I am pretty new to weight training and I am looking to lose fat and gain muscle. I play squash three times a week for forty minutes (perhaps too much cardio but I love playing) and I train in the gym, concentrating only on weights, three times a week. I am 27, 134lbs, 5'3 and female.
I've looked extensively through this site and I've devised a training program which splits my body into three sessions - chest and biceps, legs, shoulders and abs and back and triceps.
Each session I do three sets of eight-ten reps of about 8 or 9 different exercises. This takes me between 35 and 45 minutes depending on which session I'm on. I intend to change my program by adjusting the weights or reps every six weeks.
My question is - is this enough time spent in the gym on each session and is 8/9 different exercises enough for each session?
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07-25-2012, 06:19 AM #1
How long should my sessions last?
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07-25-2012, 06:35 AM #2
- Join Date: May 2012
- Location: North Carolina, United States
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If you are going to go on a 3 day split most would recommend a full body workout consisting of mostly compound movements. At the beginner stage you can't lift enough weight to warrant that much recovery time between hitting each muscle and will see better gains hitting the same muscle 2-3 times a week. Starting strength is a good program as well as all pros. Good luck.
Here is link to all pros to give you a idea of a solid fb workout.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843Training Log (5/3/1 as of 9/10):
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=146734283
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07-25-2012, 07:15 AM #3
You can only gain fat and lose muscle at the same time for the first few months after which you have to choose. The info stated above is all correct as well. The time spent in the gym should be however long it takes to perform a proper beginner routine. This will usually be 45-60 minutes. 8-9 exercises is too many. A basic routine would look something like 3 compound lifts, a bodyweight lift, and maybe accesory stuff for abs\calves\forearms if you need it. A ton of good info for losing fat and gaining muscle can be found in the link in my sig.
The floundering has ended.
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07-25-2012, 09:45 AM #4
Weight training,im in and out of the gym in appx 40-50 mins..With cardio 60-70 mins.
I do no more than 5 exercises pr body prt,depending the body part.
Chest 3-5 exercises, 3-4 sets per
Back 4-6 exercises(includes shrugs),3-4 sets per
Shoulders 4-5 exercises (including shrugs) ,3-4 sets per
Tris 4 exercises ( i have small arms and have found that works well for me),3-4 sets per
Bis 2-3 exercises,2-3 sets per
Just because you are there for long doesnt mean you are doing a good thing.OVERTRAINING its called.Last edited by jay8899; 07-25-2012 at 09:51 AM.
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07-25-2012, 09:54 AM #5
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07-25-2012, 10:19 AM #6
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07-25-2012, 10:27 AM #7
8-9 different exercises with 3 sets and 8-10 reps is actually quite a lot. I am amazed, that you can complete that workout in less than 45 minutes. Intensity is very important. After you do 10 reps you should NOT feel like. "I did 10 but I could do 10 more" The last few reps should be hard on you. Ideally the weight should be so, that you are not able to do any more reps in good form after your 8-10 reps in each set.
Key exercises are: squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows, chinups/pullups/lat pulldown, military press Good additional iexercises: dips, bb curls, lateral raises, calf raises, leg curls, rear delt flys,
If you try to build your training program around those key exercises and if you chose your weights correctly (not too heavy, you want to be able to do at least 8 reps, not too light -> if you can do more than 12 reps you should add weight), you will definitely need 1-2 minutes of rest after each set. You do not want to train longer than 1 hour per session. With your workout, you would spend at least 30-40 minutes resting between the sets, if you train with the proper intensity. I think your volume is too high.
I would advise you to go with 12-18 sets in total and follow either a proven workout scheme like allpros or starting strength or build your own:
A very good alternating full-body workout could look like this:
A:
Squats
Benchpress
Chinups
xxxxx <- (Maybe a shoulder exercise like lateral raises or db shoulder press)
xxxxx <-( Maybe calf raises or lying leg curls)
B:
Deadlift
Military Press
Rows
xxxxx <- (Dips would be a great exercise)
xxxxx<- (Maybe some arm isolation like bb curls or tricep extensions)
3x 8-12 Reps is a solid range. I would do some warmup-sets before that (50% weight @ 10 reps, 65% weight @ 5 reps, 80% weight @ 3 reps) to avoid injuries.
Keep the weight constant over the sets and try to do more repetitions every workout. As soon as you are strong enough to do more than 12 reps in 2 sets, add weight the next workout.
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07-25-2012, 01:58 PM #8
Thank you all for your advice. Based upon what you've all advised me I am now proposing to do the following:
Squats
Bench presses
Bent over rows
Overhead dumbbell press
Barbell curls
Lying leg curls
Tricep cable push down with rope attachment
I propose to do four sets, one at 1/4 weight, one at 1/2 weight and two at the full weight. I will do 8 reps the first week, 9 the second, and so on, as the All Pro workout suggests.
I have tailored the workout for several reasons - overhead dumbbell presses because my gym only has fixed bars with 10kg weights and it's too much of a jump up when increasing, I have taken dead lifts out because despite using a low weight to start with and getting a trainer to make sure my form is correct I get bad lower back pain from this exercise and I have removed the calf raises and replaced them with the lying leg curls. I've added the tricep exercise because I really want to work this muscle.
Please can you tell me what you think about this workout? How long should I do this for before I change the exercises and start doing more than one exercise for each muscle group?
Chloe
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07-25-2012, 03:09 PM #9
Get rid of the triceps cables, OHP and bench will be plenty for your triceps.
It is a stiff leg deadlift (SLDL) not a traditional deadlift, look on youtube for Dorian Yates SLDL, that is how it should be done. Make sure you keep back flat and hinge at the hips. It will actually help you lower back if done properly.
I would leave calfs in as with a BB calfs will also work you abs as stabilizers for the bar.
Do this program for the next year or till you cant keep adding weights to the bar.This forum is great! Wish I found it years ago.....
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07-25-2012, 03:28 PM #10
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07-25-2012, 03:39 PM #11
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07-26-2012, 01:02 AM #12
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07-26-2012, 05:30 AM #13
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