Need Help with a Routine?

[stripes0721]

Guys, i've been working out for a few months and I've seen results but they aren't as expected. Now that I've been on NF, I've seen some flaws that I've been doing. I just wanted some critiques on a new workout that I'm devising. I'm also trying to walk on to a basketball team, so please keep that in mind. I'm trying to aim for a Ranger/Assassin Build

Monday Wednesday Friday workout

Quads: Squats (5x5)

Glutes/Hami's: Deadlifts (5x5)

Push: Bench (5x5)

Pull: Lat Pull Down (5 x 5)

Core: Crunches (50)

Tuesday THursday Saturday

Run 20 minutes

Any 4 days

Play my sports

Critiques, suggestions, advice? Now that I've been on NF I need to improve

[krj]

Could you clarify when you say the results haven't been what you have expected? What were you expecting? Remember that true progress is going to take awhile and you've only been at it for a few months.

[Corbab]

That looks pretty solid, honestly. It looks like a simplified SL/SS with added cardio and sport-specific work. Pretty standard off-season training. Like krj said, what are your specific goals? Also, what is a "Ranger/Assassin build?"

[krj]

I agree that it seems like a pretty solid lifting plan + cardio, but I wonder why you are doing all of the lifts 3x/week.

(Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here....) Starting Strength and StrongLifts and other beginner lifting plans that I am familiar with split the big lifts into two workouts. So, you would do three exercises on Monday and Friday and the other three on Wednesday. The next week, this would flip. Squats are done every workout, because they are important yet arguably the hardest to master and deadlifts are only 1x5 instead of 3x5 or 5x5 because they are so taxing when done on the same day as squats.

The way you have things set up might work well when the weights are still pretty light and you are working on form (assuming you are starting without much of a base), but as you add weight, it has the potential to get really fatiguing. Remember that muscle building is done during the recovery period. So, if you don't allow adequate recovery, you aren't likely to see the progress that you want to see.

[stripes0721]

I've seen moderate muscle build over the course of 5 months, but my actual strength hasn't increased significantly. I am 6 ft 3 (not to brag or anything lol) and weighed approximately 195 lbs. Now i float in the 188-189 area. I want to get into very athletic shape. I want to have muscle, while remaining agile and athletic. I'm going to try to walk on to a D3 college basketball team this coming winter and I'm at the skill level, just need the physical requirements. My bench is very pathetic, I'm only at 110 (although I do have long arms) and have staggered there for months. My routine always involved 3 sets of increasing weight, lower reps (12,10,8). Also my vertical isn't great, I've dunked once, but have managed to never repeat it unless it was with a flat ball (why I have a flat ball, idk...).

Goals: Increase strength, vertical leap, and overall athleticism. Also I'd like lose about 5 lbs fat, gain 10-15 lbs muscle

I'm looking at 3 times a week for a full body workout because I've heard it's the most effective way for initial strength/muscle gain. Since my routine of muscle isolation hasn't worked, (wish I read Steve's article pointing out its failures for beginners earlier....), I feel this is the best. I was reading this (http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/02/15/how-to-build-your-own-workout-routine/) and it said i should do each muscle every workout day.

[krj]

I'm looking at 3 times a week for a full body workout because I've heard it's the most effective way for initial strength/muscle gain. Since my routine of muscle isolation hasn't worked, (wish I read Steve's article pointing out its failures for beginners earlier....), I feel this is the best. I was reading this (http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/02/15/how-to-build-your-own-workout-routine/) and it said i should do each muscle every workout day.

Interesting. I guess I hadn't noticed that it says every area should be hit every workout. Like I said, I can see that being possible with a bodyweight workout (I used to do just that) or with fairly light weights on a barbell. But once you start ramping up and really getting into the range where 5x5 or 3x5 is difficult to complete, it seems as though doing all of the exercises you listed would be quite a lot for one workout. Not only will it take a long time since you will need to rest quite a bit between sets, but it seems like it could also slow recovery. But I am certainly no expert. I just know how most beginning strength workouts I am familiar with are set up. For example:

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/The_Starting_Strength_Novice/Beginner_Programs

and

http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

But I'm sure you could find people out there who do every exercise every workout and do fine.

[rtalencar]

As important as your workout in any descussion of physique is your diet. What does your diet look like? It's extremely hard to grow muscle mass if you aren't eating at a calorie surplus. Since you haven't gained weight adding significant (the 10-15 lbs you're talking about) would be tremendously difficult.

Far lagging strength gains, are you seeing a lot of soreness after your workouts? How much are you trying to progress with each lift (and what lifts are you doing)?

EDIT: I'm sorry, I was reading two diff posts and got them a bit confused. You did list the exercises you were doing.

Quads: Squats (5x5)

Glutes/Hami's: Deadlifts (5x5)

Push: Bench (5x5)

Pull: Lat Pull Down (5 x 5)

Core: Crunches (50)

I agree with phi for the most part. Add overhead press and rows in, if you're pressed for time swap bench out with inclined bench. Also I think there are better things you could be doing than crunches (I don't think they suck per se, particularly if you're training for a sport since so many teams use crunches or situps for conditioning, but that's neither here nor there). I like weighted mason twists, leg lifts, boxer leg lifts, and plank variations personally. For bball it would help to work on explosiveness. You can either incorporate that into your existing lifts (pause squats, speed deads, etc) or you can work on oly lifts that tend to focus a lot on explosiveness. All of that being said, there are people who have gotten brutally strong doing just the big 3. If that's the way you want to go more power to you, but be prepared to REALLY cut your teeth on the lifts if you want to see improvements.

[161803398874989]

Crunches suck ass.

Also, you're not overhead pressing or pulling horizontally. Both are pretty damn important for shoulder health. Something consisting of squats, deadlifts, chinups, rows, bench and press in a 3x5 scheme should serve you well. If you want something for core, try L-sits.

[Waldo]

Also, you're not overhead pressing or pulling horizontally. Both are pretty damn important for shoulder health. Something consisting of squats, deadlifts, chinups, rows, bench and press in a 3x5 scheme should serve you well. If you want something for core, try L-sits.

Its interesting, I was reading some comments about dips elsewhere among weight people and the refrain by many was that they couldn't do them because of bad shoulders. Which got me thinking, the PB support motion which is absolutely key to shoulder health is grossly underdeveloped in weight people (as is the pulling motion in the shoulders in many, but I digress). Even with dips it is possible to do dips without the inverse shrug (PB support) motion at the top. Unless I'm missing an exercise that includes this motion, but I can't think of any. The main ones I know of, outside of PB support (pretty much an inverse shrug isolation exercise), are the non-hanging L-sit, full ROM good form tricep dips, and upward dog in yoga.

In other words, everyone should be training L-sits, not just bodyweight people.

[stripes0721]

I'm eatting a lot, trust me. However, I'm trying to change my diet to a paleolithic diet. I eat plenty of meat...more than enough (sometimes I wonder if I'm part wolf). I am planning on increasing my weight by 5 pounds each week until i plateau then I plan to change my routine again.

rtalencar- I was looking into what you suggested and I will try to incorporate those. THey seem to be really helpful.

And I do not have the body strength to do an L-sit now hahaha, if i did i would not need help building strength

[rtalencar]

I'm eatting a lot, trust me. However, I'm trying to change my diet to a paleolithic diet. I eat plenty of meat...more than enough (sometimes I wonder if I'm part wolf). I am planning on increasing my weight by 5 pounds each week until i plateau then I plan to change my routine again.

rtalencar- I was looking into what you suggested and I will try to incorporate those. THey seem to be really helpful.

And I do not have the body strength to do an L-sit now hahaha, if i did i would not need help building strength

Make sure you're getting enough carbs in. That'll help with your workouts and should help with mass.

[161803398874989]

Its interesting, I was reading some comments about dips elsewhere among weight people and the refrain by many was that they couldn't do them because of bad shoulders. Which got me thinking, the PB support motion which is absolutely key to shoulder health is grossly underdeveloped in weight people (as is the pulling motion in the shoulders in many, but I digress). Even with dips it is possible to do dips without the inverse shrug (PB support) motion at the top. Unless I'm missing an exercise that includes this motion, but I can't think of any. The main ones I know of, outside of PB support (pretty much an inverse shrug isolation exercise), are the non-hanging L-sit, full ROM good form tricep dips, and upward dog in yoga.

In other words, everyone should be training L-sits, not just bodyweight people.

Pullups with a focus on scapular depression will hit that motion well. But yeah, that's why I don't recommend hanging leg raises or the like.