Old workout vs new workout

Posted by: LiLJb72

Old workout vs new workout - 06/26/06 09:03 PM

I recently came to a new base in the Army as some of you may know - I'm in DC now - Anyways my platoon allows a lot of time to lift - and i decided to switch over and concentrate more on my strength than my cardio which i had previously. Given this we still run maybe once or twice a week but being a casket platoon we pretty much just lift.

Anyways - here is a typical diet and my workouts:

Diet -
0500 - Wakeup - Nutrigrain bar, protein shake
0600 - Workout - Nox-CG3 before, and A,B,C, etc workout(get to this later)
0730 - Chow - sometimes a bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats with Skim A&D milk, others some scramby eggs, oatmeal and a banana with apple juice.
0900-1200 - work (protein shake in there if I can)
12-1 Chow - Boston Market - 8oz Sirloin Dip(MMM so good), mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese.
1300-1700 - work (protein shake or beef jerky if i can)
1700 - Chow - Subway usually - 12 Inch Wheat bread, Double grilled chicken, with mozz cheese and buffalo sauce.
2100- - bed.


Thats my usual day / diet - it of course changes but not a whole lot - the subway meal and boston market meals are regular. Sometimes ill just grill some chicken breasts for dinner or have some turkey sandwiches on wheat for lunch - but like i said thats a generalization. I feel my diet could be better - but given my time, budget, and stuff - I feel bogged down - If anyone could help me with some better nutritional stuff for cheap - i would greatly appreciate it cuz i know this is my worst part.

Rest - I'm fine, unless we have a mission and a 0300 wakeup - then I usually get 7-9 hrs a night.

Workout - Here is my dilemma my old workout is as follows (I saw good size and power gains here - but plateau'd somewhat)

Day 1 - Chest, Bi's, Tri's
- Dumbell Bench Press - 2x8, 1x5
- Incline Dumbell Bench - 2x8, 1x5
- Chinups - 3x10 - (Army style, undergrip)
- Iso Curls 3x8 (the ones with your elbow in your inner thigh)
- Tricep Pulldown 3x8
- Skull Crushers - 3x8

Day 2 - Back, Shoulders
- Seated Row - 2x8, 1x5
- Arnold Press - 2x8, 1x5 ( by the way all the 1x5's are moving up usually 10 lbs per hand)
- Bent Over Row - 2x8, 1x5
- Pullups - Overhand - 3x8
- Lower Back Extensions - 3x15

Day 3 - Abs - Crazy insano abs workout from a scuba school instructor - enjoy

1st set - All without stopping, no rest
- 25 V-ups
- 25 Leg - up Crunches
- 25 oblique crosses left
- 25 oblique crosses right
- 50 scissor kicks, shoulders off ground, arms up (this will break you off)
- 2 min forward plank

Repeat - 3 times

Day 4 - Legs (usually a running day - we do a lot of hills, stair climbs, lunges during runs otherwise this is the workout)
- Leg Press - 3x5
- Calf Raises - 3x10
- The rest varies - Like i said between fighting and ruck marching and running around here I get my share of leg workouts.


So here my new workout is your basic one body part a day:

Honestly I don't enjoy this one as much - but I do it because it feels as it if works more.

Day 1 - Chest - Flat Dumbell Bench, Incline Dumbell Bench, Decline Barbell Bench, Cable Flies, Dips

day 2 - Bi's - Barbell curls, Iso Curls, preacher curls, pullups

day 3 - Tris - Cable Pulldowns, Skull Crushers, Throwbacks

day 4 - Back - Seated Row, Pullups, bent over row

day 5 - Shoulders - arnold press, seated military press, this one workout i cant even describe

day 6 - same ab workout as above

day 7 - Rest



Any imput on these would be great - The reason I switched is because I've always heard that once you hit plateaus you should switch workouts and this workout seems to be more of a size building workout.

Honestly - my goal is to get size, I'm at 6'3 205 right now, I would like to be about 215-220 solid - I started about 3 months ago at 195 by the way, but am stuck at 205. I would love any recommendations to Diet or Workout - or If the first workout can be changed to be a better size workout let me know please....Sorry its so long - Thanks for any imput!
Posted by: TimBlack

Re: Old workout vs new workout - 06/27/06 09:07 AM

Your workout looks good for size, although the ab workout is total overkill. Ditch that, do an ABAB system and just add some ab work at the end of each session - or do it on 'off' days. By the way, thanks for coming out honestly and saying you're after size - plenty of guys try to pretend that pure strength is their only goal, and get disheartened when they don't see the size gains.

Your diet looks okay. Is the protein shake a mix of multi-dextrose (carbs) and protein, or just protein? You'll want something that has carbs+protein first thing in the morning, and also post workout. The Subway meal... well, we both know it ain't healthy, even if you skip on the mayo As always, chicken, rice, pasta, tuna etc.. are the way to go, but well... I can forgive you if you don't want to be too good Eat enough and you'll be fine - if you fail to gain some size, just eat a little more. Remember that calories in vs. calories out is just as important for size as training.
Posted by: Cord

Re: Old workout vs new workout - 06/27/06 11:46 AM

Quote:

Like i said between fighting and ruck marching and running around here I get my share of leg workouts.




oh no you dont. You get stamina work, not strength or size stimulus. no slacking or excuses accepted


Quote:

So here my new workout is your basic one body part a day:

Honestly I don't enjoy this one as much - but I do it because it feels as it if works more.

Day 1 - Chest - Flat Dumbell Bench, Incline Dumbell Bench, Decline Barbell Bench, Cable Flies, Dips

day 2 - Bi's - Barbell curls, Iso Curls, preacher curls, pullups

day 3 - Tris - Cable Pulldowns, Skull Crushers, Throwbacks

day 4 - Back - Seated Row, Pullups, bent over row

day 5 - Shoulders - arnold press, seated military press, this one workout i cant even describe

day 6 - same ab workout as above

day 7 - Rest




Bad news: Your new workout blows. A whole workout just for biceps?, then a whole day just for triceps? No legs? Poor balance and Insane volume for a natural lifter. No dice soldier, sorry.

Good news: Your previous workout was not horrible, and can be switched around easily to keep it fresh

A slight re-grouping, and a tweak of volume over diversity will pep you up no end.

Day 1. legs and abs
Squats 5x6-8
calve raises 4x8-10
Weighted crunches 5x10
uneven weighted bar torso twists 4x12

Day 3. Chest, Shoulders, + triceps
Bench press 5x6-8
Standing barbell military press 5x6-8
Skull crushers 4x6-8

Day 5. Back,traps and Biceps
Deadlifts 5x6-8
Chins 5x6-8 (weighted if you can get more with own bodyweight)
EZ bar curls 4x6-8


Squats and deadlifts are 100% essential if you are to gain real size and strength. Not only are they the cornerstone of functional power, they also trigger an anabolic state in the body. Simply put: If you want big arms, squat. If you want killer delts, squat. If you only do one exercise for the rest of your life, make it the squat. Without squat, you are squat.

Forget that crazy volume ab routine. Your abs are muscles, and respond the same as any other bodypart. Use weight and low volume to increase strength and reduce repeat stress on the lower spine. Its safer and more efficient.

If you are going to have subway, ditch the cheese and sauce. Have a double chicken/turkey/tuna with salad on wholegrain. With the cheese and sauces, you may as well have a big mac.

Let me know what you think. (hint: if the only thing you dont like is the leg work, then join the queue. I dont like it either, but its got to be done, and thats from someone who kickboxes, cycles, jogs and walks an average of 6 miles day at work )
Posted by: LiLJb72

Re: Old workout vs new workout - 06/27/06 03:06 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Like i said between fighting and ruck marching and running around here I get my share of leg workouts.




oh no you dont. You get stamina work, not strength or size stimulus. no slacking or excuses accepted





Thanks for the kick in the butt new friend...I appreciate this honestly...Ken Shamrock still sucks......

Anyways - I thought a good rule of thumb was:

More Weight, Less Reps = Size + Strength

Less Weight + More reps/sets = more stamina/lean muscle...

Altho actually i guess the overall reps come out almost equal...Also - On the back exersize it doesnt seem like that would be much of a back workout? and if you want the next president who dies to have a strong person carrying their casket - i recommend getting me a little more back strength hah - Thanks Guys - its much appreciated


Also - What is the uneven weighted torso twist?...And I'm guessing from your day 1 - day 3 - day 5 you're recommending doing these every other day - and giving about 5-6 days rest before repeat?...EDIT
Posted by: TimBlack

Re: Old workout vs new workout - 06/27/06 04:01 PM

Quote:


A whole workout just for biceps?, then a whole day just for triceps? No legs? Poor balance and Insane volume for a natural lifter. No dice soldier, sorry.





Oh my God I didn't even notice that... curse my skim-reading silliness! As Cord says, OMFG not good shizzle. Do what he says, I know he's helped me sort out my routine on more than one occasion, and kicked my a$$ when I'm talking out of it
Posted by: Cord

Re: Old workout vs new workout - 06/27/06 05:42 PM

Yep, day 1, 3 and 5 does mean alternate days, I always aim for mon, wed and fri, with the weekend off. lots of rest is when you grow. No one ever got bigger during training, only during recovery.

as for your back- give it a try Heavy deadlifts do re-visit your legs, but your back and traps will gain crazy strength and thickness with this movement. You want to be able to crank an armbar with hip extension and back contraction that will snap a log, let alone an arm? Deadlift till your nose bleeds

Then for a little direct lat work, full range chin ups. either over or under hand grip, as long as you go from full stretch to max squeeze at the top with every rep, it is simply the finest lat exercise there is. if you can do more than 8 perfect form reps, its time to hold a dumbell between you feet and make things interesting. Trust me, between the two exercises you have all the back engagement you can handle

Build up your deadlifts squats and military press, and you will be the only one needed to lift the presidential coffin, the rest of the detail can sit back and watch on the TV over a brew
Posted by: LiLJb72

Re: Old workout vs new workout - 06/27/06 06:06 PM

Quote:

Build up your deadlifts squats and military press, and you will be the only one needed to lift the presidential coffin, the rest of the detail can sit back and watch on the TV over a brew




Hahaha! Well I think 1200lb caskets have hernia written all over it.

But - I am on my way my man - did Day 1 this evening, and oh man...its been about 4 years since I've done squats and man did they hurt....I started off modest at 185 and finished with 225 5 reps...Ow!

I also started logging my workouts - feelings, motivation, weight, reps, time, so on so forth.....I will do what I can for diet but our schedule is pretty hectic. Thanks for the help, it is a big help and I'll let you know how I feel after the back day and my progress over time.

Much Love
Posted by: LiLJb72

Re: Old workout vs new workout - 06/27/06 06:52 PM

Also my goals are going to be this -

Bench (I've been finishing at 110lbs in each hand on dumbell bench but I'm going back to flat barbell bench) - My goal is to be able to get 280lbs x 3 reps on my last set - so working up to that - Again this may be lofty as I do not know where I stand.

I also want to get that squat up to 280 on my last set.

And I'm going to see where I am at for deadlift and set a reasonable goal there.

These are 3 month goals

Also, I have a selfish athestic goal for the summer months too - I will be going home twice this summer and I hope to impress all the ex's while at the pool...so we'll see how sexy u can really make a man cord