice on moving forward. Current routine or new one?

[FoxRocks76]

Good Day,

First, thank you for taking the time to take a look at this, I've contemplated on this post for a few days and ultimately decided that I would be distracted by moving forward without someones advice. I've done my best to make this post contain quality content so it doesn't waste your time, hopefully you'll feel the same way.

Quick background:

- 35 y/o Male
- Worked out on a consistent and serious basis from 1998 to 2000.
- Worked out on a very inconsistent basis over the last 12 years.
- Started consistently (and seriously) working out again on August 6th 2012.
- No injuries/issues
- Consistent weight of between 150lbs - 156lbs for the last 6 or 7 years.

Goals:

As my profile says I want to "Transform my body", which really just means that I want to gain muscle and strength. I have very specific reasons for these goals, and that is to 1) Look Good 2) Feel Good and 3) Reduce Stress, not for sports endurance or any sort of specialized training.

The Scoop:

As I mentioned I have been back in the gym since August. For the first month I took it easy with about 15 minutes of cardio (running on the treadmill) followed by an array of exercises that were meant to get my body use to being at the gym again. I basically tried to work every muscle, every day, but not move anything too heavy. Starting August 31st I went on a training program that the gym instructor made for me. It goes like this:

Day 1 (Chest / Tricep)

Bench Press 3x10
Incline Flies 3x10
DB Pullover 3x12
French Press 3x10
Rev Grip Press Down 3x10
Decline Leg Lifts 1x10-15
**Hyper Back Extensions 3x10-12 if time permits**

Day 2 (Back / Bicep)

DB Bentover Row 3x10
Close (Rev) Grip Pulldown 3x10
Upright Row 3x10
BB Curl 3x10
Preacher Curl 3x10
Hammer Curl 3x10
Decline Leg Lifts 1x10-15
**Hyper Back Extensions 3x10-12 if time permits**

Day 3 (Shoulder / Leg)

Seated Military Press 3x10
BB Front Raise 3x10
DB One Arm Side Raise 3x10
Lunges 3x16-18 (8-9 each)
Leg Curl 3x10-12
Calf Raise 3x15
Decline Leg Lifts 1x10-15
**Hyper Back Extensions 3x10-12 if time permits**

Day 4 - Rest Day


Rest between sets has been 60-90 seconds and it usually takes 1.5 hours to complete the routine. I have been sticking to this routine and not skipping any days. The exercises feel good and I'm starting to get that whole mind+muscle connection where I can feel the muscle being worked and that feels really great. 12 days ago I got to the end of my workout sheet and was filling out my next set of sheets. On those new ones I changed it a little bit by adding in Squats in place of Lunges on every second leg day, as well as increasing the weight and decreasing the reps, but other than that it is basically the same.

As for my nutrition and food intake, I didn't pay attention to it up until about two weeks ago. I have always been conscious about what I eat and I think I do alright in the sense of eating good food, but I what I mean by not paying attention to it is that I have never tracked it. So two weeks ago I started reading a lot of articles, mostly on this site as well as some others, about macro nutrients and calorie intake. It turns out I wasn't meeting either one of those...no surprise to many of you I'm sure as this seems to be a common thread amongst new lifters. Since then I have been adding in an extra meal per day as well as taking OP 100% Whey as a post workout drink.

I live in the Maldives, which if you're not familiar, is a country in the tropics situated in the Indian ocean directly south of India. This country imports almost everything, being as the country is made of sand, there isn't much in the way of local produce. However there is some produce available and meat is readily available, so that is good. The challenge I have with regards to food is that I eat meal #2 and #3 at the staff canteen. These meals are homemade consisting largely of the local cuisine, which is a lot of rice, chicken, fish (tuna) and sometimes a pasta dish. Those meals I'm having a hard time figuring out the nutrients for, so I've been doing my best to estimate portions and contents. The second challenge is that the local stores might have a good selection one day but three days later they don't. It's very hit and miss so I try to stock it up when it's available instead of waiting for the next shipment.

Here is what an average day looks like for me:

Meal 1 (7:15am)

- Cereal and Milk (Corn Flakes most times)
- Banana (if available)

Meal 2 (10:00am) - Added 2 weeks ago

- Omelet Sandwich (2 eggs, meat, peppers, white bread)
or
- Chicken Wrap (chicken, peppers, BBQ/Mayo sauce, white wrap)

Meal 3 (1:00pm)

- 1 to 1.5 cups (cooked) Basmati Rice
- Curry chicken or fish
- Veg (usually cabbage, carrots, that sort of thing)
- Salad (cucumber, cabbage, etc.)
or
- Pasta (noodles with cheese and meat or lasagna)


WORKOUT (5:40pm - 7:20pm)

- Post workout shake OP 100% Whey - 1 scoop with water (7:30pm) - Added 2 weeks ago


Meal 4 (8:15pm)

This one my wife cooks for me, it's normally a combination of the following:

- 1 to 1.5 cups (cooked) Basmati Rice
or
- 1 to 1.5 cups potatoes

and

- Chicken breast (baked)
or
- Beef tenderloin, striploin or ground beef

and

- broccoli or carrots or some other veg.



So now, here is where I need some advice (thank you for sticking with me this far).

I was reading the article that kethnaab wrote on this site called "Guide to Novice Barbell Training, aka the Official RIPPETOE-STARTING STRENGTH FAQ " and downloaded the PDF version, then read it again. After reading it I thought to myself that I probably fit into the "Novice" category and that I should be doing a program like this one instead. I have read many many post talking about how you shouldn't change your program and it takes a lot of time to see results and they all make sense. But I want to make sure I'm on the right program for my experience level and not going down the wrong path to begin with. I also...and I am hesitant to say this...think that I should be seeing better results in three months. When I say results, I don't mean that I think I should be sporting a six pack and 14" biceps, I mean that I think I should be lifting more weight by now.

For Example, total weight with bar:

Exercise --- Sept Weight --- Current Weight

Bench Press --- 40kgs @ 10reps --- 50kgs @ 8reps

Military Press --- 15kgs @ 10reps --- 25kgs @ 8reps

DB Bentover Row --- 12kgs @ 10reps --- 16kgs @ 8reps


I fully realize that I might just need some encouragement and that, like every novice, I'm expecting more than I should be. In fact, I'm almost expecting that to be the answer. Fair enough.

The one other thing I should mention is that the gym I go to is at a local resort hotel. It has some very good quality equipment and a nice selection of free weights. The two things it doesn't have is a squat rack or a bench press rack. It does have a smith machine. For squats I pretty much have to use the smith machine and at some point I will have to use it for the bench press as well. I'm not sure if this is relevant to the answer I'm looking for or not, but I thought it would be worth mentioning.

Well, that's it. That's what I need advice on. Should I stay with my current program or should I redirect to the one Mr. Rippetoe has made? I'm also interested in any other comments or suggestions you may have. I've never bought anything without getting someones advice who has some experience with it, I figure why would I stop asking for advice now.

Thanks again, I really appreciate your time.

~FOX~

[auntAuntieBea]

yeah, your Sep/Nov progress detailed at the end of your post is sub-optimal. The difference that Ripp's program (Starting Strength, "SS") offers over your current one is greater per-part frequency within each week. You would see an improvement w/ SS, or any of the other novice programs ("JasonDB's 5x5" or "Simple Beginner's/All Pro") located in the stickies at the top of the forum. I mention the others just so you have some options for exercise selection and that your available equipment might accommodate.

The Smith machine isn't a deal-breaker, and for your purposes of general physique improvement will be fine for progress.

If the cal/macro tracking is difficult, use tools like myfitnesspal.com or fatsecret.com . The two most important components would be total end-of-day cals and protein. Keep an eye, periodically, on meeting minimum fat levels -- they're essential for hormone production.

[FoxRocks76]

Thanks AuntBea (like the name!)

I've been using myfitnesspal.com and the iphone app to track my food, and I'm astonished at how low it is!! Honestly, I'm actually at the point where I don't believe it.

Here is what my day looks like so far and I've only got one (scheduled) meal left to go!

Totals ------------- 1,066 ---- 117 ---- 23 ---- 92 -------- 6 -------- 998
Your Daily Goal ---- 2,260 ---- 311 ---- 75 ---- 85 -------- 45 -------- 2,500
Remaining --------- 1,194 ---- 194 ---- 52 ---- (-7) -------- 39 -------- 1,502
........................Calories ---- Carbs -- Fat --- Protein ---- Sugar ----- Sodium

(myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/FoxRocks76)

Like I said, it's hard to know exactly what I'm getting from the canteen, but to be less than halfway there after eating three meals is...crazy, right? Also, the "daily goal" is just what the myfitness site said, when I go to freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm and enter in my information (using 5 days a week exercise, not "5 days - intense") it says I should have 2347 calories just to maintain. I was figuring somewhere close to 2500 a day would be more accurate to meet my goals. And my protein intake for the day is only halfway there and that's since I started using the Whey shake...I mean...wow, I can see what people mean when they say to "eat like it's your job".

Anyways, I'm just blown away by all of this, I'm really glad there are resources like this site so I can at least get this all figured out.

Thanks a lot for the reply, I appreciate the input.

Cheers,

~FOX~

[auntAuntieBea]

Protein looks low, unless I'm misreading: 85g daily goal?

You'll probably need to add some high caloric-density foods -- dairy, nut butters, olive oil...

Your current body fat level will also have some bearing. Any idea what that is?

[FoxRocks76]

Yes, you're right, the protein level that myfitnesspal has given are really low, they should be 160grams as I understand it, that's why I say it's only halfway there for the day. I will definitely look into some high caloric dense foods, great idea.

My current body fat level I don't know what it actually is, but according to this site I would estimate between 15 and 20 percent. The photo they gave when I set up my account, I could really pick which one was more accurate, I only picked the 15 percent one because the 20 percent one had more fat in the upper abdomen chest area.


~FOX~

[Jasonk282]

Your program is sub optimal as you can tell my how much weight you put on your lifts. Run Starting Strength if you want to get your lifts up fast...I put 100lbs on my bench in 4 months on starting strength.

2ND...you are eating way to low in protein. You should be at the least getting 1g per body weight. So since you weight 160lbs you should be getting 160g of protein. I'd advise you to go to the nutrition forum and educate yourself. The fitness aps are great for tracking but their numbers they give for goals are not what people who want to build muscle and strength need. 40/40/20 is what you should aim for. 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fat is what your diet should consist of.

[Adept85]

you do realise there is a differance between bulking and cutting? u should be cutting so i'd recommend 2000 - 2200 calorie intake due to your weight and height, i wouldn't worry about protein intake so much until you lower your bf%, as long as you are getting stronger, while losing weight , (keep track of personal records to see progress)
post a topic in post your pictures thread for a bf% , don't bulk if your over 20% bf, unless your just going for size and not caring much about bf%

[Adept85]

Your program is sub optimal as you can tell my how much weight you put on your lifts. Run Starting Strength if you want to get your lifts up fast...I put 100lbs on my bench in 4 months on starting strength.

2ND...you are eating way to low in protein. You should be at the least getting 1g per body weight. So since you weight 160lbs you should be getting 160g of protein. I'd advise you to go to the nutrition forum and educate yourself. The fitness aps are great for tracking but their numbers they give for goals are not what people who want to build muscle and strength need. 40/40/20 is what you should aim for. 40% carbs, 40% protein and 20% fat is what your diet should consist of.

agreed with 1gram protein per pound of weight.. but if your cutting then it is unnecessary, .81 of protein per pound, anything over is a waste of protein you will just **** it out

[Jasonk282]

agreed with 1gram protein per pound of weight.. but if your cutting then it is unnecessary, .81 of protein per pound, anything over is a waste of protein you will just **** it out

Even when you cut you need to hit your macros...

[Jasonk282]

you do realise there is a differance between bulking and cutting? u should be cutting so i'd recommend 2000 - 2200 calorie intake due to your weight and height, i wouldn't worry about protein intake so much until you lower your bf%, as long as you are getting stronger, while losing weight , (keep track of personal records to see progress)
post a topic in post your pictures thread for a bf% , don't bulk if your over 20% bf, unless your just going for size and not caring much about bf%

Are you really advising a person weight 160lbs to cut more weight?

[Adept85]

what's a good carb intake then?

[Jasonk282]

what's a good carb intake then?

40% of your total calories. So if you needed 2000 you'd do 2000*.4/4 = 200g

So for i eat 3000 on workout days so I need 3000*4/4= 300g

[Adept85]

40% of your total calories. So if you needed 2000 you'd do 2000*.4/4 = 200g

So for i eat 3000 on workout days so I need 3000*4/4= 300g

wouldn't it be better to go under my carb intake because carbs put on fat?

[Jasonk282]

wouldn't it be better to go under my carb intake because carbs put on fat?

No. eating more than you need to will put on fat. You can eat nothing but chicken and broccoli all day long...but if you eat more calories than your body needs you'll gain fat.

[FoxRocks76]

Thanks for the replies!

My goal right now is to put on some muscle, so for me that means I'm bulking and not cutting. I also was under the impression that hitting macros when cutting, or even on non-workout days, were very important. I have been doing a lot of reading in the last few days on nutrition, specifically about macro intake and pre/post workout meals, that sort of thing. I'm sure it's a constant learning process as I seem to pick something new up every time, which is all good with me.

Jason, 100 lbs in 4 months!? Yes, please! I mean, I realize that the numbers may not be the same for me, but that's a fantastic improvement! Nice work.

It really sounds like the Super Strength program is what I should be going on, thanks for all the input fellas!

~FOX~

[auntAuntieBea]

40% of your total calories. So if you needed 2000 you'd do 2000*.4/4 = 200g

So for i eat 3000 on workout days so I need 3000*4/4= 300g

A different path that'll work for those us who are lazy ( ): ensure hitting at least P minimum + ensure hitting at least F minimum.

Whatever is left to hit TDEE can = C and doesn't really need monitoring. By definition, C is a non-essential macro -- I'd probably track it if I noticed something weird going on w/ my energy levels, but otherwise ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Jasonk282]

A different path that'll work for those us who are lazy ( ): ensure hitting at least P minimum + ensure hitting at least F minimum.

Whatever is left to hit TDEE can = C and doesn't really need monitoring. By definition, C is a non-essential macro -- I'd probably track it if I noticed something weird going on w/ my energy levels, but otherwise ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

That'll work as well.

[CamLeslie]

A different path that'll work for those us who are lazy ( ): ensure hitting at least P minimum + ensure hitting at least F minimum.

Whatever is left to hit TDEE can = C and doesn't really need monitoring. By definition, C is a non-essential macro -- I'd probably track it if I noticed something weird going on w/ my energy levels, but otherwise ... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

^^ This.

[FoxRocks76]

Well, I completed my first night of the new program and it went alright, aside from the fact that I didn't feel it very much. However I didn't try to push too much weight, I took some videos so I can get some feedback on my form before I try to push more. I've got admit that I'm having second thoughts about it, but I've decided to give it until the end of the year so I can give it a fair comparison and then go from there. I'm sure that in three weeks from now I'll be thinking differently about it.

Anyways, thanks again for help, see you around the site

~FOX~