I train at an MMA gym & have access to all free weights as well as many cybex machines. Also have tractor tires, sledge hammers, bands, med. balls, & heavy bags. I’ve been working out for a year now & have seen great results but i feel like if reached a plateau in my traing.
I train heavy & train to failure usually no more than 6-8 reps. I also was doing an upper/lower split on mon, wed, fri which looks like this:
MONDAY - upper
2 sets incline bench with 100lb dumbells - to failure
2 sets cable flys 80lbs - to failure
2 sets wide pull downs 130lbs - " "
2 sets close grip seated rows - " "
2 sets standing dumbell curls 50lb - " "
2 sets tri. cable push downs 100lbs then no rest to dips till failure
2 sets side lats 30lbs straight to shoulder press same weight.
WEDNESDAY - lower
first as a warm up i get on the treadmill & fast walk first minute then run & almost full sprint for 1 mile (7 min)
squats on Smith 280 lbs (2-45’s & 1-25) to failure
dumbell walking lunges 50lbs
dead lifts 225lbs
claves - random (standing raises, on leg press, seated, etc…)
FRIDAY - upper (same as monday)
then the next week i switch to lower on monday upper on wed & lower on friday. This split makes me hit every body part every 3-4 days.
I would love to find some compound exercises to streamline my workouts (mainly my upper workouts) and i’ve also been reading that compound exercises really boost core strengh, boost natural Test levels & save time while maxing results. I’m looking for educated constructive advise and/or criticism. Shit talking thread killers fuck off.
[quote]JASE72 wrote:
I train at an MMA gym & have access to all free weights as well as many cybex machines. Also have tractor tires, sledge hammers, bands, med. balls, & heavy bags. I’ve been working out for a year now & have seen great results but i feel like if reached a plateau in my traing.
I train heavy & train to failure usually no more than 6-8 reps. I also was doing an upper/lower split on mon, wed, fri which looks like this:
MONDAY - upper
2 sets incline bench with 100lb dumbells - to failure
2 sets cable flys 80lbs - to failure
2 sets wide pull downs 130lbs - " "
2 sets close grip seated rows - " "
2 sets standing dumbell curls 50lb - " "
2 sets tri. cable push downs 100lbs then no rest to dips till failure
2 sets side lats 30lbs straight to shoulder press same weight.
WEDNESDAY - lower
first as a warm up i get on the treadmill & fast walk first minute then run & almost full sprint for 1 mile (7 min)
squats on Smith 280 lbs (2-45’s & 1-25) to failure
dumbell walking lunges 50lbs
dead lifts 225lbs
claves - random (standing raises, on leg press, seated, etc…)
FRIDAY - upper (same as monday)
then the next week i switch to lower on monday upper on wed & lower on friday. This split makes me hit every body part every 3-4 days.
I would love to find some compound exercises to streamline my workouts (mainly my upper workouts) and i’ve also been reading that compound exercises really boost core strengh, boost natural Test levels & save time while maxing results. I’m looking for educated constructive advise and/or criticism. Shit talking thread killers fuck off.
[/quote]
What are you trying to accomplish with this workout? Maximal strength, hypertrophy, strength endurance, etc…?
Also, was this just the weights that you used on your most recent workout, or are you using these same weights on a regular basis? If it’s just the most recent workout and you’ve been consistently adding weight, good job. If you’ve been using these same weights on a regular basis for a while, then unless your goal is strength endurance, you might want to rethink things.
As far as your actual exercises I would make the following adjustments:
-Lose the cable flys, they’re not really doing you any good. Just focus all of your energy on getting strong on the incline DB bench.
-lose the cable push downs and instead do weighted dips. Or if you don’t feel dips in your triceps (which I’m assuming is why you’re doing dips) switch to another compound for tris (like close grip bench, reverse grip smith bench, rack lockouts, etc…).
-lose the side laterals, and focus your energy into upping poundages on the DB shoulder presses.
-Save your energy for the resistance training. A warm-up is not supposed to turn into a work out. If you feel that sprint training helps your performance, save it for after your resistance training, or do it on alternate days.
-for your calves, try sticking to one exercise and work on progressing in terms of weight. Then when you can’t do that any longer, switch to a different one and repeat the process.
BTW, the advice I’m giving you is from a muscle/strength building perspective. You posted this in the Bodybuilding forum, so I’m assuming that’s what your goals are. If they aren’t, and they’re more MMA performance based, you might want to post this in the Combat Sports forum. You’ll get different, more MMA specific advice there (and I would have given you different advice if this were posted there as well).
First i want to say thank you very much for the professional reply. Also, since i started here & saw your avatar for the first time i thought to myself “thats what i want to look like” so its funny that your the only response.
My primary goal when i started a year or so ago was to lose fat & gain muscle. I joined an MMA gym simply because of the interest i had in the sport but it turned out that at 5’9" tall and 270 pounds of fat, MMA had to wait until i could at least tie my shoes without getting winded.
So, after a year of weight training my focus has been strictly gaining size & strength. I started doing the basics like flat bench with 25’s on each side for 8-10 reps, squats with just the bar, etc… And i have gradually but steadily pushed myself to the weights im lifting now.
My ultimate goal (which i still keep to myself) would be to enter, maybe not win or place but just enter, a local over 40 natural contest. I have 4 years to go so if i continue the gains ive made so far whos to say i cant do it. The way i see it even if the simple fact of working towards that goal helps me stay focused & i keep making gains, even if i dont get to comp. level i’ll still be in much better shape in a few years.
Again, thanks for the response. I sent you a friend request & would like for you to see my pics & tell me what you think so far (1 year).