Need some advice on routine

[Romnas]

Hello, I wanted to get some honest feedback about my program. I have been working out since april, and have gained 10lb since then (by weightlifting). I am posting here because the program a pt (who is a friend) designed is burning me out. I was doing a diffrent routine up till june, when I started this new program. I feel like I want to push myself, but I don't have the energy or motivation to do so. I also feel that I should be getting a little better results in the five months I've been working out. I am taking a brake this week and only doing three days of training, to see if it helps, but other than that I'm stuck. Please, if there is any advice regarding any of my program I would appreciate it greatly. I enjoy working out and bodybuilding, and I want to keep doing so, but I def. need to change something.
Stats:
Height 5'9, Weight 138, Waist 27, Thigh 21, Calves 13' (wimpy)

Diet: 2300-2400 cals
1: 4 eggwhites, 1 yolk, spinach, bell pepper
2: 1 c. oatmeal, 1oz raisins, 1oz walnuts
3: cottage cheese, apple
PWO: sc. pp, banana
4: pb and wg toast, greapfruit
5: tuna, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, flax oil, brown rice
6: tuna, broccoli, brown rice
7: cottage cheese, blueberries

My workout Monday: Chest/back
bench 4x20,15,12,10
flyes 3x15
sitting dip 3x20
lat pulls 3x15,12,10
bentover bb rows 4x20,15,12,10
betover flyes 3x20
back extension 4x20
incline ab 3x25

Tuesday: Legs
legpress 4x20,15,12,10
squat 3x15
leg extension 3x20
ham curls 3x20
st. calve 4x25
sit. calve 4x25
incline ab 3x30

Wednsday: Shoulders/Biceps/Triceps
db shoulder press 4x20,15,12,10
side raises 3x15
front raises 3x15
bb bicep curl 3x15,12,10
sit. bicep db curl 3x15
preacher curl 2x20
skull crusher 3x12
machine tricep pull 3x15
db tricep 2x20
incline ab 3x25

REAPEAT whole workout again, so 6 days a week total of this...sometimes I do heavy and light, so I alternate. I have been slacking and taking off wedsdays for the three weeks now.

OH yeah! Cardio- 2x a week HIIT, and 10 min before each workout warm-up.

Thank you!

[Ninja J]

raise the weight, lower the reps. By lowering.. I mean lower to 8-10 reps.

If I was doing that many reps I'd get burned out too. That's just insane.

You do this 6 times a week? Why do I only read a "3day" split?

Need to cut down on the exercises, and like I mentioned before, up the weight, lower the reps.

[Ninja J]

I have tons more to say .. so I'll be back.

[twinnett]

Ninja will cover it thoroughly, but you don't need to be doing that 6 times a week. That's crazy. And if you're wanting to build muscle, those reps are way too high. Also, if you're building, you could probably add some calories. More veggies, good fats and complex carbs maybe? I'll let Ninja the expert take over though! :-)

[Ninja J]

Ok first off, what exactly are your goals? I can give some general advice on how your routine is set up, but, I can't go into complete detail, until I actually know what your goals are. What results are you looking for? I'm assuming muscle gain/mass, since you already seem quite lean.

Your current routine is more of an endurance quest. So with that, you'll never see much strength gains, or muscle gains. I mean, occasionally I believe it's ok to do the whole 20 rep thing, if endurance is what you're going for. However, even with that, there is way too many repeative exercises in there.

And now that I look at it, it's not even really a 3 day split. 3 day split is more like every other day, with an added two consecutive days off, if you don't do cardio.

[*supermomma*]

Your routine is far from optimal. Body part splits are not generally the most effective programs for natural lifters, so that's the first problem.

Second, your reps are way too high.

Third, you are lifting 6 days a week -- this will inevitably put too much stress on the CNS, and can lead to a variety of ill effects.

I would suggest either an upper/lower split (4x a week, 2 upper days, 2 lower, 1 heavy for each, 1 somewhat lighter for each) or a full body routine (3x a week, varying volume for each workout). If you were to do a FB routine, you could do like 5x5 on Monday, 2x12-15 on Wednesday, and 3x8-10 on Friday for each major lift. For instance, squats/bench/rows on Monday, squat/incline bench/deadlift variation on Wednesday, same as Monday on Friday but different set/rep scheme...

As for the third issue, if you make changes like these, that will fix itself.

Diet looks pretty good.

[Ninja J]

My answers are in bold.

Originally Posted by Romnas

My workout
Monday: Chest/back -These two muscle groups should be separated. Since they are two of the 3 major muscle groups, you'll want them on different days. You'll want things that coincide with the actual muscle group. I.E.- Chest, Triceps, Shoulders ; Back, Biceps, Forearms; Legs and Ab work. IMO, there is no need to do direct ab work everytime one works out. If you're doing good compund lifts, and tightening your core, like one should, you'll get enough indirect ab work, and still only have one day that has some direct ab work involved. Also, there are much more efficacious back exercises than what you have here.
bench 4x20,15,12,10
flyes 3x15
sitting dip 3x20
lat pulls 3x15,12,10
bentover bb rows 4x20,15,12,10
betover flyes 3x20
back extension 4x20
incline ab 3x25

Tuesday: LegsYou'll want to do Squats before any other leg exercise. They work the most and take the most energy, especially if done heavy. I, personally, am anti-leg curls and leg extensions(your ham curls). Too much stress put on the knees, and to me, a pointless exercise, when you could be doing things that are more effective.
legpress 4x20,15,12,10
squat 3x15
leg extension 3x20
ham curls 3x20
st. calve 4x25
sit. calve 4x25
incline ab 3x30

Wednsday: Shoulders/Biceps/TricepsNow this is where we get into repetition. There is no need to do .. these are all basically isolation moved. Accessory moves, if you will. You're overtraining your muscles. There is no need/reason to do 3 different shoulder, bicep, and tricep exercises. These are accessory muscles, which require only about 1-2 direct exercises to help strengthen them, as to aid with the lifts that they work with. And they shouldn't be bulked together like this. How does one make it through this routine?! lol Unless I was using lighter weights, which I would have to be doing if I was doing 20 reps, at 3-4 sets, even with that, my arms would be dead before I even started. This day would be entirely deleted. And I would move the exercises to the proper day, and match with the proper muscle group.
db shoulder press 4x20,15,12,10
side raises 3x15
front raises 3x15
bb bicep curl 3x15,12,10
sit. bicep db curl 3x15
preacher curl 2x20
skull crusher 3x12
machine tricep pull 3x15
db tricep 2x20
incline ab 3x25

REAPEAT whole workout again, so 6 days a week total of this...sometimes I do heavy and light, so I alternate. I have been slacking and taking off wedsdays for the three weeks now. 3 days a week. That's it. If you're doing a 3-day split (Mon-Wed-Fri;Tues-Thurs-Saturday; Sun-Tuesday-Thursday). Then you've got your 4-day splits, and some people do 5-day splits. I've found that 3-day split work best for fitting into my lifestyle. While, I do love lifting, I'm also not willing to spend most of my life at the gym. I have no desire to be there more than 3 days a week.

OH yeah! Cardio- 2x a week HIIT, and 10 min before each workout warm-up.
This is fine. No need to the 10 minute cardio warm up before weights though. You just need to properly warm-up with the weights before doing working sets. Which means 2-3set warm-ups with light weight, of the exercise you're doing, then you move into the working sets witht he heavier weight. Now, there are certain exercises you won't have to do warm-ups with, because they have been indirectly used because of the compounds before it, so you can go straight into the working sets. Meaning: Warm Ups should be done with the first few exercises. After doing the warm up and working sets for those, your muscles are directly and indirect warmed up, so you'll be able to execute the last few exercises, without need to add in a warm-up set. Plus, warming up with the exercise, actually helps with a better lift.

[Romnas]

Thanks for all your advice Ninja and Supermom, I will start incorporating it. And yes, my goal was to build muscle and lose the excess fat I have on my abdomen. I have given up my favorite, which is squats (though even with my routine I can not resist and have gone up in weight), for this program. And I feel like that the amount of reps, like you said, burn me out by the time I get to my seventh rep I can barely lift it. Even then, I end up pushing myself for more weight, but I def. feal the effect of it. Could you suggest more effective exersice that I could possibly do for my back and legs, besides the let extension (which is killer on my knees)? I am affraid though that all the hard work I put in so far would be lost if I only do 3 days at the gym, maybe it is must my mentality is not set straight on this issue. I have been batteling with weight up and down for a long time now, and this is the healthiest I have been...plus, do I need to keep the same diet when I don't workout as apposed to when I do?

Also, thanks for the cardio advice, I really needed that.

[Ninja J]

Originally Posted by Romnas

Thanks for all your advice Ninja and Supermom, I will start incorporating it. And yes, my goal was to build muscle and lose the excess fat I have on my abdomen. I have given up my favorite, which is squats (though even with my routine I can not resist and have gone up in weight), for this program. And I feel like that the amount of reps, like you said, burn me out by the time I get to my seventh rep I can barely lift it. Even then, I end up pushing myself for more weight, but I def. feal the effect of it. Could you suggest more effective exersice that I could possibly do for my back and legs, besides the let extension (which is killer on my knees)? I am affraid though that all the hard work I put in so far would be lost if I only do 3 days at the gym, maybe it is must my mentality is not set straight on this issue. I have been batteling with weight up and down for a long time now, and this is the healthiest I have been...plus, do I need to keep the same diet when I don't workout as apposed to when I do?

Also, thanks for the cardio advice, I really needed that.

If you have an issue with 3 days at the gym .. go to the gym two days a week, when you're not lifting to do the HIIT. Lift 3 days, HIIT 2 days. Total of 5 days at the gym.
The work won't be lost. You'll actually get better gains. Because right now you highly overtraining. Your body will work against you, and you'll never make any gains or progress with your training.

Back:
Conventional Deadlifts(bent knee dead lifts)(http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Erec...BDeadlift.html )
Pull Up/Chin Ups Close and Wide grip. Over and under hand.
Bent Over Barbell Rows
One Arm Dumbbel Rows
Lat Pulldowns(wide, close, alternating grips)
Rack Deadlifts
Good Mornings
Cable Pull Throughs
Upright Barbell Rows

Legs:
Squat
Box Squat
Sumo Squat
Straight Back Straight Leg Deadlift(targets lower back and hamstrings.. I always feel it more in my hamstrings, which is why I place them on Leg Days)
Romainian Deadlift/Stiff Leg Deadlift(about the same as a SLDL, only the knees are kept slightly bent)
Hack Squats
Weight Lunges
Single Leg Squats
Leg Press -- There are different variations of this, since there are a few different type of leg press machines.


Just to name a few.

[Ninja J]

So say, Pull routine could look like this:

Conventional Deadlift 3 x 10 -- 2 warm ups- 3 working sets
Bent Over DB Row 3 x 8 - 2 warm ups 3 working sets
Good Mornings/or Cable Pull Throughs: 3 x 10, 1 warm up set - 3 working
Up Right BB Row: 2 x 10 - 2 working sets
Alternating DB Bicep Curls- 2 x 10 - 2 working sets

Leg Routine:
Box Squat 3 x 10 -- 3 warm up sets 3 working
Straight Leg straight back Deadlift: 3 x 10 -2 warm up sets- 3 working
DB Lunges - 2 x 10 -- 2 working sets
Standing calf Raises: 2 x 10 -1 warm up set - 2 working
Decline/Incline Sit Ups at a 60 degree angle: 3 x 10 can be weighted nor not weighted.
Sitting Calf Raise: 2 x 10 -2 working