Question for all gym-rats here; How do I improve my workout routine?

[Dirty Hipsters]

So if this guy's workout is so good, how come he keeps putting on all this weight and then losing it?

Being "shredded" typically isn't sustainable long term. It's actually not really all that healthy or easy to get below 12% body fat and stay there. When you see actors, body builders or fitness models get completely shredded they aren't doing that long term, they're doing it for a scene or a competition or a photo shoot.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Being "shredded" typically isn't sustainable long term. It's actually not really all that healthy or easy to get below 12% body fat and stay there. When you see actors, body builders or fitness models get completely shredded they aren't doing that long term, they're doing it for a scene or a competition or a photo shoot.

To add to that, to get the best look, people often dehydrate themselves to medically unwise levels. Fainting during competitions due to it isn't unknown.

So, the better muscle definition someone has, the weaker they may be, at least temporarily.

 

[FakeSympathy]

So it has been quite sometime.

My weight is still bouncing between 143-141 lbs. My physique is more or less the same. Ever since my last post, I have been following this workout plan from Sean Nalewanyj:



I don't even remember what the goal of the plan was; They gave me options, and I pretty sure I chose losing weight and getting a shredded look, which looking back sounds kinda Silly.

So, I came up with a new plan, that attempts to upgrade this:


Start: (30 sec rest)

• 5 min stretching/warm-up
• 3 x 24 AB rollout OR 3 sets of wrist rolls: 3-2-1
• 3 x 10 push-ups
• 3 × 10 decline push-ups
• 3 × 10 dips

Upper Body: (2 min rest on the first superset and 1 min rest for others)

• Superset: 3 sets of bench press: 7-6-5 AND 3 sets of dumbbell rows: 12-10-8
• Superset: 3 sets of bicep and hammer curls: 12-10-8
• Superset: 3 sets of overhead press and one-arm cable raises : 12-10-8
• 3 sets of weighted pull-ups: 7-6-5

Lower Body: (1 min rest)

• 3 sets of weighted squats: 7-6-5
• 3 sets of romanian deadlift: 7-6-5
• 3 sets of leg extension: 12-10-8
• 3 sets o fseated leg curls: 12-10-8
• 3 sets of leg press calf raises: 12-10-8
• 3 sets of seated calf raises: 12-10-8

Notes:

• 4 days a week, alternate between upper and lower body
• The 7-6-5 sets have particularly heavier load compared to others.
• The AB rollouts and wrist rolls are alternating between each days
• The wrist-rolls are being done in both directions. That might not sound like a lot, but I am rolling the weighted belts from ground to my elbow-level, which means there is a lot of motion.

Of course this is just a concept, and I'd love to get feedbacks

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I find that stretching at the start of my workout isn't all that useful. I just stretch during my rest time in between sets to save time, and just stretch the particular muscle group that I'm using.

I would also save the push-ups and dips for the end of the workout. I don't find that push-ups are very challenging, and 3x10 push ups really isn't doing much for you. If you're doing them as a warm up there's no reason to do them as a 3x10, and if you're not doing them as a warm-up then you're not really getting anything out of them. If you want to incorporate the push-ups into your routine I would add them at the end as a cool down when you're already fatigued so that doing the push-ups actually stresses your muscles. Personally I love to end my chest day with a couple of sets of lateral (side to side) push ups as a cool down. Gets you a deep chest stretch that feels amazing at the end of a workout.


I'm not a big fan of super sets. They're good if you're in a rush and trying to finish your workout quickly, and they're also good for maintaining intensity and fat burn, but they aren't great for actually building muscle. I definitely wouldn't incorporate super sets into the big power lifts like bench press. Bench press requires a good amount of rest in between sets to hit your full potential for each rep, so fatiguing yourself with a superset is going to hinder your gains. Bench press, leg press, squat, deadlift, and overhead press shouldn't be part of a superset.

Supersets are also supposed to focus on opposing muscle groups, so that one muscle group is resting while the other is working. Doing a super set of bicep curls and hammer curls is using the same muscle group, so that's not an effective superset. Same with overhead press and one-arm cable raise. Something like doing bicep curls followed by tricep pulls would be an effective super set. Supersets need to switch between opposing muscle groups, not complementary ones.

I also wouldn't get hung up on specific numbers of reps per set. Each set should just be taken close to failure, regardless of how many reps you're doing. If you can do 10 reps? Cool. If you can only do 6? Also fine. Can you do 15? Then why are you stopping at 10 just because you hit the number?

 

[FakeSympathy]

I find that stretching at the start of my workout isn't all that useful. I just stretch during my rest time in between sets to save time, and just stretch the particular muscle group that I'm using.

I would also save the push-ups and dips for the end of the workout. I don't find that push-ups are very challenging, and 3x10 push ups really isn't doing much for you. If you're doing them as a warm up there's no reason to do them as a 3x10, and if you're not doing them as a warm-up then you're not really getting anything out of them. If you want to incorporate the push-ups into your routine I would add them at the end as a cool down when you're already fatigued so that doing the push-ups actually stresses your muscles. Personally I love to end my chest day with a couple of sets of lateral (side to side) push ups as a cool down. Gets you a deep chest stretch that feels amazing at the end of a workout.


I'm not a big fan of super sets. They're good if you're in a rush and trying to finish your workout quickly, and they're also good for maintaining intensity and fat burn, but they aren't great for actually building muscle. I definitely wouldn't incorporate super sets into the big power lifts like bench press. Bench press requires a good amount of rest in between sets to hit your full potential for each rep, so fatiguing yourself with a superset is going to hinder your gains. Bench press, leg press, squat, deadlift, and overhead press shouldn't be part of a superset.

Supersets are also supposed to focus on opposing muscle groups, so that one muscle group is resting while the other is working. Doing a super set of bicep curls and hammer curls is using the same muscle group, so that's not an effective superset. Same with overhead press and one-arm cable raise. Something like doing bicep curls followed by tricep pulls would be an effective super set. Supersets need to switch between opposing muscle groups, not complementary ones.

I also wouldn't get hung up on specific numbers of reps per set. Each set should just be taken close to failure, regardless of how many reps you're doing. If you can do 10 reps? Cool. If you can only do 6? Also fine. Can you do 15? Then why are you stopping at 10 just because you hit the number?

Yeah, I only got about 1 - 1.5 hrs in the morning for working out. The lower body workouts have always been consistent with this time limit. However, upper body was taking up too much time.

So, let me try this again for the upper body, this time separating power lifts as their own section:

• Bench Press 3 sets ( 2 min rest between sets)
• Overhead press 3 sets (1 min rest)
• Superset: 3 sets of hammer curls and dumbbell rows: 12-10-8 (1 min rest)
• Superset: 3 sets of bicep curls and weighted pull-ups 12-10-8 (1 min rest)

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Yeah, I only got about 1 - 1.5 hrs in the morning for working out. The lower body workouts have always been consistent with this time limit. However, upper body was taking up too much time.

So, let me try this again for the upper body, this time separating power lifts as their own section:

• Bench Press 3 sets ( 2 min rest between sets)
• Overhead press 3 sets (1 min rest)
• Superset: 3 sets of hammer curls and dumbbell rows: 12-10-8 (1 min rest)
• Superset: 3 sets of bicep curls and weighted pull-ups 12-10-8 (1 min rest)

When you say that you're doing 3 set of something, do you mean 3 "working" sets or 3 total sets?

 

[FakeSympathy]

When you say that you're doing 3 set of something, do you mean 3 "working" sets or 3 total sets?

"Working sets" I suppose? For example, bench press goes from 3 x 7-6-5 reps. Then I move onto the next exercise

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

For your big power lifts, like bench press, squats, deadlifts, etc. I would highly recommend starting with a couple of sets at a lower weight to warm up your muscles and help reinforce your form before moving into your working sets.

For example, when I do bench press I currently do the following:

- 1x10 set 135lbs
Short Rest+Stretch
- 1x10 set 185 lbs
Short Rest+Stretch
- 1x8 set 225 lbs
Long rest
-1x4 set 280 lbs
Long Rest
- 1x4 set 280 lbs
Long rest
- Drop set from 280 to 200 as many reps as possible to burn down.

Once I'm able to hit 5 reps on my highest weight I increase it another 5 lbs.

So essentially I have 3 warm up sets and 3 working sets.

Doing this essentially tempers your muscles so you don't immediately shock them with a high weight. It helps to prevent injury and helps to make sure that you're using proper form and are fully engaged when you get into your working sets.

 

[davidmc1158]

I'm going to dip my toe into this particular pool apropos of nothing.

I'm an older person (56) who has had a minor bout with cancer that has left me with kidney troubles, no body fat, and a couple of other health issues. I go to the gym 3 times a week. My goals are solely to maintain what little muscle mass I have and maybe show some periodic improvement. As such, my fairly pathetic routine is:

a 25 minute brisk walk though my neighborhood, averaging 115 steps per minute. (For reference, military marching is 120 steps per minute.)
2 sets of 20 pull downs from a sitting position (currently at 80 lbs/36 kg each)
2 sets of 10 pull downs from a standing position (currently at 65 lbs/20 kg each)
7 sets of 20 (plus another 1 set of 10) elevated leg lifts. I don't know the name of the frame you use for this, but you step up and hold your body in position with your forearms and raise your legs in front of you.
8 sets of 25 back arches/lifts on a yoga ball. Essentially I kneel and rest my stomach on the ball. I use 4 basic poses for the exercise: arms outstretched hands clasped (aka Superman flying pose), arms fully straight and forward (aka the "we're not worthy" pose), arms straight to the sides (aka the T-pose for dominance) and finally arms behind the back with hands clasped (aka I don't have a smart-ass name for that one yet).
6 sets of 20 push ups interspaced with 6 sets of 20 squats (do one set of push-ups, wait a minute, do one set of squats, wait a minute, lather, rinse, repeat)
stretches
cool down while complaining internally about how old I'm getting.

When I opt to go for any improvement, I'll increase the weight of a single set of pulls downs by 5 pounds, add another 5 leg lifts, add 1 to each set of back arches or add 5 to the total number of push ups or squats. I generally add one increase (if my body accepts the new terms and conditions) every other week, scattered among the exercises.

So there ya go. If you think your exercise regimen is lacking, you can at least look at this one and say "Wow, at least I'm not doing that badly." /s

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

Kinda off topic but it’s just pretty insane to think this is Arnold’s love child that caused such a scandal a decade or two ago now. If you watch Pumping Iron his posing routine is almost indistinguishable. Taught him well.