I am returning to lifting after a long layoff, can you guys critique my workout?

[Jake LaMotta]

I am 27 years old. I am 6' 245 with alot of body fat. I am all natural (no AAS or HGH). A few weeks from now I plan on returning to weightlifting after a long layoff. I will do a four day a week split (mon,tues,thurs,fri) and I will run on the treadmill weds. and sat. I will do 7 exercises a session and 3 sets for every exercise using reps of 12,10,8 increasing the weight each set. I will change up the exercises every 3-4 weeks or however long I see fit. Below you will see my workout plan. From the list of exercise choices I will make one letter selection (ex. either a,b,c, or d).

Four days a week

Day 1 Mon.

1. a) Seated cable rows (using v-bar or underhand straight bar)
b) Neutral grip bent over one arm dumbbell rows 12,10,8

2. For exercise #2 I will either focus on my upper back using:
a) Seated cable rows to neck using rope 12,10,8
b) Overhand bent over one arm dumbbell rows 12,10,8

Or I will focus on my serratus using:
c) Rope pulls
d) Lever pullovers
e) Straight arm lat pulldowns

3. a) Close grip lat pulldowns 12,10,8
b) Underhand lat pulldowns 12,10,8

4. a) Wide grip lat pulldowns (using long straight bar or d-hooks bar) 12,10,8

5. a) Standing cable external rotation (with towel roll under arm pit) 12,10,8

6. a) Barbell hammer curls 12,10,8
b) Seated hammer curls 12,10,8
c) Medium grip standing reverse curls (using ez bar) 12,10,8
d) Medium grip reverse preacher curls (using ez bar) 12,10,8

7. a) Medium grip standing straight bar curls 12,10,8
b) Medium grip straight bar preacher curls 12,10,8
c) Seated dumbbell curls 12,10,8

Day 2 Tues.

1. a) Flat barbell bench press 12,10,8
b) Flat dumbbell bench press 12,10,8

2. a) Incline barbell bench press 12,10,8
b) Incline dumbbell bench press 12,10,8

3. a) Neutral grip flat dumbbell serratus punches 12,10,8

4. a) Pec deck flys 12,10,8
b) Seated lever flys 12,10,8

5. a) Standing cable internal rotation (with towel roll under arm pit) 12,10,8

6. a) Tricep pushdowns (using either v-bar, rope, overhand straight bar or underhand straight bar) 12,10,8

7. a) 4 way neck machine 12,10,8

Weds.

Walk/run on treadmill for 30 minutes

Day 3 Thurs.

1. a) Squats 12,10,8

2. a) Leg extensions 12,10,8

3. a) Lying leg curls 12,10,8
b) Seated leg curls 12,10,8

4. a) Reverse hyper-extensions 12,10,8

5. a) Standing calve raises 12,10,8
b) Seated calve raises 12,10,8

6. a) Ab crunch machine 12,10,8

7. a) Oblique twist machine 12,10,8

Day 4 Fri.

1. a) Seated overhead barbell press 12,10,8
b) Seated overhead dumbbell press 12,10,8

2. a) Standing front barbell raises 12,10,8
b) Seated front dumbbell raises (overhand grip or neutral grip) 12,10,8

3. a) Medium grip barbell upright rows 12,10,8
b) Seated dumbbell lateral raises 12,10,8
c) Lever 'L' lateral raises 12,10,8

4. a) Seated dumbbell scaption raises (full cans hands at 10 and 2 o'clock) 12,10,8

5. a) Seated lever reverse flys (vertical grip) 12,10,8
b) Standing reverse flys 12,10,8

6. a) Seated dumbell upright external rotation (with foam horn) 12,10,8

7. a) Barbell shrugs (straight bar with straps when needed) 12,10,8
b) Neutral grip seated dumbbell shrugs (with straps when needed) 12,10,8

Sat.

Walk/run on treadmill for 30 minutes

Sun.

OFF

What do you guys think? Is this a good workout plan? Am I doing enough? Am I doing too much? Will this lead to over training? Should I be doing more? Any feed back would be greatly appreciated.

 

[sup]

im not an expert.. but.. seems like alot of stuff...

Honestly.. i would just start with basics.. deads, squats, incline bench (its better), inverted rows, pulldowns, curls, skullcrushers..

just real basic compound movements.

routines

to copy another PM members link.. has some nice routines.

 

[gassy]

Congrats on returning. I could hear the frustration in your posts. I'm looking at a long layoff coming up soon. We all envy the gains you will soon be making, just be smart and take it slow. I would raise the reps and lighten the weight till you see how you feel; err on the side of caution for now. Good luck!

 

[wedge]

I Agree

Just coming back O natural that is a lotta work. Cut back a little on the exercises an stick to what SUP posted for you. Keep us updated.

wedge

im not an expert.. but.. seems like alot of stuff...

Honestly.. i would just start with basics.. deads, squats, incline bench (its better), inverted rows, pulldowns, curls, skullcrushers..

just real basic compound movements.

routines

to copy another PM members link.. has some nice routines.

 

[Jake LaMotta]

Thanks fellas.

Anyone else?

 

[Tom]

a bit too much

I agree with the others. Concentrate on the basics, do a warm-up followed by 1 or 2 intense working sets.

 

[Jake LaMotta]

Is this any better?:

Four days a week

Day 1 Mon.

1. a) Seated cable rows (using v-bar or underhand straight bar)
b) Neutral grip bent over one arm dumbbell rows 12,10,8

2. a) Seated cable rows to neck using rope 12,10,8
b) Overhand bent over one arm dumbbell rows 12,10,8

3. a) Close grip lat pulldowns 12,10,8
b) Underhand lat pulldowns 12,10,8

4. a) Wide grip lat pulldowns (using long straight bar or d-hooks bar) 12,10,8

5. a) Medium grip standing straight bar curls 12,10,8
b) Medium grip straight bar preacher curls 12,10,8
c) Seated dumbbell curls 12,10,8

6. a) Barbell hammer curls 12,10,8
b) Seated hammer curls 12,10,8
c) Medium grip standing reverse curls (using ez bar) 12,10,8
d) Medium grip reverse preacher curls (using ez bar) 12,10,8

Day 2 Tues.

1. a) Flat barbell bench press 12,10,8
b) Flat dumbbell bench press 12,10,8

2. a) Incline barbell bench press 12,10,8
b) Incline dumbbell bench press 12,10,8

3. a) Pec deck flys 12,10,8
b) Seated lever flys 12,10,8

4. a) Tricep pushdowns (using either v-bar, rope, overhand straight bar or underhand straight bar) 12,10,8

5. a) 4 way neck machine 12,10,8

Weds.

Walk/run on treadmill for 30 minutes

Day 3 Thurs.

1. a) Squats 12,10,8

2. a) Leg extensions 12,10,8

3. a) Lying leg curls 12,10,8
b) Seated leg curls 12,10,8

4. a) Standing calve raises 12,10,8
b) Seated calve raises 12,10,8

5. a) Ab crunch machine 12,10,8

6. a) Oblique twist machine 12,10,8

Day 4 Fri.

1. a) Seated overhead barbell press 12,10,8
b) Seated overhead dumbbell press 12,10,8

2. a) Standing front barbell raises 12,10,8
b) Seated front dumbbell raises (overhand grip or neutral grip) 12,10,8

3. a) Medium grip barbell upright rows 12,10,8
b) Seated dumbbell lateral raises 12,10,8
c) Lever 'L' lateral raises 12,10,8

4. a) Seated lever reverse flys (vertical grip) 12,10,8
b) Standing reverse flys 12,10,8

5. a) Barbell shrugs (straight bar with straps when needed) 12,10,8
b) Neutral grip seated dumbbell shrugs (with straps when needed) 12,10,8

Sat.

Walk/run on treadmill for 30 minutes

Sun.

OFF

What do you guys think? Is this any better?

 

[bigdfk]

I am by no means a pro but my workouts look semi similar to the ones posted in that link. I usually just do a few warmup sets and then 2 heavy working sets, roll to my next exercise and do that again (probably less warmups if its the same muscle group). I am not taking any AAS or supplements with these workouts. I'd love to hear what the more advanced guys have to say about it, but then again its very basic. I've modeled it after Big A's workout mostly and I've used some of Phil's principles I think.

I'll hit the big muscle groups with 2 or 3 exercises. Smaller ones I'll do 1 or 2 depending. So just as an example one of my days is chest and tris and it looks like:

flat bb bench - 2 or 3 warmup sets (i warmup with just the bar so thats included) and some light stretching. 2 working sets. Then I'll move to the incline press and do 2 working sets. Then I may finish with a set or 2 of flyes (sometimes).

Thats it for chest. I then move directly into triceps. My elbows are pretty bad so I just stick w/ the cables doing 2 kinds of pushdowns (standard, and the kind where you are leaning forward w/ cables over your head out in front of you a bit. I'll probably do 4 working sets total here.

I may do some abs after if I have time, but since I am dieting a bit (and want to stay healthy) I will go into 20 minutes of intense running on the treadmill.

edit - btw I put a day between each workout.

 

[sup]

The basics that I think are 'manditory"

back -
deadlifts or rack deads
inverted rows or tbar rows
chins or pulldowns

chest
incline dumbell press or incline barbell
dips or decline press
dumbell flys

tri
skullcrushers
bench dips
pressdowns

bi -
barbell curls
laying incline curls - dumbell
spider curls or hammer curls

shoulders
military press behind neck or arnolds
side laterals
rear laters
reverse pec dec flys

legs
squats
leg press
stiff leg deadlift


bigdfk - I think you tend to focus on too much iso type movements. one of the main benifits of 'big compound movements" besides the strength/mass componenet is.. the overal boost to your metabolism/natural test levels.

I would run with these (or similar) basics for a few months then start tweaking for your body and area's of improvement

 

[Twenty of Four]

flat bench is mandatory imo

 

[Jarconis]

cant beat a solid 5x5 routine

 

[Seabiscuit Hogg]

im not an expert.. but.. seems like alot of stuff...

Honestly.. i would just start with basics.. deads, squats, incline bench (its better), inverted rows, pulldowns, curls, skullcrushers..

just real basic compound movements.

routines

to copy another PM members link.. has some nice routines.

Ya something like this is your best bet. I like pushdowns better than skullcrushers but that's just personal preference. If you start with too much volumn it'll be hard to stick with it.

 

[Seabiscuit Hogg]

Another thing. Doing barbell and dumbell exercises of the same movement doesn't make much sense. Do one or the other.

 

[gassy]

With your past shoulder problems I'd lay off barbell bench for a while and stick to DB's and hammer strength; easier on the shoulders.

 

[Uluwatu]

I came back to the iron in february after a 2 year lay off, because of injuries and building a business. I started back with full body workouts 3 days per week, Mon Wed Fri. By about April 15th on was back on 4 days per week 4 exercises per body part, 3-4 sets each and 8 to 12 reps.

 

[sup]

I came back to the iron in february after a 2 year lay off, because of injuries and building a business. I started back with full body workouts 3 days per week, Mon Wed Fri. By about April 15th on was back on 4 days per week 4 exercises per body part, 3-4 sets each and 8 to 12 reps.

I pretty much did the same... I would show before and after pics. but.. honestly Im too fkn embarrased to show my before pic.. (put it this way.. day one of my chest routine I could only do 45# dumbells x 6 reps flat bench) .. im doing 6 reps with 120's now

I did 3 days per week for 4+ months and was making great gains. Ive only just reciently switched to a 5day routine .. only because it fits my life better

im STILL doing almost exactly the routine I listed previously.. I just play around with some days dumbell, some barbell.. just depending on how I feel and what my workout partner wants to do.. and how busy the gym is..

 

[muscle96ss]

Bro, like was already mentioned earlier in the thread, stick with the basics and work your way up slow. Your body has forgotten what it is like to train and you are going to shock your central nervous system if you start out doing too much. No need to do any fancy exercises, stick with the basic and build the foundation. Oh, and did I mention, stick with the basics! You get my point. Also, with the history of your shoulder problems, I would ditch the barbell bench press all together and stick with dumbells. Other than that, looking good; I wish you the best and hope that you can put your past behind you and move forward. Sorry, I haven't had a chance to call you the past week, keep planning on it and then something comes up.

 

[oldfella]

Some good advice here. My 2 cents is stick with d/bells for your chest and shoulder work. Stay away from barbells for a while. You need to build the stabilizers back up. Also do your rortator cuff exercises with religion. Save your self some head ache down the track. Put good effort into rear delt work to balance the strength in your shoulders. The fronts tend to overpower and can be the source of future shoulder probs. Start slow and make steady progress.