Opinions on this workout? (men please, but women feel free)

ashesfromfire

So after months of seeing me workout, my boyfriend has finally decided to workout (yay!) Anyways, there's a celebrity he has in mind as his inspiration (Jeffrey Donovan) and after minimal google work, found this as his apparent workout:


20 Pushups
5 Inside grip pullups
20 Diamond pushups
20 Resistance-band curls
20 Reverse lunges
5 Inside grip pullups
3 Minutes of shadow-boxing
30 Abdominal scissor kicks
30 Abdominal flutter kicks
15 Abdominal V-ups


Thoughts - advice - input - I know it's not heavy lifting or anything, but he's only interested in toning up his skinny frame.

My SO's stats:

age: 21
weight: approx 165
Height: 6'1"

ashesfromfire

bump

nguk123

I'm not sure what 'toning up his skinny frame' means to you.... Muscles can't 'tone'. They can be bigger or smaller, and covered by a layer of more or less fat.

If he lacks muscle that he desires, then he needs a program which involves progressively heavier loads, and he needs to eat enough protein and excess calories to enable his muscles to grow.

darrensurrey

Typically, he won't believe the above poster so he should do the workout and see what happens in a month or two. If he's not happy, then bin that workout and start picking up really heavy stuff. Frankly, assuming he's not eating in excess, doing that workout may cause him to be more skinny but sore.

AntWrig

Start lifting weights.

dawson55510

Start lifting weights.

this

neandermagnon

Start lifting weights.

this

heavy ones

and eat at a surplus (i.e. more than his TDEE)

neandermagnon

There are some good beginner weight training programmes, maybe someone else can recommend one as I'm not familiar with any specific programme as I plan my own workouts.

The workout you posted will not help him to gain muscle, the push-ups are good, but you said he has a skinny frame and wants to build muscles, he needs to be lifting heavy weights and eating a LOT, i.e. more than his TDEE (i.e. the opposite as for weight loss) so he can start to build muscle. Just doing those exercises without eating right won't help, and in order to stimulate the muscles enough for them to grow, the workout needs to be more demanding than the one you posted.

KNarrainen

It's a good start I'd say. But he may want to add weights later on.

Also Diamond push-ups are super tough.

haroon_awan

Thoughts - advice - input - I know it's not heavy lifting or anything, but he's only interested in toning up his skinny frame.

He has made mistake number 1 before starting.

Solution: Tell him lift weights.

darrensurrey

Thoughts - advice - input - I know it's not heavy lifting or anything, but he's only interested in toning up his skinny frame.

He has made mistake number 1 before starting.

Solution: Tell him lift weights.

But you don't realise that us ectomorph just have to think about 25kg dumbbells and we look like Arnie. :drinker:

astrobob76

if he can do 20 diamond pushups, he musnt be in to bad shape. i cant! but the other posters are right. tone is sorta a meaningless word with muscle. its a 2 part process. 1. lift weights(properly with good form!!!) 2. eat properly for your goals. also, trying to look like someone else is futile. you have to be the best "you" that you can be. otherwise, you will just get discouraged fast. ill say this tho. 6ft 1 and 165? i envy him

jayche

Looks like a typical home Chest + Bicep + Abs workout. Aka crap
Wider Grip on the pull-ups for back (if you can try sternum pull-ups for middle back development, assisted one-arm pull-ups as your uni-lateral to keep things balanced), throw in some squats -> pistol squats + sprints (hill sprints are even better) for leg work.

Capt_Apollo

when is leg day??

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/01/24/rage-against-the-machine-how-to-switch-from-exercise-machines-to-free-weights/

There are three basic movements:

PUSH - Push Ups, Dips, Handstands
PULL - Pull Ups, Body Rows
LEGS (work both PUSH AND PULL) – Body weight squats, pistol squats, lunges, box jumps

That’s it. Pick one from each, and complete 2-4 sets of each exercise for 8-10 repetitions. Then, wait 48 hours, pick another one from each category and repeat. A full workout might look like:

Monday: Squats, Push Ups, Body Rows
Wednesday: Lunges, Handstands, Pull Ups
Friday: Box Jumps, Dips, Body Rows

BurtHuttz

It's perhaps a strange workout if that is both where the workout begins and ends. By which I mean, if he can do 25 diamond push-ups to start with, shouldn't his goal be 26 tomorrow? Sort of odd.

macdiver

I have read a few articles where a celebrity was asked about a workout that was attributed to them. Often the workout listed was only part of what they were doing at that time. Other times it was what they were doing at one point in time but not what they did before or after. I do not know thus actor but my guess us if he has some muscles he was lifting weights at some point in time.

bdamaster60

Jeffrey Donovan is a baddass! But tbh the workout is utter crap.

myofibril

If his goals are simply to improve the look of his chest, biceps and abs (so the smaller muscle groups) it will be ok presuming his diet is ok as well.

It omits the bigger muscle groups though (back, glutes, quads, hamstrings etc) so it is pretty unbalanced. He'd be better off doing a traditional full body workout if he is a beginner. Far more bang for your buck.

Capt_Apollo

i'm a big fan of Burn Notice, and every once in a while, they show him working out in his loft. what is he doing? crunches. SMH.

djsupreme6

this workout is pretty good...those diamond pushups are tough so that many of them are impressive...he could do this...but could do it in intervals...with minimal rest in between exercises and 2 or 3 circuits...he will sweat and get stronger...then..amp up the numbers

rybo

Not Ideal, but it's a start. A person can build plenty of strength and size using body weight only exercises.

The nerd fitness reference that was posted is WELL worth checking out.

jedigrover

1st - anything is better than nothing. If this is what gets him moving, then so be it.

2nd - that workout was probably designed by a trainer for that celebrity specifically--to get him where he wants / needs to go from where he is at present. I'd also note that nothing is said of how strong of bands are being used etc.

I'd recommend a simple, no-nonsense weight-lifting regimen with appropriate eating. Something like Stronglifts 5x5 (google it) if you have access to (or room and budget for) a power rack and olympic barbell.

ArroganceInStep

Get him to get his diet in check. Pick up a viable bodyweight workout that hits your entire body and not just glamour spots, and see if he'll consider doing DB or Barbell work.

You don't suddenly get big overnight, I'm not sure why people get so worried about it like if they touch a weight it'll set off an uncontrollable chain reaction that CANNOT be reversed and CANNOT be contained!

chrishgt4

Looking at the guy who supposedly does it - I can believe that it is all he does to be honest.

A good all over body weights programme is likely to be more effective though, but the main piece of the jigsaw is nutrition. He needs to eat enough to get bigger.

Lift_hard_eat_big

At 6'1", 165 lbs, I can imagine how skinny he is. He should go on a bulk, and lift heavy to gain some muscle mass.