Is This a Good Routine?

Training Bodybuilding
1

Ive been on a 4 day work out routine. I feel sore the day after the workouts but by the next week i feel really flabby and not as strong.Would like some advice. maybe switching to a full body workout?I only have access to a bench press and a pair of 30lb dumbells. am saving money for gym membership.Ok here it goes.I also try to mix a little extra random workouts after I target the main muscles for the day.

monday-legs
tuesday-back,biceps,and abs
wednesday- OFF
Thursday-chest,and abs
friday-shoulders,calves,and triceps
sat/sun-OFF

Monday- Leg extension- 3/25 One armed dumbell rows- 3/12
Dumbell lunges-3/10 Lying dumbell rows- 3/12
Squat- 3/20 Middle back shrug- 3/10
Leg curl- 3/20 Standing dumbell calf raises-3/20
Calf raises- 3/20 Deadlift- 3/10

Tuesday- Dumbell row- 3/12 Alternating dumbell curls 3/10
Barbell row- 3/15 Concentration curls- 3/20
Hammer curl- 3/10 cross body hammer curl- 3/10
dumbless shrug- 3/15 Crunches- 4/25

Thursday- Incline dumbell press- 3/15
Flat dumbell press- 3/15
decline dumbell press- 3/15
Bench press- 5/5
wide grip bench press- 3/10
wide push ups- 3/20
crunches- 4/25

Friday- Dumbell over head press- 3/15
Front lateral raise- 3/8
side lateral press- 3/8
leaning dumbell row- 3/10
french press- 4/10
dumbell shrug- 3/20
standing dumbell row- 3/12
military press- 3/8
shoulder press- 3/10

Any advice would be helpful. Im just trying to get some tone all over my body and some strength in my chest and legs.

2

[quote]josephherman wrote:
Ive been on a 4 day work out routine. I feel sore the day after the workouts but by the next week i feel really flabby and not as strong.Would like some advice. maybe switching to a full body workout?I only have access to a bench press and a pair of 30lb dumbells. am saving money for gym membership.Ok here it goes.I also try to mix a little extra random workouts after I target the main muscles for the day.

monday-legs
tuesday-back,biceps,and abs
wednesday- OFF
Thursday-chest,and abs
friday-shoulders,calves,and triceps
sat/sun-OFF

Monday- Leg extension- 3/25 One armed dumbell rows- 3/12
Dumbell lunges-3/10 Lying dumbell rows- 3/12
Squat- 3/20 Middle back shrug- 3/10
Leg curl- 3/20 Standing dumbell calf raises-3/20
Calf raises- 3/20 Deadlift- 3/10

Tuesday- Dumbell row- 3/12 Alternating dumbell curls 3/10
Barbell row- 3/15 Concentration curls- 3/20
Hammer curl- 3/10 cross body hammer curl- 3/10
dumbless shrug- 3/15 Crunches- 4/25

Thursday- Incline dumbell press- 3/15
Flat dumbell press- 3/15
decline dumbell press- 3/15
Bench press- 5/5
wide grip bench press- 3/10
wide push ups- 3/20
crunches- 4/25

Friday- Dumbell over head press- 3/15
Front lateral raise- 3/8
side lateral press- 3/8
leaning dumbell row- 3/10
french press- 4/10
dumbell shrug- 3/20
standing dumbell row- 3/12
military press- 3/8
shoulder press- 3/10

Any advice would be helpful. Im just trying to get some tone all over my body and some strength in my chest and legs.
[/quote]

That is outrageously high volume. What are your lifts like?

If you want to do 5-day split, then follow this guideline

Back- 10-15 sets (Deadlifts, chins, whatever else you want)
Chest- 10 sets (db bench, incline, whatever else you want)
Shoulders- 8 sets (military press, whatever else you want
Legs- 10 sets (squats, leg curls, calves, whatever else)
Arms- 8 sets (4 bis, 4 tris) (whatever you want)

You are pounding yourself and probably not training with enough intensity. You shouldn’t be doing more than 2-3 exercises per bodypart and focusing on getting those poundages up. Work in the 5-10 rep range.

I would do:
Chest
Back
off
Legs
off
Shoulders
arms

I also think that a 4-day split would work better- just combine arms and shoulders and get an extra day of rest. that would probably be beneficial.

Or, you could even do a 3-day and combine back/chest and get another day of recovery.

Now, if you are weak and “flabby”, just search for the starting strength thread and do that for a while. Then, find a good upper/lower, then do the 4-day split.

3

Respond to this question. It will tell if its a good program.

IS IT WORKING?

4

I liek to feel burn when im done. i rest about 30 seconds after every set. the work out intensity is pretty high. Ive been working out for over a year and a half now but that routine is my first routine i am following. Before i would just do random things 5 days a week for about an hour to an hour and a half.

My legs and shoulders feel good but my chest doesnt feel stronger at all and my calves never get sore. I have good genetics for my calves. theyre freaking huge.

5

“The burn” is overrated. So what do you want to be less chubby (and POTENTIALLY less strong) or more strong (and POTENTIALLY more fat?

6

i want to be strong but i really dont want to gain more than 10 pounds.

7

The biggest question is are you making progress in your lifts? If you aren’t then it is time for a change. Seriously, it’s that easy.

Me personally. If I am trying to gain, I like to concentrate on at least one “big” lift per bodypart. (ie legs, squats or deads) I like big compound movements. Chins, bench, doens’t have to be barbell but heavy.

Rotate the lifts, days off and such til’ you stop gaining and then try something different.

Thibs wrote and article on “how to write a dam good routine” I think, haven’t read it yet but should be a good read.

The key is to have a plan, like you do, follow it til you stop making progress and then take the next logical step with the next plan. If you are high volume don’t move to another higher volume routine.

8

I think the bigger question, billO, is why the hell was this posted in the bodybuilding section if the guy doesn’t want to gain more than 10lbs.

9

[quote]mr popular wrote:
I think the bigger question, billO, is why the hell was this posted in the bodybuilding section if the guy doesn’t want to gain more than 10lbs.[/quote]

Exactlly. This is a section where men want to become beast. We train to bodybuild. Not bodysculpt. Big food, big weight in addition to big sleep makes big men.

All the little boys who want to stay 16o pounds, please exict, stage right.

10

[quote]josephherman wrote:
i want to be strong but i really dont want to gain more than 10 pounds.[/quote]

Then follow a strength-training routine that will increase relative and absolute strength and not muscle mass.

Your program will not do that. There are many programs on T-Nation that would fit your goals. Pick one and try it out.

Don’t create your own workouts until you’ve been training successfully for a number of years and know how your body responds to training and nutrition.

11

[quote]mr popular wrote:
I think the bigger question, billO, is why the hell was this posted in the bodybuilding section if the guy doesn’t want to gain more than 10lbs.[/quote]

Because posting it in “beginners” would mean that he’s not part of the cool crowd…

Seriously though, this kinda crap happens all the time here, for some reason. Bodybuilding my ass…

12

Well i am 255 and i lost 60 pounds this summer and alng with it alot of strength.i aint no 160lb kid alirght

13

Great post. Op, check out the strength sports section, that will be better for your goals.

{ramble} My personal view is a lot of the ‘powerlifters’ here who’re maintaining weight in the 160’s at normal height (close to 6’) to stay ‘competitive’ in some unknown federation would benefit from buildign some sort of muscular foundation for a few years and then doing the ‘specialization stuff’. Then again, we all need to find somethign that makes us happy./{ramble}

[quote]mr popular wrote:
I think the bigger question, billO, is why the hell was this posted in the bodybuilding section if the guy doesn’t want to gain more than 10lbs.[/quote]

14

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
Great post. Op, check out the strength sports section, that will be better for your goals.

{ramble} My personal view is a lot of the ‘powerlifters’ here who’re maintaining weight in the 160’s at normal height (close to 6’) to stay ‘competitive’ in some unknown federation would benefit from buildign some sort of muscular foundation for a few years and then doing the ‘specialization stuff’. Then again, we all need to find somethign that makes us happy./{ramble}

mr popular wrote:
I think the bigger question, billO, is why the hell was this posted in the bodybuilding section if the guy doesn’t want to gain more than 10lbs.

[/quote]

a 6"er needs to be AT LEAST 198+ to be at they’re full potential for pwoerlifting, and 198 is still on the lower end for a 6"er. 220 or 242 is more like it.

trust me, stuff like that pisses me off too.