For the gym rats

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Any advice on how to improve my routine would be great. Bearing in mind I'm up at 5am every day and don't get home till around 630-7pm during the week I have to do my best. (And who said senior managers didn't do any work?! :p).

I vary exercises a lot between days so all the exercise listed for say chest I don't do at once, I'll pick 3 exercises, or maybe 3+1 superset. And I alternate weeks, i.e. 1 week I do heavy, 1 week I do light.

I do it on a rolling roster, in case I can't do that day (come home late or knackered) I just carry it on to the next days. On days where I don't do weights if I go to the gym I'll play basketball, or do some rowing or that sort of thing. Or play squash or go for a plod (I don't call it running :o)

Also it's quite complicated I sometimes split Day 1, and day 2 with day 4 depending on time - just to get a mixture of exercises.

I've showed a range of weights they vary from light days and maximum on heavy days (and my current 1RM in brackets) - of course I don't do every exercises listed in one session as I said I've just showed every routine I do do.

Weights in KG.

Day 1:

Chest:

Incline Bench 60-95 (105)
Flat Bench 60-110 (125)
Decline Bench 60-100 (110)
Incline DB 22.5-35 (40 max DB weight )
Decline DB 22.5-37.5 (40 max DB weight )
Cable Flies 20-45 (55)
DB Flies 15-25 (30)
Narrow grip Dips 3x 12 reps + 1 rep till failure
Wide grip dips as above
Weighted Dips 5-15 (20)

Biceps:

Preacher curls on W bar 27.5-50 (60)
21s on olypmic bar 25-30 (32.5)
Hammer curls 15-22.5 (25)
Oylmpic bar standing curls 15-30 (35)


Day 2

Legs:

Olympic bar Squats 60-150 (170)
Front squats 60-80 (90)
Leg press 100-280 (300)
Calf raises 60-100 (125)
Lunges 60-80 (90)

Triceps:

Skull crushers 22.5-32.5 (40)
Cable pull down 20-60 (70)
Tricep extensions 12-20 (22.5)
Weighted tricep dips 20kg plate

Day 3

Deadlifts 100-170 (190)
Powercleans 60-100 (105)
Bent over rows 60-100 (115)
Lat pull downs narrow grip 60-100 (100 is max weight)
Lat pull downs wide grip 60-100 (100 is max weight)
Cable row 60-100 (100 is max weight)
DB pull overs 35-40 (40 is max db)
DB one handed rows 35-40 (40 is max db)
Cable cross over back extension 20-45 (55)

Day 4

Shoulders:

Shrugs 100-130 (150)
Lateral raises 12-17.5 (20)
Side lateral raises 12-17.5 (20)
Military press 50-80 (90)
Arnies 20-25 (27.5)
DB press 17.5-25 (30)
cable raises 15-30 (35)

It's relatively accurate. Certainly on the middle range weights my 1RM vary a lot though on average all the weights are going up. I'm hitting the limit of my gym equipment in some areas which sucks.
 
I don't do all those exercises at once! I pick about 3 or 3+1 superset on each day I do. I just showed all the exercises that I do for those body parts. I add exercises to day 4 to make up the surplus on a rolling rota sort of thing. It's not brilliant but with the hours I work I just can't be that religious :( I only spend about an hour to 75 minutes at the gym I'm not in there for hours - if none of my friends are there I take even less time (less sharing of equipment).

I hear what you're saying though what do you suggest?
 
I've just started getting back in to doing close arm pullups, I started off only being able to do 3 but I've got that up to 5. I'm weighing in at over 110 kilos at the moment so I'm pretty happy with that..

I need to lose weight :(
 
Freefaller said:
I don't do all those exercises at once! I pick about 3 or 3+1 superset on each day I do. I just showed all the exercises that I do for those body parts. I add exercises to day 4 to make up the surplus on a rolling rota sort of thing. It's not brilliant but with the hours I work I just can't be that religious :( I only spend about an hour to 75 minutes at the gym I'm not in there for hours - if none of my friends are there I take even less time (less sharing of equipment).

I hear what you're saying though what do you suggest?
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Make sure you have a set (but variable) rotation to make sure you dont subconciously skip some things you dont like (dont act like you don't EVERYONE does!). Group the exercised into, well, groups. Then figure out an orderly rotation. Then work out how many sets each muscle group performs and make sure the volume is properly moderated.

The best way i have seen for mediating the volume of training is by using the 'work done' method. Here you calculate the total 'work' done by a muscle by adding the total rep weights. Thus 10x100kg squats = total squat work done 1ton/1000kg. 12/10/8 reps of 30/35/40kg bicep curls = 360+350+320 = 1030kg bicep work done.

Using this method its possible to vary the weight and repetitions whilst maintaining, increasing or decreasing overall work. IMO the best way to work out your optimum workload would be to take a weight and rep to failure (make sure that failure occurs in the higher reps, like >8) and then double that and split it throughout the normal sets.

It might seem like an odd way of looking at standard weight progression but its a great way of monitoring the overall workload of each muscle group and avoiding overtraining. The way you train you run the risk of giving one muscle a much higher workload than others.
 
Fantastic info there UE - certainly something which will help. You're right there are always exercises that people don't like, I do force myself to do them though :p
 
Killa_ken said:
They definitely add mass, I may try and just do cable flyes in future.
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Cable is arguably better for flyes anyway as it maintains the resistance throughout the lift. However this may be offset by the increased employment of stabiliser muscles during the free weight version. I personally find the free weight flyes to require a large effort at the start and too much of an easy bit in the middle. Would prefer a more even effort distribution throughout the rep.
 
I can stimulate my chest with flyes more than I can with any other exercise, my chest has almost gained best when i've had them in my routine.
 
Last time he said something about training i'm pretty sure it was along the lines of all his training now is merely maintenance work because he was happy with his size.
 
2smoothbooth said:
the closest machine we have to cross-over cable is just the single cable machine. Only good for tri's and bi's to be honest, suppose i have to be thankful that we have a pec dec
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with a pec deck you can work the chest VERY well, contrary to popular belief, but not if you follow the silly skinless man instructions on the side of the stack.

The best pec deck routine i have used comes in the form of a giant set, that is 3 sets one after the other with only a pause to change position. It helps to have someone to change the weight too as in some of the more demanding positions it can get difficult.

The 3 positions, presuming its a flat-pad type machine not a vertical handle type, are as follows:-

palms on the pads, elbows out, move as if clapping in front of your face. Slow motions and heavier weight, this works the thick outer pecs.

Hands at the side of the head, elbows on the pad, lighter weight and faster repetitions but concentrate on holding it at the most contracted point.

Third, standard forearm flye, use whatever the typical motion is.

3 sets of 8 reps in each style, one after the other 60 seconds rest between each giant set (so every 24reps) If you really want punishment or you have too strong a chest for your pec-deck stack, start the set with explosive push ups, at an incline if you're truly nails.

Thats how you can get the most out of even a lame 120kg health spa pec deck. Remember, never blame the equipment you have to work with, just blame yourself for being a big fat ugly friendless small muscled girly-man.
 
Killa_ken said:
This is a brilliant idea, Ill be in England from June onwards for 3 months, I have a mate who has just opened a new gym in Milton Keynes so he would have no porblems with us having a meet there! :)

Would be great to have a jolly with you lot!
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Killa - do you want to organise something around this closer to the time? I think a few of us would definitely be up for it. I think most of us here have the right attitude to training so it wouldn't be a macho/testosterone fest, and we could have a few civilised drink and a good fun night out too? Obviously whoever organised it would have to stipulate the rules - I don't particularly want show off-types, but as I said I think we've got a good dedicated group of people here. :)
 
Freefaller said:
Killa - do you want to organise something around this closer to the time? I think a few of us would definitely be up for it. I think most of us here have the right attitude to training so it wouldn't be a macho/testosterone fest, and we could have a few civilised drink and a good fun night out too? Obviously whoever organised it would have to stipulate the rules - I don't particularly want show off-types, but as I said I think we've got a good dedicated group of people here. :)
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Yeah definitely, as soon as I've got all my flights and dates sorted I'll get on this. Should be good fun :)
 
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