Workout Advice

[ExRayTed]

Ok..firstly I'm only really starting out with free weights after having done simple home exercise for years (dips,chins,weighted pushups etc).I've been working out now for around 4 weeks and have tried to eat properly too.I'm on a split routine every other day.

After having read the sticky I have some concerns about the amount of lifting I'm doing.For example I started out with 40kg as my max bench and I'm now on 65kg so I'm clearly getting stronger.But my chest workout now consists of 2 warmup sets at 45kg then I'll do 4 x 8 at 55 the 2 x 4 at 60 then 2 x 2 at 65kg.That's 8 sets in total just for flat bench.Then I'll go onto dumbell flys with about 6 sets using a similar increase in weight ratio then close grip press,again usually 4-6 sets at the maximum weight I can lift to finish the workout off.

My back/shoulder days consist of the same kind of set numbers with barbell rows,frontal lat pulldowns,military press and upright rows.Leg/arm days are full squat and deadlift with some bicep curls just to finish off.

Is this ok as I'm now worried about over training? I don't ache much at all on my rest days and have put on a little weight and I'm definately able to lift much more than I could when I started.

Diet wise I'm consuming around 3500 calories per day with around 200g of protein from cans of tuna,whey,chicken,nuts etc.I currently weigh 13st and am 5ft6.

Thanks for the advice guys,I feel like I'm doing the right thing but don't want to continue doing this if it is wrong

 

[GordyR]

If your strength is increasing and you are gaining weight then you are not doing anything "wrong" per sae. Your training might not be 100% effecient but if you are gaining then it is working.

I have always been a firm believe in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". This old saying goes for training also. If it's working then there is no need to change anything, continue until your gains slow or plateau and then look to see where you could improve.

We are all different and what is overtraining for one person might be under-training for another.

Having said all this, 8 sets on flat bench alone seems a little unneccasary. You would likely do better with less overall volume and concentrate your efforts on increasing the weights. Also I would say 6 sets of flyes is nothing but a waste of energy. Flyes aren't going to put much mass on your chest. I like them for the stretch (which can arguably aid hypertrophy via fascia stretching) at the end of a chest workout, nothing more. 3 sets are more than enough if you must do them.

Anyway, it is hard to give a real opinion in this without knowing what your whole routine is like. Is it a typical 1 bodypart per day, per week split? Is it an upper/lower split or is it a full body routine?

 

[ExRayTed]

Thanks for the reply

My routine is exactly this at the moment,although the weights have gone up steadily..

Day 1 - All the chest work detailed above

Day 2 - Rest

Day 3 - Start with warm up then go 4 x 6/8 on barbell row at around 40kg atm the 2 x 4 at 45kg then 2 x 2 at 47.5kg.These really hurt my lower back and hamstrings though..not afterwards just during the movement.I'm hoping It'll get better with time.

Military press - 4 x 8 at around 40kg then 2 x 4-6 at 45kg then 2 x 1-2 at 50kg

Lat pulldowns 4 x 8 at around 45kg then 3/4 x 4/6 at around 50kg then 2 x 2/3 at 55kg ( I have to strap my legs to the bench with my lifting belt )

Upright rows - 4 x 8 at around 40kg then 3/4 x 4 around 45kg then 2 x 2 at 50kg

Day 4 - Rest

Day 5 - Full Squat - Odd one this as my knees hurt if I go too heavy but I know I can squat more weight if my knees would take it.The pain is getting better it seems so I'm only squatting 4 x 8 at 60kgs hoping that with time I'll improve.

Deadlift - 4 x 8 at 70kgs then 2 x 4/6 at 75kg then 2 x 2 at 80kgs.Again I'm fairly certain I could lift more but again my knees seem to be the limiting factor.

I *hate* leg extensions so I don't do any.

The rest of my workout time is spent doing around 4 sets of bicep curls at around 35kgs.I have a feeling these may be superfluous though..I just feel only doing squats and deadlifts isnt enough for a workout...silly I know.

Now the actual number of reps is fairly accurate for the first two lots of sets but the last one where I'm only doing two reps,can sometimes be only one..it depends on when muscular failure occurs.

Day 6 - Rest

Day 7 - Chest all over again

Day 8 - Rest

Day 9 - Back

etc..

I really wanted to concentrate on compound stuff only and add strength/weight before I start with any isolation work.I also plan to buy a dip/chin belt to do weighted chins when I have the strength.