Goose

Here is my routine that I am doing, what do you recon?
3 Sets for all, last set to failure.

Sunday:

12 Upright Rows

12 Bicep Curls

12 Skull Crushers

12 Fore Arm Curls

12 Side Lifts

12 Front Lifts Tuesday: 12 Bench Presses 12 Military Presses 12 Squats 12 Pull Overs 12 Weighted Sit ups 12 Calve Raises Thursday: 12 Good mornings 12 Bent Over Rows 12 Middle Back Shrugs 12 Shrugs 12 Dumb Bell Rows Thanks, Goose

Jock

What are your stats, how long have you been training and more importantly what are your goals?

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Goose

OK my, stats.

Im 21, 5'10" and about 140lb with 6.5% BF. Only been training for a couple of months, but with no real rountine.
My goals are basically to build size and look good.

Thanks,
Goose.

samurai69

I would cut down the reps to 8 and when you can manage 10 or 12 increase the weight.

Big has a good starter routine and info in his sig


or there is this clip from an article i wrote

As a personal trainer (insert your comments here ), i see a lot of beginners to the gym being shown small isolation exercises and 10 to 15 rep sets, when what they really need is a balanced routine thats designed to start building strength not only in the big muscles, but in the proprioceptive muscles (the muscles used to balance) , tendons and ligaments. It also needs to be progressive, with a learning curve on intensity.

My wife started lifting weights about 6 months ago, when she started in the gym we stuck to one exercise per bodypart.

Chest - Barbell bench Press
Back - Lat Pulldowns (would change this to bent barbell rows now)
Shoulders - Dumbell shoulder Press
Legs - Squats (deep at least to parallell)
Arms - Dumbell extensions and dumbell Curls

These exercises were chosen so that there was a certain amount of proprioception needed.

We trained the same workout 2 times per week doing 2 sets of eight to 12 reps. When 12 reps was reached we increased weight until only 8 reps was manageable and worked up.

Approximately 4 weeks in to this we increased to 3 times per week and 3 sets, still continuing with the 8 -12 rep sysytem

Then after about 4 weeks again we changed the system slightly, by this time my wife was beginning to understand about intensity in her training, so we went to a split routine

We now train tuesday, thursday, saturday, tuesday, with an upper body, lower body workout, meaning that every 3rd workout has a longer rest period.

We have also included a second, isolation, exercise for the larger muscle groups.

The Important thing is the constant increase in intensity, either by increasing weight or reps

So since her training has started the weights have increased to the point that she is lifting, not only more than most of the women in the gym but more than what half of guys lift.

This In my mind is the ideal way to begin the training of a total beginner

Once training has continued for atleast 6 months the newbie would have built a muscle base, strengthened tendons and ligaments and have a working knowledge of lifting weights correctly.

Then the fun can begin, here we can go towards HIT, high volume, 5x5 etc etc. Depending on which are you want to progress into (powerlifting, bodybuildine, strongman, strenght sports, general health etc)

So Start slowly, build strength in the muscles tendons and ligaments, learn proper exercise technique, learn how to continually progress and raise the intensity level and from purely a training perspective you will see muscles and strength grow.

Of course to continue there are other things like Diet, proper nutrition and supplementation, rest etc, but thats another post

verve

On tuesday, you are training chest, shoulders and legs on the same day, and doing only 3 sets of 12 reps for each, that's not enough. If you're just starting, forget your arms. No bicep training needed. Compounds will be enough.
3 day split-
1-Legs
2-Back
3-Chest
Doesn't need to be in that order, but that's what your session should centre around. On back day, you're doing shrugs and middle back shrugs? Never done these, or even heard of them to be honest...

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big

Are you currently gaining on that routine?

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Jock

Superb post Samurai....

Looks like you are overtraining, 4 sets of 12 reps is a lot. Once you are comfortable with reps of 12 you can move down to reps of 8-10. Concentrate on training bodyparts, your routine looks a little mixed up, for example:

Sunday: Chest/Biceps
Tuesday: Legs/Triceps
Thursday: Back/Shoulders

Make sure you include the 3 basic mass-building (compound) exercises; Deadlift, Squat, Bench Press in your routine.

IMO 3 compound exercises is enough along with 1/2 isolation movements if you wish.

What is your diet like?

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Goose

I gained 1lb on this routine so far. I don't have a proper diet at the moment, I am trying to eat as much as I can, when ever I can.
Should I rearrange this routine into a ordered three day split, using Jock's example:

Sunday: Chest/Biceps
Tuesday: Legs/Triceps
Thursday: Back/Shoulders

Or would it be best to work out a new routine using less exercise's around this split?

big

Gained 1lb in how long on the routine?

Is your strength going up each session?

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Goose

Gained the lb over a week. I haven't been adding weight but the last set has got easier, still can't make the 12 reps on the last set though.

big

If you can't make the right number of reps in your first week, then you started too heavy.

The first 2-3 weeks of a new routine should be relatively easy (still a struggle, but possible). You should then be adding weight each week. If you can consistently add weight for several weeks and bust past your previous plateaus, then the routine is good for you. If not, it isn't.

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maxxxx

goose i started off trying high reps 10 plus and made very little progress and understood unless your on juice its not very effective at stimulating growth this i know through experience start 9 stone now 164 over 360 bench and rising squat over 400 to the floor for reps. so what really works.low reps 6 approx sets 2 to 3 per muscle group double reps and singles increase strength very quickly meaning you can apply over load principle to the muscle weekly dial in your diet up the protein to a minimum of 160 grams per day and keep increasing that especially if experiencing slow progress warm up move up through the weight get as high as poss stay there as long as possible drop weight on the set pump out the reps aim for pb weekly say 5 lbs on the highest weight if not more or at least a few more reps keep a training diary so you can quantify. stick with compound movements weighted dips are the upper body squat utilise stretch at the lower part for full pec growth train each muscle group approx once every 5 days . those guys at the gym using high reps looked the same when i came baaack as when i left yet they were all commenting on my increased size and strength this is how you do it naturally that is. the key is aim to break your pb as often as possible in good form good luck and stay with it

hackskii

Dont want to be the spoiler here but:
70% of your max works 90% of all your muscle fibers (slow and fast twitch).

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Scott


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maxxxx

yes and lifting more weight for longer produces more muscle growth than lifting lighter for less time

hackskii

If this quote was just for you then you can make this statement.
Looks good on paper but this is not actually true.

Everyone has a different amount of slow and fast twitch muscle fibers.
Everyone has a different CNS or central nervous system.
I have had some friends that were very strong and were not all that big.
I have had some friends that were very big and not that strong.
I have had some friends very strong and very big.


But in my argument, I will use two guys that are twins.
Both have lifted for 28 years and have been very consistent in the gym for the most part.
Both have similar eating habits and lifestyles.
Both are the same bodyweight.
One is stronger and one is bigger.
Why in this case is the stronger one not bigger?
Why is the bigger one not as strong?
I know these guys well as it is me and winger or Scott and Steve.


Also in my argument, a lot of strength is determined on the CNS, this is the bodies ability to twitch fast similar to a sprinter being blazing fast.
Some guys are just stronger but not bigger.
This is due to several reasons like for instance, CNS, genetics, % of fast twitch muscles, routines.

You can not lay down a program and say follow this and have it be the standard.
Everyone is different and all respond to different things differently.

Look at bicycle riders.
Tour de France, they ride over 2000 miles and have massive legs.
This is just the body adapting to the stimulus at hand.

Not to mention adding the extra weight increases the chance for injury.
Ligaments take a long time to develop to handle heavy weight.
Poor form or ego lifting is a recipe for disaster and the advice you just gave is not suited for everyone.

You say you are 164 lbs and bench 340 for reps and can lift 360 for a single, all being natural?
I am not a believer.
Make me a believer and post a pick and I will tell you by looking at you if you can do what you say.
I have been in this game a long time, convince me I am wrong and you will not only get my respect but an apology as well.
Hey that sounds good for only posting a pick

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Scott


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