Please critique my Routine

[RAMMEL]

I'm 5'11" and currently at around 175lbs and 16-18% bf. I'm looking to add some mass and possibly drop some fat. I think my diet is pretty good for a relatively new starter (2650kc/220g P/350g C/50g F per day).
I usually do 3 sets of 10 reps and try to use strict form. For larger muscle groups I tend to do 4 exercises, and for smaller groups I do 3 exercises. I also try to do around 20 mins cardio after most workouts.

Please give opinions on my workout routine:

Monday (Shoulders & Triceps)
1) Shoulder Press Machine
2) Upright Rows
3) Dumbell Shrugs
4) Lateral Raises
5) Close Grip Bench Press
6) Skullcrushers
7) Tricep Curls (with Rope)

Wednesday (Back & Biceps)
1) Bent Leg Deadlifts
2) Lat Pulldowns (to chest)
3) Cable Rows
4) Lat Pulldowns (behind neck)
5) Barbell Curls (with EZ Bar)
6) Preacher Dumbell Curl (using Hammer Curl Grip)
7) Preacher Curl Machine

Friday (Chest)
1) Bench Press
2) Incline Dumbell Press
3) Decline Dumbell Press
4) Cable Cross-overs

Saturday (Legs)
1) Squats (using Smiths Machine)
2) Bent Leg Deadlift
3) Leg Raises (not sure of the correct name but they target Quads)
4) Hamstring Curls (again, not sure of correct name)
5) Standing Calf Raises

Also, when do you recommend I include my ABDOMINAL workouts. How many times a week should I train Abs, with what exercises and with how many sets/reps???

[GetPsycho]

for the most part its a sold routine. a few changes i would make if it was my own....

1. Lat Pulldowns (behind neck) - i prefer not to do behind the neck on this exercise. so if it was me i would substitute Dumbbell Pullover or DB Rows
2. on Leg day you are doing Bent Leg Deadlift. i would change this to straight leg dead lift and only use bent leg DL on back day
3. abs - 2-3 times per week is the general rule of thumb. personally, i hate training abs and only do them about once a week at best. i prefer to do them at the beginning of a workout. doing them at the end only prolongs the amount of time i can get home and make my post workout shake to get back into an anabolic state. i prefer high-rep ab training. 20-30 reps per set using static holds as much as possible.

also, i would move calves to chest day and then add 1 more ham or quad exercise. try db lunges, bb lunges, leg press, or leg extension.

also, unless i missed it i dont see anything for rear delts. you can train rear-delts on back day or shoulder day. my current routine i have them on back day. you can do bent over db laterals or reverse pec deck for these

[RAMMEL]

Thanks for the reply.

1. I'm not too keen on the Lat Pulldowns (behind neck) either. They always seem to hurt my elbows and shoulders. I think I may use the DB pullover as suggested (I always thought they were mainly for chest???)
2. I play Rugby and Bent Leg Deadlift is one of the best exercises for rugby players, so I like to do them on both back and leg days.
3. Cheers for the ABS advice.
4. It does make sense to train calves after chest, as I'm always too worn out to do them properly at the end of a legs workout (I also feel as if I haven't done enough after my current chest workout). Is it ok to do calves the day before my upper legs workout.
5. I agree I do seem to be neglecting rear delts. I will definately have to work them into either my shoulder or back workout.

[ripsid]

He bro I do a different program, I do a part a day basically but I see that for like shoulders you only have 2 excersizes (laterals, press) I'd add more for shoulders. Depending on how many sets/reps I'd say add more excersizes. I'm a believer in the 12 + sets per body part. Weight to rep, form and intensity is probably the most important thing.
Kill it Ramel!
Monday (Shoulders & Triceps)
1) Shoulder Press Machine
>>>-Need more actual delt excersizes add arnolds then front/rear raises
2) Upright Rows >>- traps
3) Dumbell Shrugs
4) Lateral Raises >>- do after press
5) Close Grip Bench Press
6) Skullcrushers
7) Tricep Curls (with Rope) >>- add straight bar push downs also

Wednesday (Back & Biceps)
1) Bent Leg Deadlifts
2) Lat Pulldowns (to chest)
3) Cable Rows
4) Lat Pulldowns (behind neck) >>- I'd say add bent rows or tbar rows also and hyperextensions
5) Barbell Curls (with EZ Bar)
6) Preacher Dumbell Curl (using Hammer Curl Grip)
7) Preacher Curl Machine -

Friday (Chest)
1) Bench Press -
2) Incline Dumbell Press
3) Decline Dumbell Press
4) Cable Cross-overs
>>- I'd also add some flys also but that's me and DB pull overs great for stretching the muscles inbetween your rib cage to give a chance at building a fuller bigger chest.
Saturday (Legs)
1) Squats (using Smiths Machine)
2) Bent Leg Deadlift -stiff legs are for your hams
3) Leg Raises (not sure of the correct name but they target Quads)
4) Hamstring Curls (again, not sure of correct name)
5) Standing Calf Raises
>>- as far as legs go i'd do hacks and presses also. The Stiff leg deads are just going to blow your hams up bro! Maybe the best ham excersize and you don't need to go real heavy.

[GetPsycho]

1. I'm not too keen on the Lat Pulldowns (behind neck) either. They always seem to hurt my elbows and shoulders. I think I may use the DB pullover as suggested (I always thought they were mainly for chest???) - the primary mover in the db pullover is the lat. but you can do it on either chest or back day. when your back is pre-fatigued you will feel it more in your lats, when your chest is pre-fatigued you will feel it more in your chest. i have tried db pullovers on chest and back day. i prefer back day.
2. I play Rugby and Bent Leg Deadlift is one of the best exercises for rugby players, so I like to do them on both back and leg days.
3. Cheers for the ABS advice.
4. It does make sense to train calves after chest, as I'm always too worn out to do them properly at the end of a legs workout (I also feel as if I haven't done enough after my current chest workout). Is it ok to do calves the day before my upper legs workout. that might cause a problem. try it out and if it does then move calves to a different day. you might find that you can do calves with thighs. i just prefer not to.
5. I agree I do seem to be neglecting rear delts. I will definately have to work them into either my shoulder or back workout.

also, like ripsid said, add fly's to chest. you can do them first to pre-fatigue the pecs or do them last as a finisher

[ripsid]

I agree with Psycho, especially on the Fatigueing....I try to do 4 to 5 sets and it's based off of the HIT principals. I start light and go till I'm doing negatives. The basis is slow and burning reps 3 to 4 second cadence on your up and 3 to 4 on the way down. You need to basically flex with your peak contraction. It's not a true, HIT it's loosely based off of Dorian's workout.
A great way to pre-fatigue your pecs is pushups! I would do that then start on my benching, unfortunely I ran into shoulder problems and now I can't bench nor pushup. So I do all DB's!

SID

[RAMMEL]

How about this then:

Monday (Shoulders & Calves)
1) Shoulder Press Machine
2) Lateral Dumbell Raises
3) Front Dumbell Raises
4) Reverse Pec Deck
5) Upright Rows
6) Dumbell Shrugs
7) Standing Calf Raises

Wednesday (Back & Biceps)
1) Bent Leg Deadlifts
2) Lat Pulldowns (to chest)
3) Cable Rows
4) Dumbell Pullovers
5) Barbell Curls (with EZ Bar)
6) Preacher Dumbell Curl (using Hammer Curl Grip)
7) Preacher Curl Machine

Friday (Chest & Triceps)
1) Bench Press
2) Incline Dumbell Press
3) Decline Dumbell Press
4) Cable Cross-overs
5) Close Grip Bench Press
6) Skullcrushers
7) Tricep Pushdown (with Rope)

Saturday (Legs)
1) Squats (using Smiths Machine)
2) Leg Raises (not sure of the correct name but they target Quads)
3) Hamstring Curls (again, not sure of correct name)
4) Stiff Leg Deadlift (???)

[GetPsycho]

1 exercise per week may not be sufficient to stimulate growth for calves. i know for me it wont be, but we are all different so just be aware of that.

personally, i would add 1 more leg exercise, but my legs suck and i need the additional volume. Lunges are a great exercise, you can use db or bb, leg press, front squats, hack squats, etc...

i am guessing your "leg raises" are actually leg extensions. is this the exercise...


and what about the "hamstring curls", are these lying leg curls? like this....


sldl (stiff legged dead lift)..... 2 slighly different styles

[RAMMEL]

1. Yes, those are the exercises I was talking about. Thanks for letting me know the correct names.

2. My calves are pretty good already, I suppose they get a pretty good workout during my rugby training sessions which are tuesday and thursday nights. I thought that I'd include the standing calf raises just to make sure.

3. The S.L. Deadlift looks a pretty tricky exercise but I'll give it a go. Where in my leg workout should I include it???

Thanks for all the tips.

[RAMMEL]

P.S. I think I will also add Leg Press in as well, probably at the end of my workout with lightish weight to finish off. Does this sound o.k???

[GetPsycho]

SLDL is primarily a hamstring exercise but dont be surprised if you feel it in your lower back as well. a lot of guys like to really load up the weight on this exercise b/c it can pack on some slabs of mass on the hammie. i like to do it somewhere in the middle of a leg day.

here is a description of the movment.....
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...gDeadlift.html
or
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...gDeadlift.html

[GetPsycho]

sounds good to me. and dont be afraid to change the order in which you do the exerices. doing leg press last is ok but there is nothing wrong with doing them first or second

last leg day if finished off with triple drop set leg press. that shit hurt!