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

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ashesfromfire
ashesfromfire Posts: 867 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
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"
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Replies

  • ashesfromfire
    ashesfromfire Posts: 867 Member
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    bump
  • nguk123
    nguk123 Posts: 223
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    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
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    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
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    Start lifting weights.
  • dawson55510
    dawson55510 Posts: 197 Member
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    Start lifting weights.

    this
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    Start lifting weights.

    this

    heavy ones

    and eat at a surplus (i.e. more than his TDEE)
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    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
    KNarrainen Posts: 135 Member
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    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
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
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    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
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    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
    astrobob76 Posts: 15
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    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
    jayche Posts: 1,128 Member
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    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
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    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
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
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    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
    macdiver Posts: 145 Member
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    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
    bdamaster60 Posts: 595 Member
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    Jeffrey Donovan is a baddass! But tbh the workout is utter crap.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    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
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    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
    djsupreme6 Posts: 1,210 Member
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    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
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    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.

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