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Critique My Workout & Goals

post #1 of 47
2/19/08 at 1:15pm
Thread Starter 
Since I didn't get too many replies with my first post here is a more specific idea of what I am trying to accomplish and what my workout looks like now.

I currently weigh 176 lbs @ 5'8. I would estimate my body fat to be around 16%. I currently wear 33-30 pants although they are a bit tight and I fit well into 34" with a belt.

I would like to cut body fat to get into the 10% or 11% range which is still a ways from my 7% when I was 18 (I am now 25). I also would like to be much stronger overall. I cannot do more than 4 pullups in a row and even then I am struggling to do them correctly.

Here is my current workout which I have been doing for a week.

4 day upper body workout

Day 1/3

3x12
BB Bench
Inc DB Press
Military Press
Lat Pulldown
Lateral Raises
Inc Flyes
Flyes
Upright Cable Rows

Days 2/4

3x12
Ropes Tricep
Seated DB Curl
Cable Curl
Lat Pulldowns
Chest Press
Forearms Curls
DB Preacher Curls
Crunches (25x3)
Leg Raiser (3x15)

As you have noticed I do not have legs on here as I just started back and cut out all running (except 5 min warm-up at 6.5mph on treadmill) and legs so I wouldn't burn out quick. I planned on doing this for 4 weeks and switching.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!
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post #2 of 47
2/19/08 at 1:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Lowry View Post
As you have noticed I do not have legs on here as I just started back and cut out all running (except 5 min warm-up at 6.5mph on treadmill) and legs so I wouldn't burn out quick.

I would NOT do this if I were you. Cardio (doesn't have to be HIIT, solid state should work at this stage) is essential if you want to cut down on body fat / lose weight. To build strength, lower body lifts / core exercises are a must as well.

How's your diet?
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post #3 of 47
2/19/08 at 1:33pm
Thread Starter 
As always it is horrible. I have had good stretches and horrible stretches. One thing I notice is I tend to watch what I eat when I am not working out but when I do work out I eat all I want.

The thing I want to do now is to get back into the swing of working out before hitting it hard.

How long/often do I need to do cardio to cut body fat? Is 6.5 mph too fast? I do not see how someone can run on a treadmill for 45 minutes a day at about any speed for multiple days and not have shin splints and a dead heart. I played college baseball and I couldn't run on a treadmill for 45min then.
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post #4 of 47
2/19/08 at 1:36pm
My first impression is that you are ovettraining. Upper body 4 days a week, and no legs will build an unbalanced physique. I would think doing a balanced routine with mostly upper body 2 days a week and mostly lower body once or twice a week would give your body more time to rest and you would risk being burnt out a lot less (I say "mostly" because deadlifts and squats and pullups and things work more then one half of the body). This is all my opinion, but I know that my body, even with correct amounts of nutrition and rest would not respond well to a routine like that. My best gains by far have been following a program that lifts 3 days a week and does cardio on a few of the off days. I've made this recommendation a LOT of times, but pick up a book like the book of muscle (i have no affiliation with that auction) , and try a routine from a person who knows what they are doing. I did one of the 6 month programs from that book and it made all of my lifts significantly better, and it changes the routine up frequently so you never get bored. Again, just my opinion, but I'd rather take advice from someone who went to school, and learned how the human body works, than someone who's educated by FLEX or MUSCLEMAG or from some other unqualified source. I think you'll notice a lot more improvement then you would making up your own routine.
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post #5 of 47
2/19/08 at 1:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Lowry View Post
How long/often do I need to do cardio to cut body fat? Is 6.5 mph too fast? I do not see how someone can run on a treadmill for 45 minutes a day at about any speed for multiple days and not have shin splints and a dead heart. I played college baseball and I couldn't run on a treadmill for 45min then.

What makes you think that? I ran for 30 minutes at 7.5mph with incline just 2 days ago. I've seen non-athlete friends (some not in even in great shape) do the same thing for 50 minutes to just over an hour. Crosscountry people I know run 5-10K everyday.
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post #6 of 47
2/19/08 at 2:23pm
Thread Starter 
If you can more power to you but, there is no way consistently I can train my mind to run for 45 minutes straight multiple times a week.
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post #7 of 47
2/19/08 at 3:19pm
You're not avoiding training lower body to stop from burning out. You're not doing it because it's hard and you're not gonna man up to it.

Same reason your diet sucks.

(Hey, it's the truth.)
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post #8 of 47
2/19/08 at 3:57pm
Thread Starter 
Isn't "overtraining" a form of "I don't wanna do that"? Of course I am not doing lower body right now because I don't want to. I don't want to right now because everytime I start out lifting I kill myself in the first two or three workouts and find reasons not to work out. I started out with doing what I am doing to try to have some longevity with the process.

I am also very aware of why my diet sucks and why everyone else's diet sucks. You eat bad because it is easy and makes you feel good.

I am a pretty self aware person.
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post #9 of 47
2/19/08 at 4:00pm
Thread Starter 
What I am trying to do now is set up a plan that I can look at with confidence that I am not just doing work in futility.

Most will agree (and the ones who do not are not successful) that you have to have goals and a clear path to accomplish anything. Right now I do not have that.
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post #10 of 47
2/19/08 at 4:09pm
No, overtraining is not a form of "i don't want to do that". When you work out, you break down muscle tissue. If you keep breaking it down without giving it a break to rebuild itself you will not make gains. My advice to get a book would give you a clear path, a goal to finish the program, and if you followed it consistently, you would be happy with the results. You wanted your program to be critiqued, and it does not look ideal for your goals. It looks like you wil get burnt out and quit.
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post #11 of 47
2/19/08 at 4:17pm
Who wants to run for 45 minutes straight? That's boring. I suppose you could let a rabid pit bull chase you to make it more exciting, but still... Like I said in your last thread, if you want to lean out quick, stay lean, and overall give your body the lovin' it deserves, then cut out grains from your diet. Cold turkey, just do it. Give what you've got in the house to Goodwill and don't buy any more. When you'd normally eat bread, eat apples. When you'd normally eat pasta, eat broccoli. (Now, just so we're not confused, here, you should be eating a lot of cold turkey.) If you're worried about burning out, then just go to the gym and do whatever you want. As long as you're doing something and eating decently, getting down from 176lb at 5'8" shouldn't take too long.
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post #12 of 47
2/19/08 at 4:18pm
Aside from the overtraining and cardio issues, your exercise selection is not balanced at all. I see a lot of exercises for upper body, mostly the front of it. You need to be doing something for your back as well. Rows, RDLs, Deadlifts, Power Cleans, etc. You also need leg work in there. Things like Squats, Front Squats, Lunges.
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post #13 of 47
2/19/08 at 4:40pm
Thread Starter 
Good feedback. This is the stuff I was looking for.

Can anyone point me to some reading material to develop a program?

The workout I have is just one I got off of bodybuilding.com and I think most of the workouts there are pretty plain. I did a few programs with a personal trainer while I played baseball but they were all baseball specific and it was while I was in shape.

Would it be better on trying to lose the fat first (more cardio) before focusing on strength?
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post #14 of 47
2/19/08 at 4:49pm
I think you should get a Pt again, and set up both a plan and a good diet and go from there.

Jon.
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post #15 of 47
2/19/08 at 5:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Lowry View Post

HELP!!!!!!!!!!

There are a lot of ways to accomplish your goal. Here's one:

Buy this book. for $17.

lefty
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