Exercise Routine (PLEASE CRITICIZE) also a few other questions - Exercise & Fitness Message Board

unknown21 · 12-08-2004, 08:45 AM

Hello everyone, I am 5'11" 19 y.o. male, weighing 165. I am looking to gain muscle mass.

Here is my current routine:

Monday:
Alternate Hammer Curl (8 sets, 10 reps per set)
Clean (8 sets, 10 reps per set)
Air Bike (8 sets, 40 reps per set, 20 each side)

Tuesday:
Squats (8 sets, 10 reps per set)
Calf Raises (8 sets, 20 reps per set)

Wednesday:
Standing Dumbell Tricep Extension (8 sets, 10 reps per set)
Push Press (8 sets, 10 reps per set)
Crunches (8 sets, 25 reps per set)

Thursday:
Off

Friday:
Squats (8 sets, 10 reps per set)
Calf Raises (8 sets, 20 reps per set)

Saturday:
Bench Press (8 sets, 10 reps per set)
Air Bike (8 sets, 40 reps per set, 20 each side)

Sunday:
Off

I also have a few questions.
Let me take my monday routine for example, I do a set of alternative hammer curls, then a set of clean, then a set of air bike. I was wondering if that was the correct way to do them, Or if I am supposed to do 8 sets of each one at a time.

Does this routine look good ? Any exercises i should add ? Any i should remove ?

Ok one last question. What are some good exercises to improve foot quickness ?

Thanks for taking the time to look over my routine and helping me out.

Naxis · 12-08-2004, 08:04 PM

If muscle is the goal, complete all the sets of an exercise back to back, resting for only 30-60 seconds between sets. You want to try to fatigue the muscle so that the stress response is for the muscle to grow. If you cycle through the exercises, it's too much rest in between and lessens the amount of stress on the muscles.
You might want to add a back and shoulder routine. Cleans are good whole body work, but so long as you are isolating muscles, try to keep some symmetry.
I'd also put big-muscle exercises before the small-muscle exercises (push press [is that a dumbell press? or a machine?] before tricep extentions, Cleans before hammer curls).
For agility, look up some plyometrics.

CFD 333 · 12-08-2004, 08:21 PM

Unknown21, just out of curiousity, why so many sets per exercise? By the time you reach the 6th or 7th set, you will be so wiped out, that you won't have anything left to give! You are better off breaking up the sets with different exercises...I say no more than 3-4 sets per exercise at any given time. For instance, instead of 8 sets of squats, do 4 sets of squats and 4 sets of deadlifts, catch my drift? Also, I've never been a fan of only doing 1 bodypart per week like you have describe either though. I would rather see you do each bodypart 2 - 3 times a week with less sets per exercise each time you do them. The reasoning here is that you will put forth more effort to your workouts because you'll have less sets to complete each time out and since each body part gets worked out more often, the body will respond more efficiently...think about it....what would you get better at doing? Things you do once a week or every couple of days? In this fashion you will still complete, lets say 8 sets per bodypart per week if that's what you want to do, but split it up to only 3-4 sets at a time and do them 2-3 times per week.

unknown21 · 12-09-2004, 09:41 AM

Thanks Lamotta77 and Naxis, your posts were VERY helpful. With the help of your responses i have made a new workout routine, let me know how this looks to you.

Monday:
Alternative Hammer Curl (4 sets, 10 reps per set)
Cuban Press (4 sets, 10 reps per set)
Barbell Shrug (4 sets, 10 reps per set)
Air Bike (4 sets, 40 reps per set)

Tuesday:
Squats (4 sets, 10 reps per set)
Calf Raise (4 sets, 20 reps per set)
Dumbell Lunges (4 sets, 10 reps per set)

Wednesday:
Clean (4 sets, 10 reps per set)
Close-grip Bench press (4 sets, 10 reps per set)
Barbell Curl (4 sets, 10 reps per set)
Crunches (4 sets, 25 reps per set)

Thursday:
Off

Friday:
Squats (4 sets, 10 reps per set)
Calf Raise (4 sets, 10 reps per set)
Deadlift (4 sets, 10 reps per set)

Saturday:
Bench Press (4 sets, 10 reps per set)
Arnold Dumbell Press (4 sets, 10 reps per set)
Drag Curl (4 sets, 10 reps per set)
Dumbbell Side Bend (4 sets, 10 reps per set)

Sunday:
Off

How does that look ?

Naxis · 12-09-2004, 11:16 AM

What are you doing for the back? Otherwise I think that looks pretty good. Have some alternative exercises ready to switch up the routine every few weeks to prevent a plateau. A couple years ago I used to throw in a week of volume training every third week when trying to put on muscle and that worked very well for me. But find a method you like.