Hi I’m 22, and starting to work out.
W: 61.8kg
H: 177cm
This is the first time I’ve started to go to the gym in a long time, I went for 6 months regularly when I was 18 and improved a lot in strength but not weight. I’ve been out of practice since then because I’m an idiot.
I started working out regularly again about 4 weeks ago. I’m trying to train 3xweek FBW but I’ve actually only averaged 2.5/week because I’ve recently started doing shift work which is tough but I hope to improve this as I get used to the instability.
My routine is the same 3xweek
Deadlift 3x6
Squat 3x8
Chest Dips 4x8 (Reason:I prefer dips to bench press as a movement but if you think BP is significantly better lmk)
Lat PD 4x8 (Will move onto pullups when I can, I used to be able to do lots of pullups and found it disheartening in the beginning when this was a lot lower than it used to be, so I’m trying to improve with lat pd then step back up)
DB Bench 3x8
Cable Row 3x8
A couple of questions I had were
Is that too much Deadlifting/week?
Do I need a shoulder press in there or will the chest press do for now?
Please let me know
KR
Edit: I need to add that I know I need to improve my nutrition. I plugged my numbers into a calorie excess calculator which said aim for 2250kcal/day. I’ve been aiming for 2000kcal because I hadn’t done pluged the numbers in until today. And I also know that since starting work I’ve probably not been reaching that target either - while my lifts have improved I’ve lost about 1kg since starting
That’s actually not that terrible. With a few tweaks it’ll be really quite good.
The first thing you could change would be to cycle the lift order each day. The other would be to replace cable rows with dumbbell rows (although that’s not that big a deal, DB rows just tend to be highly effective). You could also change your deadlift variation each day. That could help. For example:
Day one
Squat
Romanian deadlift
Lat pulldowns
DB row
DB bench
Dips
Day two
Dips
DB bench
Lat pulldowns
DB row
Squat
DB Romanian deadlift
Day three
Deadlift
Squat
DB row
Lat pulldowns
DB bench
Dips
Then, look at your rep ranges. For the first two exercises on any day, do 5x5-8. Add weight when you can do 5x8 and then start back at 5x5-8. For the other four exercises, do anything between 2-4x10-20. Swap the setsxreps around day to day. That’ll make you vary the load you use, which is a decent way to not get too beat up.
I think the rep ranges and exercise selection you have is good. I personally wouldn’t deadlift daily, but doing RDLs frequently, either on barbell or dumbbell can help build good habits and movement patterns.
I also like doing dips, but not enough to completely rule out bench press. But since you’re already doing DB bench press, I would try to alternate some overhead press in there - dumbbell or barbell.
GENERALLY, for any beginner, I highly recommend an established program like 5/3/1 Boring But Big. Boring But Big 3-Month Challenge
I know frankensteining stuff isnt’ recommended in 5/3/1, but if it keeps you motivated to do stuff you like, why not do Dips after your main Bench/OHP? or RDL after Squats/Deadlift?
I wouldn’t stress over 1kg weight loss. You can fart and lose 1kg.
I’ll probably switch to romanian deadlifts for some days. And the dumbell row sounds like a shout because on the machine, Ive been struggling with increasing the weight at the increment I’m on (all the ones before it are increases in 5kg, but this one is 10kg)
I think I will increase to 5 sets for the first couple of exercises too.
After I finish the last set of each upper body exercise, I halve the weight then continue, then again, until it becomes too easy or too hard to continue. Is that worth doing at all do you think?