Please critique my custom workout?

threnjen

Hi everyone
I’m looking for some constructive critiques of the routine that I have put together for myself. I have enjoyed Jillian Michaels circuit videos, specifically 30DS and Ripped in 30. But I am a little bored with these and just want to try some self-directed stuff for a while with my own music. I don’t necessarily know the proper terms for all the moves but I will do my best.

About me: Exercising for only 3 months now. No longer a complete beginner I suppose but I would hesitate to call myself intermediate. Kind of fell off the wagon for exercise the last month due to injury then illness, so my diary is spotty for the exercise portion, but I’ve never missed logging a food day. I currently weight 141lb and am 5’1”.

All exercises are performed with dumbbells, unless they obviously wouldn’t be.
Each circuit is repeated 4 times, 8 reps each.

Circuit 1 (4x8 reps)
Squat & Overhead Press
Tricep kickbacks in static lunge (not really a lunge, the thing where one leg is out straight behind you and forward leg is 90 degrees?)
Chest flys in chair pose
Bicycle crunches (30 sec)

Circuit 2 (4x8 reps)
Deadlift row w/kettlebell
Alternating lunges w/bicep curls
Push ups
Side lunge w/front raise

Circuit 3 (4x8 reps)
Renegade rows
Wide squat w/hammer curls
One-leg rows (where you stand on one foot and lift your other leg behind you with back parallel to ground, what’s it called)
Dual crunches (30 sec)

It took me 36:30 to do the circuits including a 5min warmup, but excluding cooldown. So appx. 10min per circuit.

Does this setup seem safe and effective as a full-body workout? Any areas I am missing, or things I should remove/replace?

Lofteren

There isn't enough information to say whether or not this is good for you.

It is sufficient for me to tell you the following things about program design:

-What is your goal? Be VERY specific
-What things do you need to do in order to achieve that goal?
-Have you programmed in a set progression in order to move towards that goal? (set weight progression, rep progression, distance or speed if you are running, etc...)
-Have you programmed in sufficient rest and recovery for the demands imposed by your training program?
-Most importantly, how is your training efficiency? Are you doing a bunch of nonsense that doesn't directly help you to achieve the very specific goal you set out to achieve? Are the lifts/exercises you have chosen the MOST effective ones available for you to achieve your goal? (this is the most common program design error that I see)

These are some guidelines to go by when putting together your own training program; however, if you have to come online and ask people about your program design then you don't know enough to do it yourself. You would probably be better off picking a program that has been proven to work well for a wide range of people and sticking to that one. If you want to lose fat and look better I would recommend stronglifts 5x5 with some form of cardio on your off days (HIIT is best IMO) and eating at a slight caloric deficit so you don't lose more than a pound a week.

skinnyinnotime

That's a lot of stuff, I can't see how you managed to do it all in just over half an hour.

Like previous poster said, what are your goals?

ETA: yes, you are a beginner at 3 months and are better off following a program...and which one to choose will depend on what your goals are

DavPul

as a circuit it seems fine. you'll probably want to mix in some other options, variations, or bodyweight stuff to keep from getting bored to death tho.

bonus tip: download an HIIT timer app to your phone. instead of counting reps, use timed intervals. it's easier to progress that way. start at say, 30 secs of work, 30 secs of rest and then go to 40/20, 45/15, 60/15. 60 is usually as high as you'll want to because of diminishing returns.

threnjen

Thank you everyone for your feedback. I understand now that I should not try to "go it alone".
I fervently want to do Stronglifts 5x5 and that program is what I fantasize about all the time. But a gym membership is not in the cards yet for me, so I was trying to find suitable strength work that I can do at home, on my own.

Putting aside the wisdom of doing my own circuits - Skinnyinnotime, the time spent would equate to about 2.5 minutes per set of 4 moves, so 30 seconds per 8 reps really then a 30 second break before starting the set over. Does this seem too fast? I was trying to keep to a controlled pace like the way I learned the moves, but perhaps this is a drawback of self-directed work and I was doing them too quickly.

I guess I'll go back to my videos and keep dreaming about that gym membership and being able to do Stronglifts 5x5. But the burn was soooo good today and I feel so great!

I will have to download the HIIT timer app regardless, this sounds like a very useful tool.

Also, I'm not sure if anyone was asking about my specific goals, or just challenging me that without defining these answers I can't possibly manage my own program. In case anyone was actually asking, I have fat to lose and want to build my strength at the same time. And I really hate almost all cardio, but I love using my weights. I would rather die than spend an hour on an elliptical.

For the past few months I just do either Ripped in 30 or 30DS 4-5 days a week (except the last couple weeks )