illy

Hi I'm rather new to this forum although I have been lurking around and reading quite a lot of posts and the information to be very useful.

I'd like to get some advice and tweaks to my training schedule as I'm sure it is far below optimal and call it cliche but I would like a fresh for the new year

I'm 17 and the gym in my school is abysmal and I haven't really got the choice of joining a gym in the local area as I'm heading off to uni to a year so I bought myself a set of dumbbels to train with. I figure this should be enough for me at the moment? The max weight I have is 18.5kg on each but so far I am lifting 16kg - the problem is that I can't find enough exercises to do to be able to train 3/4 times a week and training each muscle group only once so I think I am drastically overtraining.

My routine consists of:

Saturday - 1hr cycling in the morning, (45min weightlifting in the afternoon - sometimes) followed by 20min cardio
Sunday - 1hr cycling in the morning, 20 min cardio in the afternoon
Monday - 45min wl morning, 30min cardio afternoon
Tuesday - 45min wl morning, 30min cardio afternoon
Wednesday - 45min wl morning, 30min cardio afternoon

The reason I can say weightlifting is because so far my routine is exactly the same and I know now that this is a big mistake. I would like to sort out my routine in push/pull/back or chest/bi/tri/leg/back as many members over here are doing.

At the moment my weightlifting routine is this (16kg dumbbells):

3 x 35 pressups to warm up
2 x 25reps of Flat Chest Presses (this is an awful number but I just find the weight too easy so I will have to buy additions for this exercise)
2 x 15reps of Flat Chest Flies

2 x 15reps of Upright Rows
2 x 36(I alternated hands so 13)reps of Hammer curls; however I pulled my upper back muscle, much better now, and in the mean time have done 2 x 13reps of Single Arm Rows

2 x 13 concentration curls

60 situps (I release bodyfat is the main thing for getting a 6pack, mainly a calorie deficit, but I enjoy training the abs).

I then repeat everything above from chest press to concentration curls but only have 1 set.

This whole routine lasts around 40minutes, if I take a max break of 60seconds before sets - I think for everything apart from the chestpress the dumbbell weight is good as I do around 13 reps and nearly fail on the last set. I think I might get another pair of dumbbells so I can do a heavier weight for the chestpress and a much lower weight for front raises, military press, dumbbell curls.

I'm around 5,11 (179) and weight 72/73kg; and my bodyfat (meausred by the handheld device) is around 17% so although I want to get to 13% eventually I think it might be a good idea to gain quite a bit of muscle first to increase the metabolism. I eat around 5 times a day, every 2 hours; scottish oats for breakfast with bananas, raisins, and honey. Two whites, one yolk at around 11. Tuna/chicken/salmon/trout/cod with brown rice at 1.30. Salmon sandwhich or a can of tuna at 5pm and a protein shake at around 7/8pm after exercise (along with a shake after morning exercise). I take multivitamins, fish oil, myprotein and creatine.

I apologise for the long post but there are quite a few things that have been bugging me for a few months (I started weightlifting 4 months ago and even with my routien have noticed quite good gains).

I appreciate any help I get

illy

Sorry to double post but I've finished researching various exercises and have put this together. I think I will buy another dumbbell so that I can add weight to reduce my chest press reps to 13 and I can have another lighter dumbbell for exercises on my triceps and shoulders (which are very weak) - I've noticed that I developed my chest and biceps quite well however my shoulders and triceps are very much lacking:

Chest + Triceps - Mon

Flat Chess Press - 4 x 13 reps
Dips 4 x 6 reps
Dumbbell Pullover – 4 x 13 reps
Flat Chest Flies – 4 x 10 reps

Back + Biceps - Wed

Single Arm Row – 3 x 13 reps
Shrugs – 3 x 13 reps
Concentration Curl 3 x 13 reps
Upright Rows – 3 x 13 reps
Chin-ups 3 x 8reps

Shoulders + Legs - Fri

Seated Press 3 x 13 reps
Squat 3 x 14
Side lateral raises 3 x 13
Alternative Front Press 3 x 13
Seated Calf Raises 3 x 15


All with 3 x 35 pressups to warm up and 60 situps in the middle to give all the other muscles a rest.

mars1960

If you are serious about this the 1st thing you need to do is invest in some equipment.
Then come back and i know that there are many here who will be more than happy to help you achieve your goals.

Welcome to the board

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budgie

good on you illy got to start some were,as to your training im not best at advising you newbie my self 7mnths now and love it. i started with db and then bought a multi gym now i want free wights. stick at it eat good.
i would say though do your sets in different orders if yove been doing same for a while. try working more than one muscle group during exercise [compound]. rather than isolateing one muscle.im sure someone will correct me if im wrong

good luck stick at it
thanks budgie
:lift::(:(:(:(:(:(

illy

Thanks for the kind comments

Mars, I'm going to purchase an additional dumbbell tomorrow morning which is quite light 8.5kg but then I can add on the weights onto my current dumbbell - I think could get it to 22.5kg and that should be enough I think for all my exercises and even the benchpress; if I get to the point where I can bench more than 45kg x 12 reps I will probably get myself a barbell starting at 50kg. I think another benefit I might derive from an additional dumbbell is that I can have a heavy and a light weight to make it easier to switch weights between exercise.

Do you think the routine that I posted is acceptable? I will give it a test run to see what weights I will use for set and post my progress.

Budgie - I'm sure 'awesome avy' is ubiquitous in the posts replying to you Makes you wonder how much that job will pay. I think the new routine does that, as I've got 2 muscle groups; one major and one minor. Cheers for the words of encouragement. Hopefully in the next 4 four months I should grow much more than I have in the previous 4 months with a proper routine. How have your gains beens in the past 7months? I know what you mean about loving it; I would love to have a 4-day workout but it seems most of the people say that 3 is enough to avoid overtraining - I prefer bb to cardio anyday, however I do realise that you should keep both. I have a myprotein shake after morning exercise and afternoon exercise so thats around 50grams, I also tend to consume 2 eggs, portion of milk, small can of tuna or salmon sandwhich, and 100g portion of tuna or other fish or chicken for lunch. I think that should be enough protein for me as I weigh 72kg and I want to reduce my bodyfat to 13% in the next couple of years and I think increasing metabolism through muscle gain (as mine is quite slow) is the best and most satisfying way forward.

mars1960

Thats not a bad routine for toning up, but as you say your looking to add some mass as well you will have to use more weight and lower your reps.

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One a day, the well balanced way.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
(so i'm saying jack sh1t)