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My Workout Routine: Good or Bad?

Envision

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Its not good but its better than nothing.

It will depend on your health and fitness goals. You generally want to start with a compound movement and have 3-4 accessory lifts to that compound movement.

Check out Kris Gethins programs on Kagedmusclesupps website. You can follow his programs to cut or bulk, hes got a few on there. Remember most of your results will come from your diet.
 

Ismail941

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Split Body Work is something that better than Zero Body Work
If you feel the gist for it, go for it! :)
 

AceVentures

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This is my split workout routine. Do you guys think this is a good routine to follow?

View attachment 29571

Why not do a push-pull-legs split? There's good reason to follow this strategy as you double up on muscle groups that work together.

Your biceps and leg day, for example, throws me off. I like to do biceps on a back (pull) day, as I'm using biceps in almost all of my exercises. Only 2-3 exercises of biceps are needed to compliment my back day.

Another note, you can have (and probably should have) a variety of push-pull-legs days to continuously confuse your muscles. Think an A, B, C set of push-pull-legs. In addition, you can also switch it up in the way you perform the exercise.

Example: have some days where your focus is on progressive overload in the form of higher weights. Some days the focus is on higher reps. Some days you do only dropsets. Close-feet squats and leg presses as the main lifts on leg day A (quad focused) vs deadlifts and lunges on leg day B (hamstring focused). These are examples of how you introduce variety. To continuously challenge your body is to continuously change things up.

Once you get an exercise down, your progress stagnates and it's time for change. If you're a beginner, you should focus entirely on getting the core compound movements practiced until you achieve the right form. FYI, these are squats, deadlifts, bench press, military press, and bent-over barbell rows. Don't forget about pullups, pushups, and abs. If you skip this step, you're doing your body injustice and will be at a higher likelihood for injury later in your journey. But if you've been working out for a while now, don't be afraid to let every "day" be different from the last.
 
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Miketing

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Beginners will make the most efficient gains on one of the beginner full-body programs e.g. Stronglifts, Starting Strength, GSLP, Ivysaur's, aworkoutroutine, ICF 5x5.

The main focus should be to progressively overload the main compound movements.

 

MythOfSisyphus

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As others have pointed out... Get good at the compound movements (Deadlift, Squat, Bench, OHP etc.) first then worry about accessories down the track. I did Starting Strength in the beginning but really any of the popular ones should give you results and a good base to work with.

I don't find a lot of time to workout in the mornings any more so I basically just Deadlift and Bench. It's not ideal but it's effective for the time I have.
 

Likwid24

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Likwid24

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Get ripped

I moderately workout so I am not skinny or fat, just trying to get bigger and get ripped.

Here’s some advice from someone who did this for a living and tried basically everything myself.

Number1 -remember that when they say nutrition is 80%, that’s no lie.Getting bigger and leaner will mostly rely on your nutrition. I highly recommend counting macros. It’s the most efficient way to hot your goals.

2 - you say you want to get bigger and ripped. That’s not how It works unless your plan is to take “Supps”. Bodybuilders have a bulking season and a cutting season. They don’t do both at the same time. If your goal is to get bigger, then o suggest you do that first then you cut. Two different workout programs. Two different diets.

I’m actually just about to start my cutting phase. I’m 185 and around 15% body fat, which is high for me. I plan to get just below 180 and down to about 11% body fat in about 60-90 days. No specific reason other than my own personal goals I set. I’m eating about 2400 calories a day specifically broken down into about 185g of protein, 225 carbs and 80 fat. I’m probably going to up the carbs and reduce some fat depending on how this week goes.
 

simplymoto

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I’m actually just about to start my cutting phase. I’m 185 and around 15% body fat, which is high for me. I plan to get just below 180 and down to about 11% body fat in about 60-90 days. No specific reason other than my own personal goals I set. I’m eating about 2400 calories a day specifically broken down into about 185g of protein, 225 carbs and 80 fat. I’m probably going to up the carbs and reduce some fat depending on how this week goes.

I want to look good.

For someone that does it for a living, would you say that it's ok to have a calorie deficit (~20%) and at the same time do gym work out to increase the burn? I think I am experiencing a small increase in muscle mass, and also reduction in fats.
 
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Likwid24

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I want to look good.

For someone that does it for a living, would you say that it's ok to have a calorie deficit (~20%) and at the same time do gym work out to increase the burn? I think I am experiencing a small increase in muscle mass, and also reduction in fats.

I would never do a calorie deficit based off a percentage. You need to figure your correct macro breakdown then adjust your macros + or - 300 and go from there.

This is all based on your weight, body fat, age, intensity and goals. Don’t just pick a number out of a hat.
 

James Klymus

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Well it depends on a few things. Are you a beginner? And what are your goals?

If you're a beginner and you want to get bigger and stronger, I would go with a program like starting strength or 5x5. You program would look something like this:

Workout A:

Overhead press 3 sets of 5 reps
Squat 3x5
Chin ups 3 sets to failure

Workout B:

Bench press 3x5
Squat 3x5
Deadlift 1x5

Monday Workout A, Wednesday B, Friday A then the next week Monday B, Wednesday A Friday B.

You also need to be adding 5lbs to the bar every workout on all these exercises until you cant add 5 lbs every time. Then you would add 2.5lbs.

As far as your diet goes, it depends where you start out at. If you were very skinny like I was then you'll need to eat 4-5,000 calories per day to be able to get bigger.

If you're average/slightly overweight then you don't need to be eating as much.

Make sure you're getting plenty of protein, at least 1 gram per pound of body weight, more wont hurt though.

Your workout plan right now is okay, just a lot of volume, and as a beginner you don't need a ton of volume, in my experience.

I always will have a beginner focus on main compound lifts, and getting stronger every week, because that is what moves the needle on progress.
 

Red

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What does your diet look like?
 

John2020

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What does your diet look like?
No specific diet. Just eat healthy or as healthy as I can. I try to eat more meat than everything else. I do not know much about nutrition or calories I just eat healthy
 

alexkuzmov

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As others have said, 80% of being fit, ripped, muscular etc. is achieved with proper nutrition.
I`m no expert on nutrition(yet) so I wont say anything about it.

As for training, I wouldnt recommend going to a gym at all.
If you are not a bodybuilder, and dont plan to be, then look into sports.
Swimming is one of the best ways to get a proper physique.
Strength conditioning through body weight exercises is great also (think climbing).
Brazilian Jiu jitsu coupled with Muay thai can make you look like a god on earth (especially if you have the height for it and keep your ears nice and safe)

My advice is find a sport which you love to do and maybe go to the gym as a supliment training to the sport.
 
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JAJT

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For those unaware - Likwid24 actually knows a thing or two about this stuff.

He was a firefighter (slash calendar model :p ), is a fitness coach, and literally owns a gym. This may not make him infallible but I'd take what he has to say with a degree of credibility.

Get ripped

That's not honestly a well define goal.

Does ripped to you mean:

- An appearance of huge muscles and a very well sculpted physique (bodybuilding)
- Being functionally strong (strength training)
- Being able to perform well in a variety of sports (athleticism)
- Looking reasonably good without a shirt on at the beach (simply "looking fit and healthy")

These goals all have very different training programs. How strict you want to be will also matter. It's really not easy or realistic for most people to maintain washboard abs year round.
 

Miketing

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As others have said, 80% of being fit, ripped, muscular etc. is achieved with proper nutrition.
I`m no expert on nutrition(yet) so I wont say anything about it.

As for training, I wouldnt recommend going to a gym at all.
If you are not a bodybuilder, and dont plan to be, then look into sports.
Swimming is one of the best ways to get a proper physique.
Strength conditioning through body weight exercises is great also (think climbing).
Brazilian Jiu jitsu coupled with Muay thai can make you look like a god on earth (especially if you have the height for it and keep your ears nice and safe)

My advice is find a sport which you love to do and maybe go to the gym as a supliment training to the sport.

All of these successful swimmers and MMA fighters you see got their bodies through strength training in the gym (and often PEDs), not through cardio (sports).

If you want to build any kind of muscle, you need to be doing some kind of progressive resistance workout routine, ideally with weights using the big compound movements. You're also not gonna end up looking like a bodybuilder unless you devote your life to it for years or start injecting a load of gear.

For beginners, nutrition isn't even that important to gaining strength and muscle. You'll gain muscle and lose fat at the same time without even needing to eat at a surplus or a deficit. Also, protein is overrated. Anything more than 0.82g per pound of bodyweight has been proven to be unnecessary.

A "healthy" diet means different things to different people. Some will say vegan is healthiest, some will say carnivore. If your goal is to look better and get stronger though, just pick whether you want to gain muscle or lose fat more, then eat more or less calories than your maintenance level.
 

Red

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Just eat healthy or as healthy as I can.

There seems to be a problem with specificity here. "healthy" is actually not a way of eating, especially if you're an american -we have a very warped view of what healthy eating is & most of the american diet is calorie rich & nutrient deficient.

I think @JAJT nailed it with the fact that you've got to get specific if you're trying to accomplish a goal. Everybody wants to get ripped on a healthy diet. But almost nobody accomplishes that. Why is that?

I do not know much about nutrition or calories

This is the single biggest factor in your health & your body appearance. It would be good to learn a bit about your diet (and what is optimal for your body) & how it directly impacts your body/health.
 
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Likwid24

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For beginners, nutrition isn't even that important to gaining strength and muscle. You'll gain muscle and lose fat at the same time without even needing to eat at a surplus or a deficit. Also, protein is overrated. Anything more than 0.82g per pound of bodyweight has been proven to be unnecessary.

I totally disagree with this. Nutrition is important for all. Especially if you have goals you want to hit.

A "healthy" diet means different things to different people. Some will say vegan is healthiest, some will say carnivore. If your goal is to look better and get stronger though, just pick whether you want to gain muscle or lose fat more, then eat more or less calories than your maintenance level.

I agree with this. Define "healthy". Everyone has their own definition and sometimes it blows me away what people think is healthy. In the end, it comes down to calories in vs calories out. One importnat thing is the breakdown though. Not just total calories.

This is the single biggest factor in your health & your body appearance. It would be good to learn a bit about your diet (and what is optimal for your body) & how it directly impacts your body/health.

This ☝
 

simplymoto

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I would never do a calorie deficit based off a percentage. You need to figure your correct macro breakdown then adjust your macros + or - 300 and go from there.

This is all based on your weight, body fat, age, intensity and goals. Don’t just pick a number out of a hat.

My macro is about ~2700 a day, and my sedentary base is around ~1600. The 1100 extra is from workout and also active lifestyle. Fitbit is actually giving me 3000~ but I think it is overcounting. My daily intake is around 1800 hence I am at a 700 deficit daily, give or take. I have lost 4kg in 40 days, with some muscle growth.
 
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simplymoto

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Well it depends on a few things. Are you a beginner? And what are your goals?

If you're a beginner and you want to get bigger and stronger, I would go with a program like starting strength or 5x5. You program would look something like this:

Workout A:

Overhead press 3 sets of 5 reps
Squat 3x5
Chin ups 3 sets to failure

Workout B:

Bench press 3x5
Squat 3x5
Deadlift 1x5

Monday Workout A, Wednesday B, Friday A then the next week Monday B, Wednesday A Friday B.

I have not tried deadlift and overhead press, will see how to incorporate. Thanks!

What I have not done yet is to do A -> B -> A, instead I mix and match based on the day's condition, eg: 1 macro, 1 arm, 1 leg today, and 2 macro, 1 abs the next day. I've heard it's not as good as having a A B C.. fix workout routine like you mentioned, any thoughts?

You also need to be adding 5lbs to the bar every workout on all these exercises until you cant add 5 lbs every time. Then you would add 2.5lbs.

Got it, adding 2.5kg and moving to 1.25 until I can't anymore.

As far as your diet goes, it depends where you start out at. If you were very skinny like I was then you'll need to eat 4-5,000 calories per day to be able to get bigger.

If you're average/slightly overweight then you don't need to be eating as much.

Make sure you're getting plenty of protein, at least 1 gram per pound of body weight, more wont hurt though.

Got it, ~ 1 gram per 2.5kg of body weight. I weight ~70kg so 28 gram protein!

Your workout plan right now is okay, just a lot of volume, and as a beginner you don't need a ton of volume, in my experience.

I always will have a beginner focus on main compound lifts, and getting stronger every week, because that is what moves the needle on progress.

That's great, I have reduced the volume to 5x5, except the occasional days when I have no access to gyms, then I fall back to using body weights which sometimes increases lots of volume, for example from bench press 5x5 to push up 30x5.
 
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Last edited:

simplymoto

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Does ripped to you mean:

- An appearance of huge muscles and a very well sculpted physique (bodybuilding)
- Being functionally strong (strength training)
- Being able to perform well in a variety of sports (athleticism)
- Looking reasonably good without a shirt on at the beach (simply "looking fit and healthy")

I am going for lean rip as I have a small body frame, therefore body builder physique is def out. In the past 40 days I've lost 4kg and gained some muscles doing weights, overall I am feeling the effect.

For years I was doing more aerobics and less gym, now I am doing the latter more.
 

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