Returning to the Gym - need some advice

[Frankus]

Hey guys so a little update,

Ive noticed that my strength and lifting has improved significantly for the first few exercises, however, when I get to shoulders and legs..Ive got nothing in the tank.

I will do as a few of you have recommended and perform split workouts.


Walt, In regards to the below split, what specific exercises do you perform and the reps?


Day 1 - Chest and Triceps
Day 2 - Shoulders
Day 3 - Back and Bicpes
Day 4 - Legs (never skip leg day)

In regards to the calories, Ive been constantly meeting both protein and carbs. You guys were quite right, after a few days I sort of had an idea on what was required lol.

I have a 1000 calorie drink after workouts, 2 spoons whey protein powder, 450ml full cream milk, 2 bananas, 4 strawberries, ice, some oats and blend that bad boy. If I am on the daring side, I add a dab of honey lol.

Mate, this is just my personal experience, I think you may be over doing your workouts by pairing the wrong combos. Because your chest workouts use tris, I see little point in throwing in tri exercises. Just like when doing back, you smash your bis.

You can split your back and chest days if you wish. Depending on my schedule I might combine back and chest or arms and shoulders or both if I am time poor.

I actually do the following split of days and exercises:

Back: Over hand wide grip chinups (width), lat pull downs (width), single arm DB row (depth), dead lifts (depth)
Chest: incline pushups, flat pushups, decline pushups, incline DBs, flat DBs and decline DBs. Those are the daddy exercises. Sometimes to vary things I might substitue some DBs wotj dips/weighted dips and cable flies.
REST
Arms: Bis: supinated and hammer curls and close grip chinups. Tris: close grip cable extensions and/or wide grip skull crushers (overhead extensions), kickbacks (rope kickbacks) and diamond pushups.
Shoulders: Overhead seated DB press, upright rows, reverse flies, crucifixes and front raises.
Legs: Squats (leg press is OK substitute), lunges (forward and reverse), calf raises, curls and extensions. Remember to do squats before lunges. Doing the reverse is potentially dangerous. Start out with body weights then add in weights once you are doing 25 reps. Once you add in weights for squats, do not take them to failure as you WILL ruin yourself. Do sets of 5-8, maybe 10-12 max.
REST

I don't lift huge weights but try to be strict on form, usually with a 2.2 tempo, i.e. 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down. It will build muscle faster than throwing around huge weights. When I want to add power, I do 1.2 tempo 1 sec up 2 down.

Usually I do 3 x 12 with aim for failure to do 8-10 reps on my 3rd set (except for squats). If I can squeeze out 12 reps on my 3rd set, then the weight is too light and I will up it next time.

 

[timka4]

So this is your weekly program?
Day 1 - Back
Day 2 - Chest
Day 3 - Rest
Day 4 - Arms
Day 5 - Shoulders
Day 6 - Legs
Day 7 - Rest

 

[Frankus]

Basically, yep. Sometimes I do slightly different if I am time poor. I try to make it to the gym 4 times per week but depending on work, may only manage 3 sessions. I squeeze in a 5-8km run when I can before one of the session as well as it is best bang for your buck cardio wise. Usually I only spend 45-60 minutes in the gym. I also try to get to a yoga class (yes very manly I know) each week, usually saturday mornings. It helps my core and flexibility alot, would thoroughly recommend it.
1 Back & Chest
2 Rest
3 Rest / Arms
4 Arms /rest
5 Shoulders
6 Legs
7 Rest

OR
1 Back or Back and chest
2 Chest or rest
3 Rest
4 Arms and Shoulders
5 Rest
6 Legs
7 Rest

 

[Walt Flanigan]

I used to do something similar to the first split except I've never put that much emphasis on arms. I've always had solid gains just from the workout they get from back and chest exercises, that's why I prefer to split the two up and tack on a couple of arm exercises afterward to finish them off. I change it all up a fair bit these days though.

 

[Frankus]

100% agree and that would work as well. If I was going to skip a body part it would be arms but I try to do them all the same. 3 bis and 4 tris exercises is definitely enough considering how much they are used in back, chest and to a lesser extent shoulders sessions.

People just need to find what they are comfortable with and what works best for them. There is definitely enough info here for Canberra2k2 to get back on track and bounce ideas off.

 

[canberra_raiders2k2]

Haha. It's become a bookmark for me lol.

Honestly I've learned more on here from you guys then I ever thought possible.

 

[canberra_raiders2k2]

Here's an update.

Ive gained approx 5 kgs, looking more muscular then I have in years also I am now doubling my initial lifts. As an example - I started doing 30kgs bench 12 reps x 3 sets. I now do the same reps at 45kgs. (not including the weight of the bar).

I'm looking to change it up, I wouldnt mind a split workout. Something to build a little more mass.

What do you guys recommend?

 

[Pete Cash]

You include the weight of the bar. A 65 kilo bench is pretty good.

 

[Walt Flanigan]

Sounds like some solid progress, good work.

I change it up a lot but the basic split I usually go back to is:

Day 1 - Legs
Day 2 - Chest/Triceps
Day 3 - Back/Biceps
Day 4 - Shoulders

Occasionally I'll chuck in an arm day (Biceps/Triceps) but I don't think it's essential.

I'd just make sure your doing plenty of compound exercises (exercises that use multiple muscle groups) like squats, deadlifts, bench press, chin-ups, clean and press etc...

I generally do sets of 4 for everything. My rep count for compound exercises is 10, 8, 6, 4 because I find I get the most gains this way. For isolated exercises my reps usually range from 10 - 12.

I'll usually do a superset to finish off each muscle group. Painful but worth it.

 

[cleary89]

I go 4 of 8-10. Just basically trying to get out the last 2. These days on bench I get like 10, 9, 7, 6 or so. Might have to increase the weights. When I started training 4 months ago was doing 50k, now up to 80 and might go heavier next time. That said, I'm a fat merkin and need to be losing weight, takeaway is so nice though!

At my gym they do lots of super sets, even across muscle groups. Chuck in a 30 second max row to finish off the set and only a minute or two in between and not only are you lifting heavy your heart rate is right up.

 

[canberra_raiders2k2]

Sounds like some solid progress, good work.

I change it up a lot but the basic split I usually go back to is:

Day 1 - Legs
Day 2 - Chest/Triceps
Day 3 - Back/Biceps
Day 4 - Shoulders

Occasionally I'll chuck in an arm day (Biceps/Triceps) but I don't think it's essential.

I'd just make sure your doing plenty of compound exercises (exercises that use multiple muscle groups) like squats, deadlifts, bench press, chin-ups, clean and press etc...

I generally do sets of 4 for everything. My rep count for compound exercises is 10, 8, 6, 4 because I find I get the most gains this way. For isolated exercises my reps usually range from 10 - 12.

I'll usually do a superset to finish off each muscle group. Painful but worth it.

Hey Walt,

Is there any rest days? Ie do you do day 1 and then 2, rest then 3 and 4 then rest before starting day 1 again?

 

[Walt Flanigan]

Yeah I'll spread that over a week so I'll have 3 rest days. I don't have set days, as long as I get those 4 sessions in over a week.

 

[Thomas]

Here's an update.

Ive gained approx 5 kgs, looking more muscular then I have in years also I am now doubling my initial lifts. As an example - I started doing 30kgs bench 12 reps x 3 sets. I now do the same reps at 45kgs. (not including the weight of the bar).

I'm looking to change it up, I wouldnt mind a split workout. Something to build a little more mass.

What do you guys recommend?

Include the weight of the bar. It sounds better.

 

[canberra_raiders2k2]

Just completed my first of doing a 5 day split workout. It was tough, but I liked it.

Ive been doing,
Day 1 - Chest
Day 2 - Back
Rest
Day 4 - Shoulders
Day 5 - Legs
Day 6 - Arms
Rest

 

[Walt Flanigan]

Looks good mate, keep it up. Sometimes I bring a little diary with me and record all my sets, reps and weight. It's mainly because I have a terrible memory but I think its good because it gives me motivation to try and beat my previous weeks results.

 

[Pete Cash]

I have an app that does this for me.

 

[Walt Flanigan]

Yes I should modernise. Which app do you use?

 

[BLKOUT!]

Jefit is the best app imo. Tracks everything, saves logs, shows you the weight you lifted the previous session for each exercise you did, lets you set up/track supersets, shows you your 1RM's and what you'd need to lift to break it etc. I'd be lost without it.

 

[Walt Flanigan]

Will check it out. Cheers.

 

[Pete Cash]

Its the one I use.