Another critique my routine!

School is starting back up, I lost a bit of definition/strength over the summer.

My hope is to increase my strength as well as muscle definition.

Here's the workout:

Monday (Legs):
Barbell Squats (12/10/8) <-- 1 set 12 reps, 1 set 10 reps, 1 set 8 reps
Leg Press (12/10/8)
Calf Raises (16/14/12)

Tuesday (Shoulders):
Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press (14/12/10/8)
Dumbbell Lateral Raise (12/10/8)
Dumbbell Front Raise (12/10)

Wednesday (Back & Abs):
Weighted Decline Sit-ups (16/14/12)
Weighted Crunch (16/14/12)
Bent Over Barbell Rows (12/10/8)
Dead lift (12/10)

Thursday (Triceps & Chest):
Decline Triceps Extensions (12/10/8)
Triceps Cable Push-downs (12/10/8)
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press (12/10)
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press (12/10)
Flat Dumbbell Flies (12/10)

Friday (Biceps):
Alternating Standing Dumbbell Curls (12/10/8)
E-Z Bar Curls (12/10/8)
Incline Dumbbell Curls (12/10/8)

Any comments/suggestions?

Since this fits into your thread, I'll ask it here: How do you know how much you should work a muscle group per day?

For example, benji has incline bench press, flat bench press, and flies all in one day and 3 different kinds of curls in a different day. That seems like a lot to me.

Edit: Just realized that's once per week. I guess the new question is then is it better to do 3 sets 3 (or more like 2.5) times a week or 9 sets once a week for a muscle group?

I have a question: why do people work out the back/bis chest/tris the same days? Don't those muscle groups tire out by the end of the workout from being used together?

I did the opposite, Chest/bis, back/tris and it really helped get me over a plateau...it's like it isolated everything more and I felt as if I could get a better pump :shrug:

i do

monday chest
tuesday bis abs
wed tris
thurs shoulders abs
friday back
sat legs abs
sunday rest

everyday cardio

I have a question: why do people work out the back/bis chest/tris the same days? Don't those muscle groups tire out by the end of the workout from being used together?

I did the opposite, Chest/bis, back/tris and it really helped get me over a plateau...it's like it isolated everything more and I felt as if I could get a better pump :shrug:

I do it because you need them for the workout. Workout out your back without working out your biceps is pretty tough. Given the size of the muscles, most people overtrain them anyway. After a good back workout, your biceps don't need any specific training, and thy certainly don't need a full pinpoint workout.

If I tried to work bis or tris on a seperate day, they would never get anywhere near a full weeks rest. Basically, I'd have to do something like back on monday, and bis on friday, giving me 2 or 3 days between each workout. Little muscles like biceps don't need that.

My workout consists of this split..

Monday: Shoulders/triceps
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Off or cardio
Thursday: Back/bis
Friday: Chest
Sautrday: Off
Sunday: Deadlifts/Shrugs/Abs

Each week I alternate between strength and volume training which all depends on my reps per set. Hope this will help

School is starting back up, I lost a bit of definition/strength over the summer.

My hope is to increase my strength as well as muscle definition.

Here's the workout:

Monday (Legs):
Barbell Squats (12/10/8) <-- 1 set 12 reps, 1 set 10 reps, 1 set 8 reps
Leg Press (12/10/8)
Calf Raises (16/14/12)

Tuesday (Shoulders):
Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press (14/12/10/8)
Dumbbell Lateral Raise (12/10/8)
Dumbbell Front Raise (12/10)

Wednesday (Back & Abs):
Weighted Decline Sit-ups (16/14/12)
Weighted Crunch (16/14/12)
Bent Over Barbell Rows (12/10/8)
Dead lift (12/10)

Thursday (Triceps & Chest):
Decline Triceps Extensions (12/10/8)
Triceps Cable Push-downs (12/10/8)
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press (12/10)
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press (12/10)
Flat Dumbbell Flies (12/10)

Friday (Biceps):
Alternating Standing Dumbbell Curls (12/10/8)
E-Z Bar Curls (12/10/8)
Incline Dumbbell Curls (12/10/8)

Any comments/suggestions?

I'd make friday a cardio day or something. Instead of devoting a day to biceps, throw in either 2 or 3 different kinds of pullups on your back day.

I'm beginning to think a workout without pullups is as bad as a workout without squats.

Since this fits into your thread, I'll ask it here: How do you know how much you should work a muscle group per day?


Shop around, you'll find different schools of thought and some data to back it up, depending on what you are going for(size, strength, endurance, etc)...

Honestly I think there are so many factors that there is no way to know what's right for you except personal experience. Are you bulking or cutting? How old are you? How muscle entensive is your job\day to day life? How's your diet? How fast do you normally recover?

I think most of the questions we ask don't make much of a difference(how long after i workout to drink my shake, should i work out at night or in the morning, blah blah blah). Train hard, change it up often, eat good and you'll find what works for you.

I'd make friday a cardio day or something. Instead of devoting a day to biceps, throw in either 2 or 3 different kinds of pullups on your back day.

I'm beginning to think a workout without pullups is as bad as a workout without squats.

Thanks for the suggestion on pull-ups. I think I'll add that in on my back/abs day. Like 1 set palm forward, 1 set back, and 1 set in? Maybe 10 pull-ups? I haven't done pull-ups in a while so I might have to start relatively low on reps.

Also, I'm doing cardio everyday. Right now I run 1 mile at about 7.5 mph. It's actually quite tough for me as I smoked a lot over the summer. However, that brings up another question. The heartrate monitor on the treadmills at the gym say my heartrate is anywhere from 180-190 during my running session. Is this too high? I want to burn fat and increase my stamina.

Thanks for the suggestion on pull-ups. I think I'll add that in on my back/abs day. Like 1 set palm forward, 1 set back, and 1 set in? Maybe 10 pull-ups? I haven't done pull-ups in a while so I might have to start relatively low on reps.

Also, I'm doing cardio everyday. Right now I run 1 mile at about 7.5 mph. It's actually quite tough for me as I smoked a lot over the summer. However, that brings up another question. The heartrate monitor on the treadmills at the gym say my heartrate is anywhere from 180-190 during my running session. Is this too high? I want to burn fat and increase my stamina.

I'd just go to 'form failure' on pullups unless you are in the 16+ range, in which case I'd add weight.

180+ for a full mile sounds high to me but I have no idea, someone bigger into running should be along shortly

holy shit who are critiquing your workouts? a day for biceps alone just baffles me. You don't need more than 2 exercises for biceps and you should do it during your back day... krems what are you doing saying you should do it on opposite days? jesus christ people don't know what they're talking about.

benji, get rid of the leg presses since you're squatting already, keep the calf raises, and add leg extension and leg curls 3x12-10-8 like you've been doing. Make sure deadlifts are first on your back day followed by pendlay rows. Get rid of your biceps day and add barbell curl to your back routine, you're going to be getting all the exercise your biceps need that day anyways. The bicep is one of the smaller muscles in the body and does not need any more than this.

Make sure the heavy compound exercises are always first in each routine. Bench before your flies, etc...

And I would just make that bicep day cardio

Easy there, Charles Asslast, I was just asking a question.

Also, I was mentioning something that worked for me.

charles asslast :lol: