Am i missing anything important?

My personal fitness regime honestly hasn't change for roughly 6 months now. I'm just wondering if im missing a vital muscle or something.

I'm not looking to get too big, mostly because i'm kind of short.

My weekly work out is thus:

Monday
Cardio - 5 min warm up walk, 40 min run (roughly about 4 mile run, 4.6 total), 5 min cool down
Lifting -
Abs - Crunches, Leg lifts, Abdominal Twists, side crunches
Chest - Chest Press and Chest Flys

I follow this with a full body stretching routine

Tuesday
Cardio - 5 min warm up walk, 40 min run (roughly about 4 mile run, 4.6 total), 5 min cool down
Lifting -
Arms - Arm curls and arm extensions (works triceps)
Shoulders - Shoulder Press
Back - Low row, Lower back, Lat Pull down

I follow this with a full body stretching routine


Wednesday
Cardio - 5 min warm up
Lifting -
Legs - Leg extension, Leg curl, Abductor, adductor, and leg press

Full body strech
Cardio - 30 min swim

Thursday
Same as Monday

Friday
Same as Tuesday

Saturday
Same as Wednesday

Sunday
Day of Rest. Although, i typically work sundays, so i am on my feet walking/running around for a good 8 hours or so. i dont really count this as exercise though.

i would personally run after lifting but maybe that's just me :shrug:

are you looking for ways to improve performance? or just looking to see if you're missing any critical exercises?

tuesday sounds like hell on your arms....maybe split up back exercises from arms/shoulders

The only major group you are missing is your forearms. However, these are being worked to at least some degree by almost all of these other movements so I wouldn't worry about it too much. If you start to feel extra tension or pain in your wrists or forearms start throwing in some wrist curls and reverse wrist curls on your arm days.

Obviously you are not hitting every muscle in your body and may not even be specifically isolating half of them. However people face tradeoffs and you are not trying to be a pro bodybuilder so you are definitely thinking the right thing in picking and choosing and sticking with a few core exercises. And the ones you chose are great choices. If you start to feel unusual tension or pain in your lifts it is probably because a strength imbalance has developed in your muscles from only having some of them targeted. If this happens consult a trainer at your gym or post back here and maybe we can figure out what needs to be strengthened up to bring back balance.

That said, I have no idea what your goals are, but if you want to start targetting some different muscles here are some big(ish) gaps in your workout:

Upper back, specifically traps.

The other two heads of your shoulders
check here:
Shoulder Exercise Menu (http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/ShouldWt.html)
notice you are only working the anterior head.

Also consider working the rotator cuff if you feel any tension or pain in your shoulder during your chest presses. Rotator cuff injuries as a result of a strength imbalance are the most common training injury.

Calves

Hope this helps and good luck!

i would personally run after lifting but maybe that's just me :shrug:

are you looking for ways to improve performance? or just looking to see if you're missing any critical exercises?

tuesday sounds like hell on your arms....maybe split up back exercises from arms/shoulders
Well, i figured since i have to warm up with 5 min of cardio, i might as well run right then and there. Saves me some time. And im just looking to see if i was missing anything critical.

Tuesday is ok for me, i dont push myself *too* hard, so maybe thats why i can manage it.



The only major group you are missing is your forearms. However, these are being worked to at least some degree by almost all of these other movements so I wouldn't worry about it too much. If you start to feel extra tension or pain in your wrists or forearms start throwing in some wrist curls and reverse wrist curls on your arm days.

My forearms are progressing at the same rate everything else is. They are pretty muscular at this point. I think you're right about them being worked by everything else.

Obviously you are not hitting every muscle in your body and may not even be specifically isolating half of them. However people face tradeoffs and you are not trying to be a pro bodybuilder so you are definitely thinking the right thing in picking and choosing and sticking with a few core exercises. And the ones you chose are great choices. If you start to feel unusual tension or pain in your lifts it is probably because a strength imbalance has developed in your muscles from only having some of them targeted. If this happens consult a trainer at your gym or post back here and maybe we can figure out what needs to be strengthened up to bring back balance.
Yea, im not out like most of the TW'ers to become the next Mr. Universe. I've always had a soccer player physique, and thats something i want to keep. Lean and muscled my type of look.

That said, I have no idea what your goals are, but if you want to start targetting some different muscles here are some big(ish) gaps in your workout:

Upper back, specifically traps.

The other two heads of your shoulders
check here:
Shoulder Exercise Menu (http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/ShouldWt.html)
notice you are only working the anterior head.

Also consider working the rotator cuff if you feel any tension or pain in your shoulder during your chest presses. Rotator cuff injuries as a result of a strength imbalance are the most common training injury.

Calves

Hope this helps and good luck!

Yea, this is the type of stuff i was looking for. I have a few friends that are gym rats, but spend WAY too much time there, so i didnt want to take their advice. Was just looking for some core muscles that i may have been missing. Thanks for the input.

might wanna hit lateral and posterior delts

are you a girl? (serious question)

are you a girl? (serious question)

O_o. why would you assume this

because of your name and you dont do any compound excercises like deadlifting, squats, bench press, etc

What is your fitness goal here? You're not going to get much stronger doing those little lifts, it looks more like a cardio-type workout. Looks like a bunch of those are on the machines, too.

Are you doing any of the following:
Bent over Row, Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press, Military Press?

If not, why? This is the core of my routine.

thats exactly what i was thinking ^

I mean, that kind of routine looks like someone trying to lose weight and maintain some muscle mass, although not as much as if they were lifting higher. Maybe that is your goal. I can't really judge if you are missing anything since I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish.

It looks like you're working out most of the muscles in your body using isolation lifts. I can't see any you are missing. If your goal is strength or size, I recommend you work in more dumbell / barbell exercise, especially the big, high-volume compound lifts I named above.

because of your name and you dont do any compound excercises like deadlifting, squats, bench press, etc

My name? o...k..

Anyways. I'm not a big fan of free weights. I generally go alone to the gym because my schedule is pretty odd, and i dont feel like needing a spotter. Also, as long as im hitting all of the muscles, how does it matter?

What is your fitness goal here? You're not going to get much stronger doing those little lifts, it looks more like a cardio-type workout. Looks like a bunch of those are on the machines, too.

Are you doing any of the following:
Bent over Row, Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press, Military Press?

If not, why? This is the core of my routine.

I really don't have one. I am a pretty athletic person, i have been since high school. I'm not looking to bulk up, im looking to maintain what i currently have. And yes, most are on machines


I mean, that kind of routine looks like someone trying to lose weight and maintain some muscle mass, although not as much as if they were lifting higher. Maybe that is your goal. I can't really judge if you are missing anything since I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish.

It looks like you're working out most of the muscles in your body using isolation lifts. I can't see any you are missing. If your goal is strength or size, I recommend you work in more dumbell / barbell exercise, especially the big, high-volume compound lifts I named above.

My goal is mostly just to maintain what i already have. I was just looking to see if i was missing a vital muscle somewhere. I'm not like a lot of gym people, im not looking to get big. I know it might sound weird, but i honestly just enjoy working out. It makes me feel good about myself.

That being said, with my height, if i put on too much muscle, id look pretty weird. I have the physique of a soccer player, and i like it. Its not something i want to change.

My name? o...k..

Anyways. I'm not a big fan of free weights. I generally go alone to the gym because my schedule is pretty odd, and i dont feel like needing a spotter. Also, as long as im hitting all of the muscles, how does it matter?

Because you're not hitting all of the muscles, and to do an isolation exercise for each and every one would take forever. I agree with Rayn that a simple but difficult routine consisting only of squat-deadlift-bench press-bent over row-military press will hit almost every muscle in your body. These exercises however are difficult and dangerous to do if you are not taught proper technique and have a spotter for the first few times you do them. I would still give serious consideration to switching to these exercises.


I really don't have one. I am a pretty athletic person, i have been since high school. I'm not looking to bulk up, im looking to maintain what i currently have. And yes, most are on machines

See machines do half the work for you. They stabilize the weight. As long as you are just maintaining this is fine but if you build muscle using machines it will be disproportionate and your stabilizing muscle groups will not build with your primary ones which is a sure road to injury. Also those support muscles can begin to weaken just from not being engaged properly.

I would do an experiment and see how much less weight you can do free weight vs machine. A slight but significant discrepancy is normal, but if you are shoulder pressing half as much when you have to balance the weight as when you're on a machine, that would be alarming to me.



My goal is mostly just to maintain what i already have. I was just looking to see if i was missing a vital muscle somewhere. I'm not like a lot of gym people, im not looking to get big. I know it might sound weird, but i honestly just enjoy working out. It makes me feel good about myself.

Just because you lift big doesn't mean you will get big. Compounds are just a quicker and more efficient way to get those same results of maintaining muscle.


That being said, with my height, if i put on too much muscle, id look pretty weird. I have the physique of a soccer player, and i like it. Its not something i want to change.
As long as you are not eating big you wont get big doing compounds.


Stick with what works but I'm just trying to show you Rayn's POV. he definitely has a point that you could cut down on your gym time by switching to these bigger lifts. I'm really not trying to bring you down and neither is Rayn or anyone else. We just see that you are not 100% confident in your routine or you wouldn't have posted here and want you to see things from a different perspective.

Ah, didnt quite realize that. Hmmm. Perhaps this is something worth looking into. But i will need a spotter, at least until i get used to it correct?

I would definitely recommend a spotter and a trainer if you have never done these before. These exercises are going to be using a lot more weight than you are used to and you are going to be balancing it all yourself which you are also not used to.

yeah, basically exactly what teckman said, the machine is doing a lot of work for you, and you wont be targeting all your muscles. Also, after youve got the technique and form down, lots of people in the gym (at least my gym) is willing to spot you if youre going to be putting on more weight than you normally do