Beginner

A

alreet

0
Hey

Im 20 and just started doing weights about 4 weeks ago

heres what i do....

3x12reps flat bench dumbbell press
3x12reps flat bench flys
3x12reps inclined bench dumbell press
3x12reps peck deck
3x12reps bicep curl untill i cant lift anymore
then sum machine duno what its called, where i do my triceps 3x12
then 3x8 duno what its called, but it does ur lats

i do this on routine on a monday, wednesday and friday with cardio on tuesdays and thursdays, any thoughts is it horribly wrong? is it too much for a beginner? my aim is definition and well cut. dont want to be massive just abit bigger.

any thoughts would be much appreciated!

PS. my should joints now click :S
 
You are performing too many chest exercises and not enough pulling exercises.

Try to balance out the total number of sets pushing with the total number of sets pulling.

Flat bench, DB press
Incline bench DB Fly
Bicep curl
Tricep machine
Lat pulldown
Seated Row

You're also ignoring the largest muscle groups in the body, the quads and hamstrings. You would want to include some type of squat or lunge exercise, and then possibly on a different day perform a deadlift, good morning, or stiff-legged deadlift.
 
... what about shoulders & calves ... if your goal is to have a large chest and pencil legs, then ur going about it just right ... it'll look funny, but if that's your goal, then who's to say otherwise.
 
Sample template:

Legs (general) eg:squats or leg press if you can't perform a proper squat
Legs (specific) eg: leg curl
Back eg:lat pulldown
Chest eg:bench press
Shoulders eg: shoulder press
Biceps eg: dumbbell curls
Triceps eg: dumbbell skullcrushers

You have one exercise per major muscle group, which is what you are looking for when you are using a full body type of program. Using compound exercises (more than one joint action, like a bench press rather than a dumbbell flye) targets more muscles. For example, compound exercises for the chest also work the triceps, and for the back, also work the biceps.
 
If you're a true beginner as you say you need to get your total body strength up. To do this you should concentrate on big movements e.g. squats and the variables, dead lifts and the variables, good mornings, bench, pull-ups, chin-ups, rows, shoulder press', ab work, rotator cuff work and medicine ball/light plyo/GPP work. You shouldn't worry about small isolation movements like biceps curls right now. Why use valuable workout time on them when you can do a bigger movement that works them as well or better than curls and works many many many more muscle groups at the same time?

If you have any questions PM me.
 
thanks for the replys

im not bothered about my legs because i have strong legs from skiing all winter and play alot of football

just mainly concerned with getting a nice strong well cut upper body.

Anything specific to do, to achieve this?

thx
 
Alreet as strong as you think your legs are they can get stronger. Wouldn't you want to be more explosive for football or be able to make tighter and stronger turns going down a double black diamond? Do not remove your legs from your routine. There are so many people out there that say the same things as you. They all say they play basketball or football and don't think they need to work their legs. Nobody works their legs more than basketball players, football players and sprinters. When they're in season they do not remove leg movements from their daily routines they just change the load/intensity. If they did they wouldn't be where they are now. Then during the off season they hit them hard and geth them stronger for the next season. Removing leg movements from your routine is a bad idea. Since you're a beginner the movements I suggested you do will give you the mass you'll need as a foundation for the cut look you want but to get the detail you're looking for you need to get your diet in check along with adding lean body mass.
 
hehe ok... ill work my legs hard aswell...

what do u suggest diet wise...lots of protien n carbs, low fat? lots of fruit? veg?

whats good mornings, rotator cuffs?

thx
 
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good mornings are like a stiff legged deadlift, except the bar is not in your hands but across your back like in a back squat.
 
Since your body can only use fats or carbs as a source of energy you shouldn't ingest them at the same time. Try breaking your meals up into a Protein + Low Glycemic Carbs and a Protein + Healthy Fats meal. After you workout take in some high glycemic carbs and protein. This is a more efficient way of eating and will benefit fat loss if done properly and give you the cut look you're looking for. What are your numbers e.g. weight, height, body fat % if you know (if not can you see abs?). Any medical problems or are you allergic to anything?
 
Ok

im 5'11 i weigh about 12stone (duno what that is in lbs)

what sorts of food contain those things u mention, i havent got a clue about food lol

not sure what %body fat
can see my upper abs when i tense them, cant see lower

no medical problems
 
You're 168lbs. Each stone is 14lbs. Thats not a bad weight for that height. You could use a little more LBM throughout your whole structure. You can see some of your abs so you're BF % isn't to high. A good workout routine and proper eating will give you tremendouse results in a short amount of time. By your numbers you look to have a good foundation. Try to eat 6 meals per day. Make sure you enjoy some of the bad food also. It will benefit your body and your mind. Keep your "cheat meals" under 3 per week. If you do have a cheat meal make sure you reach all of your other nutrient requirements. After your workout get protein + high glycemic carbs in you quick. Try Biotest Grow or Biotest Surge. They're tremendous for a PWO drink and they're specifically designed with PWO in mind. Get yourself a good multivitamin. I use Natrol My favorite Multiple wo/Iron and a good oil blend. The oil blend I use is Udo's Choice. All other nutrients should come from REAL food.

Proteins
Lean Beef (90%+ lean)
Buffalo
Chicken
Eggs
Turkey (eat the white meat)
Salmon
Tuna
Other Fish

Fats:
LoFat Mozzerella
Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
Sunflower Oil
Flax Seed Oil
Fish Oil
Plain Unsalted Nuts

Carbs:
Veggies
Mixed Beans
Fruits (one a day is fine. No watermellon)
Oatmeal
Oatbran
Multi-grain bread (make sure it does not contain 'High Fructose Corn Syrup" and pretty much all foods should not contain any of this)
 
Thanks for that, its been really helpfull, can u buy these drinks etc from english supermarkets or do i have to go somewhere else?

still dont know how im going to make 6 meals out of those ingredients lol, im used to eating pizzas, burger, takeaways lol
 
Hey you can still enjoy those foods but sparingly. You can still get a cheese burger but throw away the bun and buy two. No biggie. You can now get tuna in a pouch. No drain required and eat it right out of the bag. You can easily do it it just takes some thought.

The supplements I suggested can be bought from netrition.com If you can afford Biotest GROW and Surge make the GROW the low carb version and drink a serving or two an hour before going to bed and the Surge you sip 1/2 a serving through your workout and the rest as soon as you finish. If you can only afford one get Biotest GROW (regular) and drink two or three scoops right after working out and 2 scoops an hour before going to bed.
 
Right, Ordered both the grow and surge, how long do they last?

im i allowed to eat bread, or just the carbs u mentioned?
 
The Surge will last about 10 servings. Its a great supplement but its a bit expensive for the amount of servings you get. I think its well worth it though. The GROW will last 30 servings so it could last you for about a month. Only use Surge AFTER a workout. If you're not working out that day dont use it. Simple as that. There really isn't a need to waste Surge on the non-workout days.

You should limit your bread intake. You do not have to remove it completly but dont have more than one to two pieces a day. If you must have bread make sure its a multigrain and does NOT contain "High Fructose Corn Syrup"
 
isnt this very much like the atkins diet? cutting out carbs to burn fat, to show the muscles?

ok ive decided im guna change my whole program

hows this sound

Flat Bench Dumbbell Press
Inclined Bench Dumbbell Flys
Chin ups
Pull ups
Lat Pull Down
Squats
Deadlifts
Shoulder Press

What order should i do these and should i take anyout or add any?
 
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yes, it is very much like the atkins diet, and with good basis. Carbs are for energy, so unless you have a need for the energy, don't waste your time with them. It does take some getting used to, but the results are great.
as for your workout, r u planning on doing this everyday? you get more benefit if you split up the exercises to different body parts on different days.
ie. Mon: chest & triceps
Wed: back & biceps
Fri: legs & shoulders

... this is just a quick example, as you may have other things you would like to work on ... calves, forearms, abs, etc

... as you are just beginning, don't jump too quickly on the expensive protien powders/drinks ... you don't need the fancy stuff ... go for the #3 or 4 best selling product ... it'll be just fine and save your pocket book. You can tell when you have a bad protein mix by how much gas you have ... the more you have the more impure the protein :)
 
i would work different muscles on different days but, that'd mean my workout wud last about 10mins lol and each muscle wud be only done once a week, surely doing every muscle 3 times a week is better?

God this diet stuff is hard, what shall i snack on between meals, im gagging for a few chocolate biscuits n some crisps, ive done a day and dont think i can last out much longer lol
 
well, when you look at your exercise like that, yea, doint it 3 times a week is better. However, if you train 30-40 minutes each day on a couple body parts, you will see faster improvements as you will be more focused.

As for the diet ... you, it's frickin' hard. But, after time, you start to find healthy food that you can snack on that tastes like real food. I've always been a fan of fruit, but there are many other things out there. Here are some of the things I snack on: Yogurt, Costco chicken breast, rice crackers (sounds boring, but these ones at Costco called Crunch Masters are awesome), granola bars.
However, the key to a successful diet is allowing yourself to cheat once in awhile. Pick a day of the week where you can eat whatever your heart desires ... don't overdue it, but if you go a full week eating healthy, the cheating won't affect your diet.

Here are some different workout routines:
- full body workout every day (M/W/F)
- ~1 body part/day (M/T/W/H/F/S)
- ~2 body parts/day (M/W/F)
- 3 day rotation w/ ~2 body parts (M/T/H/F) - this will get you alternating weekly which body parts you train twice a week
 
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