Rate My Weight Training Plan (Beginner)

[DaBers]

Greetings,

I have recently decided to begin a proper training regimen after having only sporadically exercising since the beginning of the pandemic. I am reaching out for feedback on my training plan listed below:

Stats
32 Male
5’9 170lbs
Target weight: 150 lbs
Target calories/day: 1,400


My plan is to alternate workouts A and B every other day for 3x/week on M/W/F for next 10 weeks (+2x/week cardio workouts). I’ve deliberately trying to keep this simple to focus on the big compound exercises with optimal rep ranges for muscle hypertrophy. My primary goal is weight loss rather than building muscle for those asking.

Note, I have in the past run Rippetoes and Starting Strength routines which were more strength oriented.

Workout A:
Barbell Squats 3x8
Barbell Bench: 3x8
Barbell Rows: 3x10

Workout B:
Deadlift: 3x6
Barbell Overhead Press: 3x8
Chin-ups: 3x8

[SuicideGripMe]

150 lbs? 1,400 calories? Hypertrophy? Nope.

[RapidFail]

Greetings,

I have recently decided to begin a proper training regimen after having only sporadically exercising since the beginning of the pandemic. I am reaching out for feedback on my training plan listed below:

Stats
32 Male
5’9 170lbs
Target weight: 150 lbs
Target calories/day: 1,400


My plan is to alternate workouts A and B every other day for 3x/week on M/W/F for next 10 weeks. I’ve deliberately trying to keep this simple to focus on the big compound exercises with optimal rep ranges for muscle atrophy. Note, I have in the past run Rippetoes and Starting Strength routines which were more strength oriented.

Workout A:
Barbell Squats 3x8
Barbell Bench: 3x8
Barbell Rows: 3x10

Workout B:
Deadlift: 3x6
Barbell Overhead Press: 3x8
Chin-ups: 3x8

The exercise selection and order is excellent. What's lacking is a plan for progression. Your target calories and goal weight are also a concern. You may be a good candidate for a recomp - eat at maintenance calories to maintain your weight while slowly building muscle and losing fat.

[BeginnerGainz]

No one “wants” muscle atrophy. I think you meant hypertrophy. Either way, you can’t separate strength from hypertrophy. There is a sticky on the subject.

And 1400 calories? What are you only eating one big meal a day?

[air2fakie]

No one “wants” muscle atrophy. I think you meant hypertrophy

Actual atrophy is a lot harder to accomplish, maybe OP likes a challenge.

[DaBers]

The exercise selection and order is excellent. What's lacking is a plan for progression. Your target calories and goal weight are also a concern. You may be a good candidate for a recomp - eat at maintenance calories to maintain your weight while slowly building muscle and losing fat.

Thanks. That is helpful. My main goal is weight loss but understand your concern.

In terms of progression, what would you suggest I transition to after 10 weeks or so?

As for the calorie count, I anticipate that I will increase calorie intake after about 4 weeks once I see progression on the weight loss path. Do you disagree with this approach?

[DaBers]

No one “wants” muscle atrophy. I think you meant hypertrophy. Either way, you can’t separate strength from hypertrophy. There is a sticky on the subject.

And 1400 calories? What are you only eating one big meal a day?

What do you mean you can’t separate strength from hypertrophy? My understanding is that strength training produces less muscle mass gains than traditional bodybuilding-type programs.

[DaBers]

150 lbs? 1,400 calories? Hypertrophy? Nope.

I should have specified that my primary goal is weight loss, not muscle mass. I figure that I will have some noob gains and ultimately plateau while shedding fat with cardio days mixed in.

[RapidFail]

Thanks. That is helpful. My main goal is weight loss but understand your concern.

In terms of progression, what would you suggest I transition to after 10 weeks or so?

As for the calorie count, I anticipate that I will increase calorie intake after about 4 weeks once I see progression on the weight loss path. Do you disagree with this approach?

I can understand wanting to lose the fat first - that was my approach and it worked well for me. Do you know what your approximate maintenance calories are? If you're de-trained you could well build some muscle while losing fat, but that becomes less likely the lower you cut your calories. If anything a diet should go the other way - start with higher calories and gradually reduce.

Progression should be session-to-session where possible at your stage. You could go with simple linear progression: get 3 x 8 for the squat and add 5lb for the next session. If you're cutting aggressively, progression will be slower so you may be better off with double progression while working in a rep range, e.g.

Workout A:
Barbell Squats 3x5-8
Barbell Bench: 3x5-8
Barbell Rows: 3x6-10

Workout B:
Deadlift: 3x4-6
Barbell Overhead Press: 3x5-8
Chin-ups: 3x5-8

When you're able to hit the upper end of the rep range for all three sets, you add weight (probably 10lb for the squat and deadlift and 5lb for the rest).

[BeginnerGainz]

What do you mean you can’t separate strength from hypertrophy? My understanding is that strength training produces less muscle mass gains than traditional bodybuilding-type programs.

You do a set of 8 one week. The next week you get 10 reps with the same weight. Congratulations! You got stronger.

You do a set of 3 one week. The next week you get 5 reps with the same weight. Congratulations! You got stronger.

So super low reps in the 1-4ish range produce a lot of skill with a lift but any rep range will build strength and size.

I can understand wanting to lose the fat first - that was my approach and it worked well for me. Do you know what your approximate maintenance calories are? If you're de-trained you could well build some muscle while losing fat, but that becomes less likely the lower you cut your calories. If anything a diet should go the other way - start with higher calories and gradually reduce.

Progression should be session-to-session where possible at your stage. You could go with simple linear progression: get 3 x 8 for the squat and add 5lb for the next session. If you're cutting aggressively, progression will be slower so you may be better off with double progression while working in a rep range, e.g.

Workout A:
Barbell Squats 3x5-8
Barbell Bench: 3x5-8
Barbell Rows: 3x6-10

Workout B:
Deadlift: 3x4-6
Barbell Overhead Press: 3x5-8
Chin-ups: 3x5-8

When you're able to hit the upper end of the rep range for all three sets, you add weight (probably 10lb for the squat and deadlift and 5lb for the rest).

With those rep ranges, I’d be a little more conservative with weight increases. 10 for deads, 5 for squats and 5 for upper body movements (if you have change plates, I’d go as far as adding 2.5 to upper body movements before adding 5)

[DaBers]

I can understand wanting to lose the fat first - that was my approach and it worked well for me. Do you know what your approximate maintenance calories are? If you're de-trained you could well build some muscle while losing fat, but that becomes less likely the lower you cut your calories. If anything a diet should go the other way - start with higher calories and gradually reduce.

Progression should be session-to-session where possible at your stage. You could go with simple linear progression: get 3 x 8 for the squat and add 5lb for the next session. If you're cutting aggressively, progression will be slower so you may be better off with double progression while working in a rep range, e.g.

Workout A:
Barbell Squats 3x5-8
Barbell Bench: 3x5-8
Barbell Rows: 3x6-10

Workout B:
Deadlift: 3x4-6
Barbell Overhead Press: 3x5-8
Chin-ups: 3x5-8

When you're able to hit the upper end of the rep range for all three sets, you add weight (probably 10lb for the squat and deadlift and 5lb for the rest).

My maintenance calories are around 2,300 calories/day so clearly in a caloric deficit which I recognize will limit gains. My plan is to max out my "noob gainz" while cutting (down 3 lbs to 167 already) and moderate cardio routine 2x/weekly.

Appreciate the guidance on the rep ranges. So I should only add weight once I can complete a full 8 (or 10 reps) for 3 work sets? I guess that's the part I always found confusing in that psychologically, I want to max out reps per each set but want to set the weight used appropriately. Coming from the previous SS and Stronglifts program mentality, I had always been guided to the 5 reps per set standard but wanted to try branching out this time around as strength is less important than maintaining muscle mass/toning.

Noe that I have been increasing in increments of 5 lbs or so for the bench and OH press and 10 pounds for squat and deadlift. Most of this is obviously muscle memory from my previous training a few years ago.

[DaBers]

You do a set of 8 one week. The next week you get 10 reps with the same weight. Congratulations! You got stronger.

You do a set of 3 one week. The next week you get 5 reps with the same weight. Congratulations! You got stronger.

So super low reps in the 1-4ish range produce a lot of skill with a lift but any rep range will build strength and size.



With those rep ranges, I’d be a little more conservative with weight increases. 10 for deads, 5 for squats and 5 for upper body movements (if you have change plates, I’d go as far as adding 2.5 to upper body movements before adding 5)

Yes, that is roughly the progression that I have been using with as low as 2.5-5.0lb increments for OH press.

I understand your point that even a low rep routine will increase both size and strength but, from an efficiency standpoint, my understanding has always been that the 8-10 rep range tends to yield faster increases in muscle mass than strength-oriented routines. If I am mistaken here, feel free to please point me to studies/reports that say differently (i.e. lower reps produce equal mass gains as mid-rep routines) as I would be most interested.

My personal experience has been that the SS/Stronglifts routines added less mass but significant strength gains (SS in particular relative to Stronglifts).

[RapidFail]

My maintenance calories are around 2,300 calories/day so clearly in a caloric deficit which I recognize will limit gains. My plan is to max out my "noob gainz" while cutting (down 3 lbs to 167 already) and moderate cardio routine 2x/weekly.

Appreciate the guidance on the rep ranges. So I should only add weight once I can complete a full 8 (or 10 reps) for 3 work sets? I guess that's the part I always found confusing in that psychologically, I want to max out reps per each set but want to set the weight used appropriately. Coming from the previous SS and Stronglifts program mentality, I had always been guided to the 5 reps per set standard but wanted to try branching out this time around as strength is less important than maintaining muscle mass/toning.

Noe that I have been increasing in increments of 5 lbs or so for the bench and OH press and 10 pounds for squat and deadlift. Most of this is obviously muscle memory from my previous training a few years ago.

That's double progression which is a fine way to do things. If you prefer a more consistent effort level, you can try dynamic double progression, where you can let the reps drop from set-to-set while staying in the target rep range, lowering the weight if necessary and just using the first set to determine if you add weight for the next session. That's my preferred method of progression, but I wouldn't say it's superior to regular double progression.

[rubelahamed]

What do you mean you can’t separate strength from hypertrophy? My understanding is that strength training produces less muscle mass gains than traditional bodybuilding-type programs.

[SuffolkPunch]

What do you mean you can’t separate strength from hypertrophy? My understanding is that strength training produces less muscle mass gains than traditional bodybuilding-type programs.

There is a lot of overlap - read the mass vs. strength sticky thread.