Workout advice...Don't want to overtrain

[wcsoccerfan]

I know you're all probably sick of these posts this time of year...but this is my routine I've been doing for the past 2 weeks and it has been kicking my butt thus far, but I'm quite pleased with it at the same time. Although I'm in good shape, I'm rather new to any consistent form of lifting, and my squat/bench max's both hover in the 150-160 range currently, if it helps at all. Most of the workout is moderately based off of 5x5 style of training with lots of compound movements, but also focusing on dividing workouts between push/pull/leg days. I'm def open for suggestions. My biggest concerns are overtraining, missing key exercises, and figuring out when/where to work in abs/cardio without taking away from the strength training aspect, which is my main goal. Thanks for any help you can offer.

Sunday (Chest/Triceps)
Bench or Decline Bench 5x5 (alternate weekly)
Overhead Press or Incline Bench 5x5 (alternate weekly)
Vertical Rows 3 sets
Tricep pushdowns or skull crushers 3 sets (alternate weekly)
Flies or dips 3 sets (alternate weekly)
Burnout pushups

Tuesday (Legs 1)
Squat 5x5
Weighted Walking Lunges 5x5
Calf Raises 5 sets
Leg Press 5x5
Leg Extensions 5 sets

Thursday (Back/Bicep)
Burnout pullups (x2)
Burnout chinups (x2)
Barbell curls 3 sets
Seated weighted rows 4 sets
Lat Pulldowns 4 sets
Shrugs 3 sets
Hammer curls 3 sets

Friday (Legs 2)
Deadlift 5x5
Split squats 3 sets
Calf raises 5 sets (machine)
Stationary weight lunges (5x5)
Hamstring curls 5 sets

[DetMatthews]

IMO scrap the workout and do Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5x5 and gradually transition to JasonDB's novice routine. JasonDB's is in the stickies and the other two are easily found in a google search.

There's nothing all that wrong with the routine you have. You're not missing any key exercises, and other than the 5x5 deadlifts I don't really see a huge risk of overtraining. If anything you'd be undertraining a lot because of the reduced frequency on your key exercises. On either of the routines mentioned you'd go from squatting once to squatting 3x a week, pressing once to 3x a week, and deadlifting once to deadlifting 1.5x a week. Overall volume is less, but frequency and rapid progression are more important as a beginner. Because they're full body, systemic stress on your CNS is greater spurring faster gains in beginners in particular.

Starting Strength is best for overall strength by a decent margin and you do gain some mass, but for a bodybuilder style physique SL to JDB's is better. Depends on your goals. Not trying to **** on your routine, I just think you should make gains 3 times a week while you can, and do a program like that when you are unable to make such rapid gains.

[wcsoccerfan]

Yeah, I figured that's the response I'd get to be honest. Both beginners programs you mentioned I've looked at quite a bit (and naively went past them). I may switch to stronglifts 5x5 for 6-10 weeks, or until progress slows, and then go back to this later as a starting point for what I need work on. I guess I just needed to hear it from someone else. Thanks.

[DetMatthews]

No problem. And like I said, when progress on StrongLifts slows (or when three exercises a day gets really boring), the solution might be to just add in exercises from JasonDB's that address your weak points. No need to change the routine completely if you've gotten good results to that point.