New Routine

[Kjay]

Well I've decided to change my routine which I'm really excited about as I have been doing my current one for quite some time. I would really appreciate other people's opinions.

SOME INFO:

Current Routine:
I've been training with weight 5 times a week doing a three day split. My split has been Chest/Bi's; Shoulders/Legs; Back/Tri's; Repeat. I do no cardio and never train abs directly - instead focussing on free weights.

Reason for change:
My routine does seem to be working but I'm concerned about overtraining. I have just started reading muscle and development as well as taking note of people's routines on these boards and have noticed that most people generally recommend that you only weight train 3 - 4 times a week (unless working one muscle part each day). So I've decided to cut it down to 4.

Goals:
Gain Lean muscle

New Routine:
Monday: Back / Bi's.
Tuesday: Legs / Shoulders.
Wednesday: 1/2 hr HIIT (ie stairmaster) / abs.
Thursday: Chest / Tri's
Friday: Legs.
Weekends: Off

I've decided to introduce 1/2 hr cardio each week for the sake of my heart. As it is only 1/2 hr I don't believe it will be too detrimental to my gains. Tell me if you disagree.
I wan't to do legs twice a week because unlike most females I have difficulty gaining size in the leg / butt area. The exercises will generally not be the same for both days.

Nutrition:
I'm going to continue eating the way I have been - 2500 calories - 98% clean - 40 carbs; 30 Protein; 30 Carbs.

-----

So please - pick away - I don't mind.

[TurbulentFluid]

You didn't give much info to work on... "Back/Bi's" doesn't tell us much about your w/o - what exercises, rep ranges, weights... are you doing?

[daYDreAmErX]

I think you should give a try to an upper/lower routine.

[Kjay]

You didn't give much info to work on... "Back/Bi's" doesn't tell us much about your w/o - what exercises, rep ranges, weights... are you doing?

Sorry - I overlooked that.

I will aim to do 4 sets of 8-10 reps for each exercise. Heavy as I can handle.

Back/Bi's
Lat pull down
Barbbell Curls
Seated Rows
Incline Dumbbell Curls
One Arm Dumbbell Rows
Barbbell Concentration Curls
Chin ups
Cable Curl


Legs/Shoulders
ATG Squats
Shoulder Press
Dead Lifts
Side Lateral raises
Leg Extensions
Upright Rows
Smith Machine Lunges
Front Raise.

Abs
No idea
May do back extensions on this day also

Tri's/Chest
Weighted Dips
Cable Press-Downs
Lying Tricep extension
Close grip bench press
Incline bench press (dumbbell)
Dumbbell Flys
Standard Bench Press
Pushup

2nds Legs
Free standing Lunges
Leg Curls
Leg press
Dead lifts
???

In the past I have changed things slightly each work out just to keep it interesting. I.e. I may do standard bench one chest work out and then use the smith machine the next. I find it helps me increase the weights.

[Kjay]

Should I maybe reduce my sets to 3?

[daYDreAmErX]

Too much exercises, too much volume, but that's just me.

What are your main goals ?

[Kjay]

Too much exercises, too much volume, but that's just me.

What are your main goals ?

My goal at the moment is to build lean mass.

I have decided to cut back to only doing 3 sets rather then 4. That way I'll be only doing a total of 12 sets per muscle group per week except for legs.

I tried the 3 sets tonight and I felt it worked me much better. My workout only took 45 minutes and I felt I worked harder by the end of it (I even had trouble opening an auto closing door). I think I pushed myself harder because I knew I only had to do a total of 3 sets instead of 4.

[TurbulentFluid]

Heya...

OK, I thought this through a bit... If your goal is to build lean mass, you're doing way too many exercises with way too many isolations. Why? Lemme take your first day:

Back/Bi's
Lat pull down
Barbbell Curls
Seated Rows
Incline Dumbbell Curls
One Arm Dumbbell Rows
Barbbell Concentration Curls
Chin ups
Cable Curl

You're doing 7 exercises for biceps, if you do 3 sets per exercise that's 21 sets! That's way too much!
How do I mean 7? Well, even if seated rows, dumbbel rows and chin ups are sorted in the section "back exercises", it doesn't mean your biceps don't get a helluva beating doing them!
Also, biceps are small muscles, while back is weheheheeell a lot of muscle (traps, lats, lower back, etc.)! It makes no sense to train them equally.
Your routine will probably cause muscle maintenance at best, but you'll most likely lose muscle mass. I suggest you stick to big compound exercises for mass gain, and add isos only... well to make your heart feel better. For instance, do 3 compounds for back, 4 sets or 5x5 or something, then add one iso of choice for the biceps. For instance,

lat pulldown - 4 sets
bic curls of some sort - 4 sets
pullups - 4 sets
cable rows - 4 sets (or just ditch this junk and do proper bb rows)
hyperextensions - 3 sets

equals:
biceps - 8 sets
upper back - 12 sets
lower back - 3 sets
OK why only 3 sets for lower back? Firstly, because you do deadlifts on the other day. Secondly, they DO get a workout through rows, too. If your biceps heads need polishing add some concentration curls in the end. I set bb curls before any biceps involved back exercise in order to pre-exhaust the biceps so your back does more work on rows, but if it doesn't feel relevant, switch up.
And so on with other days - the principle is, if you do 3 pressing motions for chest, you don't NEED 4 extra isolation exercises for triceps because you already DID them 3 times!

However this isn't really the best split there is... Maybe puh/pull? They make more sense physiologically...

[daYDreAmErX]

For back and bi's I'd do :

- Deadlifts
- BB Rows
- Weighted Chin-Ups
- Any curl exercise variation

That coveres every plan and every part of your back. Might add some shrugs in there from time to time.

[Kjay]

Heya...

OK, I thought this through a bit... If your goal is to build lean mass, you're doing way too many exercises with way too many isolations. Why? Lemme take your first day:

Back/Bi's
Lat pull down
Barbbell Curls
Seated Rows
Incline Dumbbell Curls
One Arm Dumbbell Rows
Barbbell Concentration Curls
Chin ups
Cable Curl

You're doing 7 exercises for biceps, if you do 3 sets per exercise that's 21 sets! That's way too much!
How do I mean 7? Well, even if seated rows, dumbbel rows and chin ups are sorted in the section "back exercises", it doesn't mean your biceps don't get a helluva beating doing them!
Also, biceps are small muscles, while back is weheheheeell a lot of muscle (traps, lats, lower back, etc.)! It makes no sense to train them equally.
Your routine will probably cause muscle maintenance at best, but you'll most likely lose muscle mass. I suggest you stick to big compound exercises for mass gain, and add isos only... well to make your heart feel better. For instance, do 3 compounds for back, 4 sets or 5x5 or something, then add one iso of choice for the biceps. For instance,

lat pulldown - 4 sets
bic curls of some sort - 4 sets
pullups - 4 sets
cable rows - 4 sets (or just ditch this junk and do proper bb rows)
hyperextensions - 3 sets

equals:
biceps - 8 sets
upper back - 12 sets
lower back - 3 sets
OK why only 3 sets for lower back? Firstly, because you do deadlifts on the other day. Secondly, they DO get a workout through rows, too. If your biceps heads need polishing add some concentration curls in the end. I set bb curls before any biceps involved back exercise in order to pre-exhaust the biceps so your back does more work on rows, but if it doesn't feel relevant, switch up.
And so on with other days - the principle is, if you do 3 pressing motions for chest, you don't NEED 4 extra isolation exercises for triceps because you already DID them 3 times!

However this isn't really the best split there is... Maybe puh/pull? They make more sense physiologically...

What you said about chest working tri's and back working bi's makes a lot of sense so I've cut down the isolation exercies by half. My workout is even shorter now - yay.

Thanks for taking time to detail a response.

[SumthinOrNuthin]

Heya...

OK, I thought this through a bit... If your goal is to build lean mass, you're doing way too many exercises with way too many isolations. Why? Lemme take your first day:

Back/Bi's
Lat pull down
Barbbell Curls
Seated Rows
Incline Dumbbell Curls
One Arm Dumbbell Rows
Barbbell Concentration Curls
Chin ups
Cable Curl

You're doing 7 exercises for biceps, if you do 3 sets per exercise that's 21 sets! That's way too much!
How do I mean 7? Well, even if seated rows, dumbbel rows and chin ups are sorted in the section "back exercises", it doesn't mean your biceps don't get a helluva beating doing them!
Also, biceps are small muscles, while back is weheheheeell a lot of muscle (traps, lats, lower back, etc.)! It makes no sense to train them equally.
Your routine will probably cause muscle maintenance at best, but you'll most likely lose muscle mass. I suggest you stick to big compound exercises for mass gain, and add isos only... well to make your heart feel better. For instance, do 3 compounds for back, 4 sets or 5x5 or something, then add one iso of choice for the biceps. For instance,

lat pulldown - 4 sets
bic curls of some sort - 4 sets
pullups - 4 sets
cable rows - 4 sets (or just ditch this junk and do proper bb rows)
hyperextensions - 3 sets

equals:
biceps - 8 sets
upper back - 12 sets
lower back - 3 sets
OK why only 3 sets for lower back? Firstly, because you do deadlifts on the other day. Secondly, they DO get a workout through rows, too. If your biceps heads need polishing add some concentration curls in the end. I set bb curls before any biceps involved back exercise in order to pre-exhaust the biceps so your back does more work on rows, but if it doesn't feel relevant, switch up.
And so on with other days - the principle is, if you do 3 pressing motions for chest, you don't NEED 4 extra isolation exercises for triceps because you already DID them 3 times!

However this isn't really the best split there is... Maybe puh/pull? They make more sense physiologically...

BUMP! Totally with you TurbulentFluid on the back/bi concept and the too much comments

I actually read your current workout and thought hey *great* split, because you have a major bodypart followed by a minor that *isn't* an assist for the major. So, no pre-exhausting of the smaller muscle group when doing the bigger one.

As the old saying goes ..... less is more. No need for tons of sets and reps, just a few top quality, intense and kicking sets will do the job nicely