My Workout, Please Critique

[massbuild]

Hi there just asking for some thoughts on my training atm

My goal is size and strength, pretty much to look good more than anything.

My stats are 5' 6 in height, 11 stone 8 (162 lbs).

I have been traing for around two to three years and have good technique on all my exercises. I always try to go to failure on my last set.

I am currently eating around 3500 calories daily with around 180g protein at least. I don't have a set diet but i eat well.

I am currently bulking up and I am taking a maintenance dose of creatine (5g a day) and I am two weeks into a cycle of 2ml of testosterone enanathate and 2ml deca . I am also taking 20mg of nolvadex /tamoxifen to block estrogen when/if it aromatises.

Well with that out of the way these are my workouts:

I usually go for 10 reps at the most but i go to failure on my final sets which usually give me about 5-6reps

Workout 1 - Chest/Triceps

Bench Press - 5 sets
Incline Dumbell Press - 4 sets
Flat Bench Flyes - 4 sets
Decline Bench - 3 sets
Pec Deck Machine - 3 sets

Tricep pushdown - 5 sets
Dumbell French Press - 4 sets
Dips - 3 sets

Workout 2 - Back/Traps

Bent over Rows - 5 Sets
Deadlift - 4 sets
Wide Lat pulldowns - 3 sets
Wide Machine Rows - 3 sets
Narrow Lat pulldown to front - 3 sets

Upright Row - 3 Sets
Shrugs - 3 sets

Workout 3 - Legs/Biceps/Forearm

Squats - 5 sets
Leg Extension - 4 sets
Hamstring Curls - 3 sets
Seated Calf Raises - 3 sets

Preacher Curls - 5 Sets
Seated Dumbell Concentration Curls - 4 sets
Barbell Curls - 4 Sets

Forearm curls (cant remember name) - 3 sets

Workout 4 - Shoulders

Seated Shoulder Press Machine - 5 sets
Lateral Raises - 4 sets
Front Raises - 3 sets
Deltiod Side Raise Machine - 3 Sets
Dumbell Shoulder Press - 4 sets

Stomach workout

My stomach workout is done after the workouts above and is done like a circuit thought each exercise

Decline Situps - 3 x 15
Oblique side bend - 3 x 15
Roman Chair leg raises - 3 x 10


So there it is, I think i have included everything, if not i will update. Any question just ask and feel free to critisise anything you think is wrong cos i want to improve.

Thanks John

[dupa95]

Don't train to failure on last set. Go a little lighter and up you 3 sets to 4.Try some burn out sets, at the end of each body part. Keep all lifts with in 8 to 10 reps. Yull blow up good luck

[massbuild]

burn out sets? you mean dropsets or sometrhing else?

[dupa95]

NO take a real light weight do 10 sets of 20 reps it's an arnold principal. Beat um into submision. You will leave the gym totaly pumped and drained.

[massbuild]

Ah i get ya, to make sure i work the last ounce out of my muscle fibres. Something like that. But what exercises am i best doing that on though? Not all of them is it?

[dupa95]

no last exsersize of your last set for that mucsle group.Pick and exsersize you like to do.

[massbuild]

how about the amount and actual exercises. Am i gettin enough covered or mising anything else. Not enough sets and the such.

[MFT81]

when are your off days??

[massbuild]

I usually do two on 1 off two on then two off

so i do something like

monday- chest/triceps
tuesday - back/traps
wednesday - off
thursday - legs/bis/forearms
friday - shoulders
sat - off
sun - off

i dont always do in the same order but i will make sure i aint doing a conflicting routine the day after E.g shoulders after chest

[MFT81]

Good,

If I were going to nitpick, id say....

1. Only two types of presses on chest day,

2.Alternate your back days week to week, week 1. is width workout w/deads (like you have listed) then week 2. Do back thickness with more rows and no pulldowns and deadlift.

3. Try to find more than one day to seperate back/legs/arms days, IMO you should be a little sore still in the hams from deads and to do squats or hams 48hrs latter might be counterproductive.

id also dump leg exts and altnate week 1 heavy squats with mod heavy leg press and lunges week 2. Heavy leg press with light front squats and either lunges or leg exts (sparingly)

4. Dont get in a habit of using the shoulder press machine to much, id also do upright rows for shoulders not traps on back day.

you probably wont need to do front raises, these get pounded on chest anyway, focus more on rear delts for even development.

Like I said im nitpicking, what you have is pretty good, and im sure you might do some of these things abbove already, just a couple of ideas to chew on.

[asvt]

Wow thats a lot of sets for each muscle won't you be overtrained I mean even if using you were using gear that still seems a lot to me.

[skank]

I usually do two on 1 off two on then two off

so i do something like

monday- chest/triceps
tuesday - back/traps
wednesday - off
thursday - legs/bis/forearms
friday - shoulders
sat - off
sun - off

i dont always do in the same order but i will make sure i aint doing a conflicting routine the day after E.g shoulders after chest

I think your training schedule looks very good. Mine is very close to yours.

[massbuild]

Wow thats a lot of sets for each muscle won't you be overtrained I mean even if using you were using gear that still seems a lot to me.

Lol no thats not too much at all. You must remember than I am trying to bulk up and I am eating a lot and have been training for a few years now. The gear also helps but was doing routine like this long before i even thought about touching gear.

[TR'05]

No flame intended, but it looked like a lot of volume to me as well. Over 30 sets on chest/tri day can only hurt workout intensity.

Ever thought about reducing it...just to guage for differences? Many people swear by reduced volume and increased intensity (i.e. heavy lifting).

Also, setting out the diet always helps but, if not, just make sure to pound back those kcals! You've got lots of room to grow at 160 & 5'6...most people underestimate their bulking requirements.

Look up an article on the Cunningham Equation and RMR...pubmed.gov will have it. You'll be surprised at just how much you'll be needing to eat.

With a solid diet, training protocol, and gear you'll blow up! Good luck bro.

[massbuild]

REall you think thats too much as well. Ummmmmmmmm well i always thought i wasnt doing enough! Anyone else think im overtraining or about right? A few mixed opinions on this i can see as people are sayting its too much and others are saying its good and similar to their own routines! confused lol :S

Well I'm eating at least 3500 cals a day, thinking about moving up slowing through to 4000 but its quite hard hitting my target atm but i still get their!

Im putting on good weight and strength atm. My gains are excellent and better than hoped

[asvt]

Maybe your just lucky and your body can take. What type of gains are you making e.g how much is your body weight increasing each week and what are your measurements going up by if you do them I am very interesed to see how you get on with a routine like this. Have you always trained with this many sets.

[massbuild]

Yeah pretty much when i moved from being a beginner after first year working out. I've put an inch on my arms. About 2 inch on chest and about same on quads. put about 10lbs on in last three weeks (thats when i started the gear)

[asvt]

Wow thats impressive it takes me atleast 3 months to put on 10lbs now i'm pissed off lol

[Decoder]

um do you not work you tris?

[TR'05]

^^See Day #1

Workout 1 - Chest/Triceps

Bench Press - 5 sets
Incline Dumbell Press - 4 sets
Flat Bench Flyes - 4 sets
Decline Bench - 3 sets
Pec Deck Machine - 3 sets

Tricep pushdown - 5 sets
Dumbell French Press - 4 sets
Dips - 3 sets

[massbuild]

um do you not work you tris?

Lol TR'05 answered that one, how did you miss the triceps?

I think i have covered every muscle. Anyone disagree cos i wanna make sure im packing everything in

[TR'05]

The only other exercise I think you could substitute in from time to time would be chins/pull ups, bro.