Need some help looking for/build a new work out program

[Finns14]

Ok so I am 21 and a college student. I was always active through high school and it has been just getting less so throughout college. In the past I was on again off again with the gym but for the last month I have been good and even been mixing in cardio and eating a little better( only a very little). The past month I have been going 4 to 5 times a week doing a split work out. The work outs I do have been mostly exercises I know from the top of my head but I know that if I want to get more serious I need a more strict work out. I keep seeing the link ppl are posting of the guide to a beginners workout but my strength is pretty good and getting better and I have a pretty good knowledge. Can anyone help me out with a program? I am looking for something that is 4 to 5 times in the gym a week and a balance between strength and tone thats a little more advanced and allow me to push myself harder in the gym. Sorry for the long winded post and thanks!

 

[purbeast0]

well i'll post what i have been using for the past 2 or so years with positive results.

monday - shoulders/abs
tuesday - back/biceps
thursday - chest/triceps
friday (or saturday) - legs

i'm at the gym about 60 - 75 mins each time (legs usually 45 mins) so it's not like i live in the gym.

 

[KoolDrew]

If you want to go four times a week to the gym, you're best bet is an upper/lower type split. Monday - Lower, Tuesday - Upper, Thursday- Lower, Friday - Upper. Something like this would be good...

Lower:
Squat
SLDL
Leg press
Leg curl
Calf raise
Abs

Upper:
Flat bench
Row
Military Press
Chins
Triceps
Biceps

(lower volume on the secondary movements, more on the first) Either repeat those for Thursday and Friday or make some exercise substitutions. One example is doing a deadlift/leg press combo on lower body day.

 

[Pugnax]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
well i'll post what i have been using for the past 2 or so years with positive results.

monday - shoulders/abs
tuesday - back/biceps
thursday - chest/triceps
friday (or saturday) - legs

i'm at the gym about 60 - 75 mins each time (legs usually 45 mins) so it's not like i live in the gym.

:thumbsup: I do generally the same thing. Except in a diff order:
mon - chest/tris
tue -shoulders/abs
thur - back/legs
fri - bicep/shoulder burn/abs

 

[Finns14]

Well I what I have been doing is monday-back tuesday-chest wednesday-shoulder thursday-bi/tri friday-lower back/abs

I was looking for something more specific then what most of you suggested but thanks for the advice.

 

[KoolDrew]

I was looking for something more specific then what most of you suggested but thanks for the advice.

How much more specific do you want than what I gave you?

 

[Finns14]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

I was looking for something more specific then what most of you suggested but thanks for the advice.

How much more specific do you want than what I gave you?

Well I would like more exercises per muscle group then what you provided and also as for what most other ppl said, I would like specific exercises.

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: Finns14

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

I was looking for something more specific then what most of you suggested but thanks for the advice.

How much more specific do you want than what I gave you?

Well I would like more exercises per muscle group then what you provided and also as for what most other ppl said, I would like specific exercises.

You don't need more exercises per muscle group. Doing so would actually probably hurt progress, not help it. Follow the routine I gave you, concentrate on getting stronger in those lifts, and as long as diet is in check, you will see gains.

 

[spamsk8r]

To be honest, you don't really even need all those exercises (if you want to gain strength). Personally, I think leg press, leg curls, and leg extensions are worthless. They only make you better at doing those exercises, but not any better at anything else. Even if all you ever did for your legs was squats and some jump rope your legs would get quite strong. Add some deadlifts, pullups, situps, dips, bench press, and rows, and you've pretty much got a program that will hit all the major muscles. It's not a bodybuilding program, but those are overrated IMO, especially for those who don't already have the base amount of muscle to build onto.

 

[Finns14]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

Originally posted by: Finns14

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

I was looking for something more specific then what most of you suggested but thanks for the advice.

How much more specific do you want than what I gave you?

Well I would like more exercises per muscle group then what you provided and also as for what most other ppl said, I would like specific exercises.

You don't need more exercises per muscle group. Doing so would actually probably hurt progress, not help it. Follow the routine I gave you, concentrate on getting stronger in those lifts, and as long as diet is in check, you will see gains.

I am looking to at least maintain if not increase my work out per week not decreasing it, thank you for the thought but this isn't what I am looking for.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: Finns14

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

I was looking for something more specific then what most of you suggested but thanks for the advice.

How much more specific do you want than what I gave you?

Well I would like more exercises per muscle group then what you provided and also as for what most other ppl said, I would like specific exercises.

To echo what KoolDrew has already said, more exercises would likely result in overtraining, which is bad.

To give you some perspective, I usually do 3-4 different lifts/movements per muscle group, per workout. At each lift, I will do 3 *working sets* (i.e. not warmups). That means on average I'm only doing 10 meaningful sets per muscle group, per workout. The trick is to make them all compound movements instead of isolation exercises.

For example, I do chest and shoulders on the same day. So, that day, I will do 3 sets flat bench, 3 sets incline bench, 3 sets dips, 3 sets military press, 3 sets upright rows, 3 sets dumbell fies. That's it. I'm only going to the gym 3 days a week, though. If would make any change to my program, I would go more frequently and split that workout I just described in half.

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: Finns14

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

Originally posted by: Finns14

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

I was looking for something more specific then what most of you suggested but thanks for the advice.

How much more specific do you want than what I gave you?

Well I would like more exercises per muscle group then what you provided and also as for what most other ppl said, I would like specific exercises.

You don't need more exercises per muscle group. Doing so would actually probably hurt progress, not help it. Follow the routine I gave you, concentrate on getting stronger in those lifts, and as long as diet is in check, you will see gains.

I am looking to at least maintain if not increase my work out per week not decreasing it, thank you for the thought but this isn't what I am looking for.

What makes you think more exercises is the answer? As spamsk8r said, what I gave you is MORE than enough. You'll see best results concentrating on compound lifts and getting stronger in them, not adding a bunch of exercises. Hell, I've seen the greatest gains (went from ~180 to 225 pounds) going to the gym 3x a week doing only three movements each session. Either Squat, Bench, Row or Squat, OH Press, Deadlift (this was a "light" squat day). That's it and it was VERY effective.

 

[Finns14]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

Originally posted by: Finns14

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

Originally posted by: Finns14

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

I was looking for something more specific then what most of you suggested but thanks for the advice.

How much more specific do you want than what I gave you?

Well I would like more exercises per muscle group then what you provided and also as for what most other ppl said, I would like specific exercises.

You don't need more exercises per muscle group. Doing so would actually probably hurt progress, not help it. Follow the routine I gave you, concentrate on getting stronger in those lifts, and as long as diet is in check, you will see gains.

I am looking to at least maintain if not increase my work out per week not decreasing it, thank you for the thought but this isn't what I am looking for.

What makes you think more exercises is the answer? As spamsk8r said, what I gave you is MORE than enough. You'll see best results concentrating on compound lifts and getting stronger in them, not adding a bunch of exercises. Hell, I've seen the greatest gains (went from ~180 to 225 pounds) going to the gym 3x a week doing only three movements each session. Either Squat, Bench, Row or Squat, OH Press, Deadlift (this was a "light" squat day). That's it and it was VERY effective.

Well what you described I don't think that effectively hits all the major muscles, I would say now I do four exercises per muscle group I really don't think I would consider that over working but hey I could be wrong.

 

[KoolDrew]

Well what you described I don't think that effectively hits all the major muscles, I would say now I do four exercises per muscle group I really don't think I would consider that over working but hey I could be wrong.

Have you ever even done any of those compound movements (mainly squats and deads)? If you have, you're obviously not training hard enough.

 

[gramboh]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

Well what you described I don't think that effectively hits all the major muscles, I would say now I do four exercises per muscle group I really don't think I would consider that over working but hey I could be wrong.

Have you ever even done any of those compound movements (mainly squats and deads)? If you have, you're obviously not training hard enough.

Agree with KoolDrew here. I used to do a lot of isolation stuff as I figured that was better somehow. Compound movements are superior, do some reading around the web or just try a workout of only compound movements (without long rest periods) and you will feel it. An exercise physiologist I work with reinforced this the other day, and that dude moves a lot of weight for his size (very strong and fit overall).