Help Getting Started

[Corpsman]

I am looking for some help getting my workout routine started and help with how much protein supplements and how often I should take them. I am on prescribed testosterone cypionate and take 200mg/wk. I self inject and have a medicine cabinet full of testosterone and HcG. I have been on trt for about 10 years. I have never been given an actual reason for my low testosterone. My pituitary is fine. But I figure, as long as I have the stuff I might as well make maximum use of it.

I am 5'7", 175. I was a high school wrestler and wrestled 112lbs my senior year. I didn't get above 120lbs until I hit 25. I started trt at 27 and eventually got to the weight that I am. I did have a rock hard body as a youngster but now, everywhere I push I can feel squishy.

I recently started a gym membership with my wife. I am doing 30 minutes of cardio a day but am just guessing at the lifting weights part.

Here are some current pictures....

[Corpsman]

[tbody66]

Corpsman, here is a push/pull program that should get you started making some immediately noticable progress. I will be happy to work with you throughout your transformation back to fit. If you get a chance to go to the diet section there is actually a transformation challange going on that might give you some motivation, lots of guys involved just like you.

Mondays and thursdays are push days: Chest/shoulders/triceps/abs
Tuesdays and fridays are pull days: legs/back/biceps
Mondays and Tuesdays will be your heavy days and thursdays and fridays your light days, you will perform similar exercises but the rep range will change.
always start your workout by jumping rope for one minute solid, when you can do that easily then start adding 15 second increments to your warmup until you are at five minutes of rope jumping and then just stay with that.

Mon:
Chest:
Flat Bench, warm-up sets, these should be three rep warm up sets with progressive weight until you reach your workout weight, then three sets of 8 - 12 reps, go to failure each time, go up in weight when you are hitting all three sets 12 or more reps
Incline Bench, no warm up sets here, your chest is warmed up from the flat bench, three workout sets, same rep range.
flat dumbell flyes - this is not a mass exercise, it is a stretching exercise, the weight does not matter, as a matter of fact it should be just heavy enough to help your arms get a full stretch at the bottom, too heavy and you can cause yourself damage, slow and controlled with a full stretch at the bottom and a pause, when you contract the muscle bring the weights as close together as possible without touching them, and then turn the pinkies in towards each other while feeling the middle of your chest come together.
Shoulders:
The front's of your shoulders have been thoroughly worked here, so we'll move onto the tops and rears.
Military press: sets and reps the same as the bench press, machine or barbell, depending on your gym
Dumbbell Shrugs. Pause at the top and bottom, straight up and down, don't roll your shoulders, put the tops of your shoulders into your ears, I like going progressively higher in poundages within the rep range until I can't properly perform the exercise.
Rear shoulder raises. Bend at the waist, pic a very...very...very...light weight, 5 lbs to start, lean over parallel with the ground with your knees bent and look in front of you at the wall/mirror, keeping your elbows locked and arms straight down in front of you raise them out to your sides with your pinkies up towards the ceiling. At the top of the movement you want them to be about 3 inches above your shoulders and even with your eyeballs, trust me, this hurts and is effective. 8-12 reps, pause at the top.
Triceps:
bodyweighted dips to failure, three sets
skull crushers, three sets 8-12 reps
Abs:
Crunches 3 sets 51 reps

Tues:
Legs:
Squats: progressive warm up sets of 11 reps until workout weight, then three sets of 15 - 20 reps, same philosophy as the bench, go to failure, increase weight when you are performing over 20 reps for each of the three sets, when you add the weight it should drop you down to only being able to accomplish 15 reps on your last set.
Straight legged dead lifts super setted with standing calf raises or toe extensions, stiff legged deads should be done in the 15-20 rep range and calves should be done in sets of 21's, 7 toes in heels out, 7 heels in toes out and 7 straight on.
Back:
Lat Pull downs 3 sets 8-12 reps, followed by bent over barbell rows 3 sets, 8-12 reps
Biceps:
Straight bar curls, full range 3 sets 8-12 reps, concentration curls 3 sets 8-12 reps

Wed: cardio

Thurs:
Chest:
Incline dumbbell presses, start with a light weight 40 lbs for example, and perform 12-15 reps, then increase by 5 lbs each time within the same rep range, you want to do five work sets, so make sure you are ending at a weight that you can barely get those 12 reps with on your fifth set
Flat dumbbell presses, your chest is already warmed up, go with three workout sets in that 12-15 rep range
Shoulders:
Rear raises again, just like last time except this time work in the 15-20 rep range
Upright rows, I do this for the traps on shoulder day, 3 sets of 25 reps, do not let the weight go all the way down at the bottom, slow and controlled, no lower than the belly button at the bottom of the motion and almost touch the chin at the top, keep the weight in close to the body the entire time, I use the ez curl bar for this.
Triceps:
rope pushdowns, 3 sets 25 reps, followed by bench dips, three sets to failure
Abs:
Bicycles: 3 sets 51 reps, Hanging leg raises: 3 sets 51 reps

Fri:
Back:
Deadlifts 3 sets 15-20 reps, because it is deadlift day we start with back.
Legs:
Do a superset for legs, going from machine to machine to machine for the three exercises for the three sets leg extension/leg curl/toe presses, start all over, little or no rest between sets.
biceps:
dumbbell hammer curls, 3 sets, 12-15 reps followed by dumbbell preacher curls, 3 sets 8-12 reps.

I hope this helps, if you have any questions let me know and if I can be of any other assistance I'll be happy to do that too.

[Corpsman]

Thank you for the great information. A couple of questions. Since I am so soft right now I have been doing at least 30 minutes of cardio everyday. I always do the cardio before working out. Should I continue this or will the muscle gain also take care of the fat loss without doing cardio everyday? Second question. How much protein shakes should I be drinking and how often should I drink them?

Thank you so much for your help!

[Corpsman]

One other thing. I was looking at the diet threads. Should I follow a cutting diet to lose the excess fat?

[Corpsman]

Bump! Anyone??

[tbody66]

you should calculate your tdee and get on a cutting diet, you should only be drinking one protein drink a day, post workout, the rest of your calories should be coming from real food. You can do cardio every day but would be better if you did it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning and lifted evenings after eating throughout the day.

[TheTitan101]

you should calculate your tdee and get on a cutting diet, you should only be drinking one protein drink a day, post workout, the rest of your calories should be coming from real food. You can do cardio every day but would be better if you did it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning and lifted evenings after eating throughout the day.

agree 100%. Don't look to get your protein from shakes. Use a shake to suppliment your good diet.
Good luck getting back to fit mate. Its all about wanting to make that change and getting into a routine.

[Corpsman]

On the three rep warm-up sets, how much rest between each set? Just enough for me to go, then my wife, then jump right back in?

[Corpsman]

"Straight legged dead lifts super setted with standing calf raises or toe extensions, stiff legged deads should be done in the 15-20 rep range and calves should be done in sets of 21's, 7 toes in heels out, 7 heels in toes out and 7 straight on."

Please explain the super setting. Also, am I bent over 90 degrees at the waist? and the 7/7/7 thing.. is this all within the same set?

[Corpsman]

LOL! "Incline dumbbell presses, start with a light weight 40 lbs for example, and perform 12-15 reps", I haven't lifted weighs in 15 years. 40lbs definitely is NOT light weight for me. But I will get there.

[Corpsman]

Are the dead lifts on Friday the same as the dead lifts done on Tuesday?