Strength routine: suggestions? am I missing anything?

your routine actually sounds pretty good for a beginner. you will have to eventually start a split routine separating body parts once you start getting stronger and more attuned with your body. doing that many sets may require more rest inbetween workout days. you should go any where from a total of 12-17 sets a day.

I am definitely interested in using barbells - maybe I'm a little intimidated by it? I would probably have to pay the personal trainer to show me how to do each exercise properly. I guess barbells are unfamiliar territory for me. Would you like to come train me? lol

sure let me know next time you're in California LOL

Pardon my ignorance but what does breastfeeding have to do with anything?

If you're going to do it, do it right. Get Starting Strength (it's on amazon) and follow the routine. Or follow a similar beginner's routine. You won't be doing huge weights to start with (or within 6 weeks) so I'm not really understanding the problem.

Especially if you're looking to work towards that sort of routine in the future, why not start now? Doing isolation work (especially on machines) isn't really going to prepare you for doing the major compound exercises anyway.

If you're truly worried about bench press, get a spotter or do them in a power rack or get those self-spotting stands. Or use dumbbells. You won't be able to do as much weight with DB but the principle is the same.

Edit: starting out with a split routine is silly too. Doing a basic beginner's program with all of the big compound lifts a few times a week will serve you well for years. Only advanced lifters tend to find extra success with split routines. There's nothing wrong with a split routine of course, it's just not necessary.

Firstly, the upper/lower split is actually quite common. It's my preferred way of structuring things, in fact. So I wouldn't label it as being atypical or anything like that.

Couple of random thoughts:

a) I would make changes every six weeks unless you needed to. Change for the sake of change is ridiculous. I know it's the 'in thing' to program hop nowadays, but don't get sucked into that mentality. Change should be well reasoned and deliberate. And generally speaking, it shouldn't be wholesale. By that, I mean some movements might need changing while others might need to stay.

As an example, and keep in mind, this is very general, but I'll typically breakout my movements into lower body and upper body. I'll further divide the lower body stuff into squatting and hip hinging. I'll divide my upper body stuff into vertical pressing and pulling and horizontal pressing and pulling.

When I do make a change, I don't change everything. Maybe my horizontal pushing exercise still feels great after 6 weeks or whatever. I'm not going to stop progressing in that movement simply because some piece of paper tells me it's time to stop. I'd rather fit my program to my body than fit my body to a program. And to do that, things need to be fluid and adaptable based on feel and progress.

Simultaneously, maybe my squat is feeling like poop. I'm having trouble progressing load, everything feels grindy... even warm ups... and they just feel sucky. I'll likely swap that exercise out. But again, it won't be some wholesale change. I'll stick with a squatting pattern, but I'll change movement selection. If I were doing barbell squats, I might swap them for front squats, cambered bar squats, some sort of lunge, leg press, step ups, banded dynamic squats, etc.

You get the point I'm sure.

2) I'd put more pulling in your exercise selection. Your upper body day has 2 pressing exercises (chest press and shoulder press) and one pulling exercise (lat pulldown). In the culture today, most people need more pulling work than pushing work. It's simple... everything's in front of us. And we tend to sit a lot. These variables tend to shorten the muscles on our frontside and weaken our muscles on our back. This is part of the reason why so many people are walking around with rounded upper backs (hunch back) and protruding necks/heads (turtling).

So anything, even out your pushing and pulling.

3) You might consider varying the loading a bit over time. This can be done a bunch of ways. For example, your week could look like this:

Day 1: Upper - heavy horizontal, light vertical
Day 2: Lower - heavy squat, light hip hinge
Day 3: Upper - heavy vertical, light horizontal
Day 4: Lower - heavy hip hinge, light squat

You can throw whatever fluff stuff you want in between or at the end for arms, core or whatever.

By heavy, I'm talking maybe 4-8 reps per set.

By light, I'm talking maybe 10-15 reps per set.

Since reps dictate load, by varying your rep range, you're also varying your load and thus exposing your body to a broader spectrum of stimulus for change.

To translate that above split into exercises, you could do...

Day 1: Upper - heavy horizontal, light vertical

A1 - Chest press 3-4 x 4-6
A2 - Cable Row 3-4 x 4-6
B1- Overhead Press 2-3 x 8-12
B2 - Cable Pulldowns 2-3 x 8-12

Day 2: Lower - heavy squat, light hip hinge

A - Leg Press 3-4 x 4-6
B1 - Single Leg DB Romanian Deadlifts 2-3 x 8-12
B2 - Goblet Alternating Lunges 2-3 x 8-12

Day 3: Upper - heavy vertical, light horizontal

A1 - Assisted Pullups - 3-4 x 4-6
A2 - Barbell Push Press - 3-4 x 4-6
B1 - Head Supported DB Row - 2-3 x 8-12
B2 - DB Floor Press - 2-3 x 8-12

Day 4: Lower - heavy hip hinge, light horizontal

A - Conventional or Romanian Deadlift 3-4 x 4-6
B1 - Step ups - 2-3 x 8-12
B2 - Cable Pull Throughs - 2-3 x 8-12

This is all very general. Exercise selection isn't really important. You could swam any squat movement for any other squat movement you like for example. And volume and loading could be adjusted to meet individual experience or need. The point is, there are ways to expose your body to a broader array of stimulus, which I've found to be more productive for most people.

I'll generally vary loading across the week and across the block, with a block lasting anywhere from 4-8 weeks. And explaining the variation across the block is beyond the scope of this post.

4. Focusing on the transverse abdominis is sort of silly more often than not, but your exercise selection is just fine, so I wouldn't worry about it.

I thought I had more thoughts, but I have a client walking in any minute. If you have questions, let them rip. And no, I didn't mean to totally tear apart your program ideas. In fact, you were much closer to the mark of what I'd consider quality programming than most people are and you could likely realize substantial progress with the setup you outlined, assuming you were consistent and worked hard. I'm just throwing ideas at you to hopefully optimize the process.

*like*:glasses:

I think it looks pretty good.
I'd switch the seated hip abduction and adduction for wide stance and narrow stance squats or doing a wide stance and narrow stance on the leg press.

Ditto this.

I have a 1-yo and my wife is still BF'ing. The awesomeness does get into the breastmilk, so you definitely want to do heavy squats, bench, DL, OHP, PP, PU, PU, and DB rows.

excuse MY ignorance! what do those abbreviations mean?

BF'ing = Breast Feeding (that probably isn't one you meant, though)
Dead Lift
Overhead Press
Push Press
Push Up
Pull Up
Dumbbell Rows

And if exercise is making a woman produce less milk, I bet it's because she isn't drinking enough water. She's sweating out what should be going into milk.

I am not a doctor, so I don't have any credentials behind that bet.

I am 103% sure about the awesomeness getting into the breastmilk, though.

bump to read later

I didnt read the whole thread. I recommend a proven beginner 3 day full body routine done on 3 non consecutive days per week.

Check this http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/686963-large-collection-of-info-for-beginners

And this http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=147447933

As a breast feeding momma who is 4 months postpartum I now i'm paying the price for working out too hard too soon. I eased into starting 2 months post partum and about 3 weeks ago i started having severve joint pain. I went to Dr and she said that the hormone relaxin is still in our bodies and it varys with most mommies when it will be gone. Usually 6 months so take that into consideration. I am now sticking to very low impact until i'm 6 months then I'm approaching my workouts by slowing getting back into my normal routine. You need to listen to your body for sure! Definatley drink more water!!!!! Drinking plenty of water will bump up your milk supply!! I also recommend taking this awesome supplement for breastfeeding moms that pumps up the supply easily!! It's called Gaia Herbs Lactate support...heres a link if your not anywhere near a place to buy this like a whole foods or what not.
http://www.supersup.com/gaia-herbs-lactate-support-60-vegetarian-liquid-phyto-caps-751063402200

good luck momma!