Help Change Lifting Routine

[MACKATTACK]

So I have been doing this routine for about 4 weeks and I want to make changes. Please help me with new exercises:

Chest:
Flat Bench Smith Machine
Cable Crossover
Cable FLys
Incline Dumbells (just added and changed this past week)
Peck Deck

Back:
Pulldowns
TBar
Close bar cable rows
Reverse Peck deck
Hyper Extensions

Legs: (will probably keep my leg routine)
Extensions
Presses
Leg Curls
Seated Calf Machine

Shoulders:
Hammer strength lateral raise machine
Upright Rows
Rear delt Cable Pullies
Shrugs
Side Lateral Raises super setted with truck drivers

Arms:
Tri Pulldowns
Ez curl Bar
Machine Hammer
Dip Machine
dumbell curls

[XstabberX]

I would add overhead press, squat, deadlift, pull ups and chins. These are the most important lifts in my opinion period.

[cjay]

I would take out more of the flys, peckdeck, hyper extensions, leg extensions and add in either more dumbbell or barbell presses, squats, deadlifts, and pull ups. Depending on your goals

[MACKATTACK]

I would take out more of the flys, peckdeck, hyper extensions, leg extensions and add in either more dumbbell or barbell presses, squats, deadlifts, and pull ups. Depending on your goals

I am looking for a cut refined look. I am not looking to put on mass. Did that make sense??

[MACKATTACK]

I am just worried about my knee with squats and deadlifts. Its fully rebuilt with bolts still inside.

Barbell presses and pullups I def can do.

[tigerspawn]

You stated that you don’t want to put on mass and your work out is geared towards cutting. How many reps and sets are you performing per exercise? How much cardio are you performing? Cable Crossover is this performed at chest height? Cable Flys are they regular, high, or low?

[MACKATTACK]

You stated that you don’t want to put on mass and your work out is geared towards cutting. How many reps and sets are you performing per exercise? How much cardio are you performing? Cable Crossover is this performed at chest height? Cable Flys are they regular, high, or low?

3 x 12

I do cardio daily 45 minutes, HIIT and Fasted.

Crossover is chest height, Cable Flys are regular.

[cjay]

The cut and refined look is done through diet, Which I personally think is much harder than the exercise part since I'm a foody, the more mass you have the better the cut look looks. Adding compound exercises isn't going to automatically make you gain a ton of uncut mass. If you keep your diet on point you will gain more of the cut look as you put on mass.

Honestly squats and deadlifts are natural movements of the body and can be beneficial to an injured knee when done correctly. The problem people have is they don't learn proper form, go way too heavy and they end up injuring themselves. I'd incorporate them both wiht light weight and really learn good form. If you have a replaced knee leg extensions are not something you want to do and are far less safe for that injury than squats or deadlifts due to the shearing force.

[MACKATTACK]

Certain exercises do shape muscles differently. Machines versus dumbells and vice versa. Also during my physical therapy I did tons of leg extensions. Never did squats and or deadlifts which are normally associated with heavy weights.

The cut and refined look is done through diet, Which I personally think is much harder than the exercise part since I'm a foody, the more mass you have the better the cut look looks. Adding compound exercises isn't going to automatically make you gain a ton of uncut mass. If you keep your diet on point you will gain more of the cut look as you put on mass.

Honestly squats and deadlifts are natural movements of the body and can be beneficial to an injured knee when done correctly. The problem people have is they don't learn proper form, go way too heavy and they end up injuring themselves. I'd incorporate them both wiht light weight and really learn good form. If you have a replaced knee leg extensions are not something you want to do and are far less safe for that injury than squats or deadlifts due to the shearing force.

[cjay]

Certain exercises do shape muscles differently.

Where did you hear this? It's not true. The difference between machines and free weights is range of motion and the use of supporting muscles in the movement. Machines typically have a set ROM, and they take out some of the supporting muscles. Your muscle shapes are dictated by your physiology.

Squats and deadlifts are corner stone lifts, and IMO should be incorporated into everyone's routine, unless injury prevents them. They don't have to be done with heavy weights, in fact at first you should do these light until you learn the proper form and slowly move up so you can maintain that form in to heavier lifts. These lifts incorporate more muscles in your body than just about any other lift, they also burn more calories than other lifts, allowing for you to cut easier.

The old myth of light weight is for cutting up is incorrect. You can cut while lifting heavy, and actually you will do so faster because you will be doing more work. That all being said cutting is far more about diet than lifting.

[tigerspawn]

Where did you hear this? It's not true. The difference between machines and free weights is range of motion and the use of supporting muscles in the movement. Machines typically have a set ROM, and they take out some of the supporting muscles. Your muscle shapes are dictated by your physiology. The old myth of light weight is for cutting up is incorrect. You can cut while lifting heavy, and actually you will do so faster because you will be doing more work. That all being said cutting is far more about diet than lifting.

I agree with this.

Squats and deadlifts are corner stone lifts, and IMO should be incorporated into everyone's routine, unless injury prevents them. They don't have to be done with heavy weights, in fact at first you should do these light until you learn the proper form and slowly move up so you can maintain that form in to heavier lifts. These lifts incorporate more muscles in your body than just about any other lift, they also burn more calories than other lifts, allowing for you to cut easier.

Yes deadlifts and squats should be incorporated into training programs. Compound exercises cause a beneficial boost in hormones and due to the compound nature of the movements they burn more calories. However, some individuals that have had back or knee surgeries feel safer and experience less pain not doing them. Several pros don’t perform squats they do leg presses instead and their legs are still well developed.

[cjay]

Yes deadlifts and squats should be incorporated into training programs. Compound exercises cause a beneficial boost in hormones and due to the compound nature of the movements they burn more calories. However, some individuals that have had back or knee surgeries feel safer and experience less pain not doing them. Several pros don’t perform squats they do leg presses instead and their legs are still well developed.

Actually leg presses tend to be done incorrectly and are far worse on the back than either squats or deadlifts. People take presses far too deep, bringing their hips up off of the seat and putting the weight onto their lower back. Good form squats are far safer than presses and far more effective.

Some injuries can definitely make these movements tough, but I think many people have mental blocks and don't take the time to learn to do them correctly. If you can can squat down and stand back up you can do squats. It's a natural movement for the body and as long as you learn to do them correctly you can do them safely. It's people who throw 3 plates on don't bring their hips back have improper spinal alignment that give this lift a bad name.

If by pro we are talking pro body builders, then I have a hard time using them as a solid reference for any kind of lifting. They tend to be very poor form wise. Now pro competitive weight lifters, that's a different story all together.

[tigerspawn]

[QUOTE=cjay;6529873]Actually leg presses tend to be done incorrectly and are far worse on the back than either squats or deadlifts. People take presses far too deep, bringing their hips up off of the seat and putting the weight onto their lower back. Good form squats are far safer than presses and far more effective.[QUOTE]
When comparing leg presses and squats that is performed correctly. Leg presses are better than squats. Studies show that leg presses are better for the back and that more people perform squats incorrectly than they do leg presses. Plus if your back or legs give out while performing the exercise your SOL. Presses are safer unless you are on older equipment that allows you to be crushed if you can’t complete movement.

[tigerspawn]

[QUOTE=cjay;6529873] If you can can squat down and stand back up you can do squats. [QUOTE]
I disagree. Just because you can sit and stand doesn’t mean you can perform squats. Squats require that you put an increased load on an already weaken area. This in turn causes more pain plus the weakened area is not always capable of supporting the extra weight.

[cjay]

[QUOTE=tigerspawn;6529885][QUOTE=cjay;6529873]Actually leg presses tend to be done incorrectly and are far worse on the back than either squats or deadlifts. People take presses far too deep, bringing their hips up off of the seat and putting the weight onto their lower back. Good form squats are far safer than presses and far more effective.

When comparing leg presses and squats that is performed correctly. Leg presses are better than squats. Studies show that leg presses are better for the back and that more people perform squats incorrectly than they do leg presses. Plus if your back or legs give out while performing the exercise your SOL. Presses are safer unless you are on older equipment that allows you to be crushed if you can’t complete movement.

Better is relative. Squats effect the CNS far more than leg presses, leading to far more and better muscle growth. They also incorporate far more of the body and lead to a better overall exercise. To be able to take the leg press deep enough to compete with the proper ROM of a squat you have to round the lumbar region of the spine, which is where the back issues come from. You're not getting near the leg work form a leg press you are a proper squat. So just based on that alone the leg press seriously lags behind the squat as an effective lift. That doesn't take into effect the increased hormone release of squat over the leg press nor the much larger energy use and cardiovascular benefits from it.

All that and I think the deadlift is even a better exercise than the squat in the benefits gained to the whole body

There are times where the leg press may benefit someone due to their body's inability to perform a squat, but if you are at that level you probably aren't bodybuilding or lifting at any kind of a high level.

[tigerspawn]

Cjay thank you for post. They were an enjoyable read.

[cjay]

Been fun talking with you too