Question on Set and Rep Schemes

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

This is my first post here on T-Nation and I wanted to ask about setting up set and rep schemes for the program that I am on.

Here’s the program Im currently doing: http://www.T-Nation.com/findArticle.do?article=04-042-training

My Plan looks like this:
Monday Upper Body 1
Tuesday Lower Body 1
Thursday Upper Body 2
Friday Lower Body 2

My current reps and sets are as follows:

Monday
B.B Bench
4 sets, 5 reps
B.O Row
4 sets, 8 reps
Military Press
3 sets, 10 reps
Weighted Dips
4 sets, 6 reps
Rear Delt Flyes
3 sets, 10 reps
Incline Curls
4 sets, 10 reps

Tuesday
Squats
4 sets, 6 reps
Romanian Deadlift
4 sets, 6 reps
Lunges
3 sets, 10 reps
Seated Calf raise/DB Dorsiflexion
3 sets, 12 reps
Supine Bridge
3 sets, 8 reps

Thursday
Chinups
4 sets 6 reps
Single Arm DB bench
3 sets, 8 reps
Face pulls
4 sets 8 reps
Tricep Pushdown
4 sets 12 reps
Wrist extension/shoulder horn
4 sets, 12 reps

Friday
Deadlifts
5 sets, 5 reps
Single Leg Squats
3 sets, 10 reps
Romanian Deadlifts (DBs)
3 sets 8 reps
Seated Calf raise
4 sets, 12 reps

My concern here is that my reps and set #s are all over the place. I always see programs with set parameters like 3x10 or 5x5, but there is none with this program. Im not going to switch programs seeing as I just started this one, and I actually like it quite a bit.

So, my question is: Can anyone suggest a better way of organizing my set and rep scheme? Any thoughts, suggestions and criticism is welcome. Also, it may be important to know that my goal right now is fat loss.

2

Serious question:
If your goal is fat loss why are you doing a program written to increase athletic performance?

Now this isn’t to say that the aforementioned routine you’ve selected won’t burn some fat off of your provided your diet is tight and you’re training hard, but the fat loss would merely be the byproduct of your training and not the result of it.

If fat loss is your main goal then you really would be better served with a fat loss program.

Do an author search for Thibeadeau’s “War Room Strategies for maximum fat loss.”

There are many articles here written for fat loss and that one is one of my favorites.

Best of luck with your training.

PS. Here’s a quote from CT that might help you out.
Don’t Lift to Lose Fat!

When you’re trying to lose fat, strength training should be used as a way to prevent muscle loss or even stimulate muscle gain; it shouldn’t be used to stimulate fat loss.

Don’t get me wrong, the adaptations to strength training and increased energy expenditure will contribute somewhat to your fat loss effort. However, you shouldn’t design lifting programs aimed solely at burning fat. Performing high rep exercise with light weights will do nothing to help preserve muscle mass while on a diet and might even lead to muscle wasting if the volume is excessive.

3

Well I should clarify on my goal a little bit more.

I am doing this program to help with athletic performance. I play football and soccer, so I thought this would be a good program to start. Also, Im deffinitly not what you would call fat. Just more fat then I would like on my body.

It’s the offseason right now for both sports, and for the last couple months, Ive been focusing on building muscle. Ive reached the point where the fat gain is starting to bother me, and it is starting to affect my athletic performance a bit (ex. Getting winded earlier, longer rest periods)

Id also like to drop the fat because I would be on the beach in a few weeks hahah. So really, my NEW goal is not only fat loss but fat loss AND increased athletic performance.

4

Oh. In that case I would just keep the workout you’ve described the same, but would add in some conditioning work. Sprint work with 40s, 100, 200. Toss in a few 400m and 800m runs as well.

Make sure you’re taking care of your nutrition, and good luck!