Weight training routine... how's it look

sarahmakeskinny
sarahmakeskinny Posts: 10
in Fitness and Exercise
So I posted last week or so that I was going to start my journey back to my old friend the gym with the help of Jillian Michaels. She's been with me for a long time... but for some reason after a couple videos after a hiatus I am just not feeling it.

So, I decided to just go on back to the gym instead and leave Jillian to help me make up missed workouts or as a bonus weekend adventure.

ANYWAYS.

I want to do Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesday I'll just do some cardio. I want to keep my gym time all during the week- because I just wont do it on the weekend. I went yesterday and today and just kind of played around with some stuff but I like to have structure. I looked into SL5x5 and NROL, and SL5x5 just seems boring and NROL seems like I need a PHD to decipher. Don't judge. So I made my own....

I made two routines to rotate to start off with for the next several weeks, to reacquaint myself with the weight room. Here she blows:

Workout A- Back, Bi’s and Legs
*Front Loaded or Bar Squats
*Lateral Pull Down
*Straight Leg Dead Lift
*Cable Rows
*Bicep Bar Curls
*Leg Curl
*Overhead Bar Press
*Some Abs

Workout B- Chest, Tri’s and Legs
*Front-Loaded or Bar Squats
*Chest Press
*Dips
*Static Lunges
*Chest Flies
*Calves
*Tri Extension
*Some Abs

Does this look rounded enough? Too much? Some things I will probably sub in, like change up the bi/tri workouts ect. But it's a basic guideline........

Nitpick away.....

Replies

  • TiberiusClaudis
    TiberiusClaudis Posts: 423 Member
    For the most part I like it.

    When I'm looking over someones routine, I look first for the BIG core lifts: Bench Press, Squats and Dead Lifts

    From there, chin ups and military press is a good expansion.

    Many put curls way down the list, but I LOVE curls...especially preacher curls.

    When I do Full Body workouts, I do an upper body set and then move quickly to a lower body set. Is that what you are doing? Going back and forth or are you doing sets of squats, complete them and then go do pull downs?

    I'd go with this for a while and see how you do.

    Oh..I do abs on one day and calves on the other. I wouldn't do each of these two days in a row...but that's me.

    One more insight. At some point, you should try mixing tricep and bicep exercises together. It makes your arms swell. But...remember when you work chest you work tris...so you have to give adequate time for both to recover.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    It's best to start with a full-body workout for a while.

    As far as which exercises, that depends on your goal.. which you didn't state.
  • sarahmakeskinny
    sarahmakeskinny Posts: 10
    At Tiberius, thank you for your input. I do plan on switching from upper to lower body, but because my gym is busy in the morning when I am there, coupled with the fact that I am not familiar with anyone there yet so I don't feel super comfortable asking to rotate machines with anyone (shy, what can I say) I am planning on finishing an entire set and then moving on to the next move. If the gym happened to be super slow I would probably do more of a circuit, or several small circuits with the upper/lower body moves. BUT my gym is like the mother ship, it's massive and always busy. I chose it because is literally less an two minutes from my house, and because it IS massive there are tons of classes and everything you could possible want to put in a gym.

    My membership does include a personal training session every month, so I was thinking I could play with my routine for a couple weeks and then get a trainer to help with any form issues I feel like I might have, or help bridge any gaps. I just don't want them to make the routine for me- because I've been down that road and it is always tailored towards girly moves and barbi weights.

    As for goals, I want to get strong. I've weight trained for years but never lifted heavy. I will say, I had a rockin' body- but the composition was really just my regular ol' body but tight. And I just wasn't very strong. I see so many women completely changing their physics working with the boys in the "man area". I'm naturally more muscular and built like an athlete, and I've always tried to fight against that to be "long and lean". Well.... I think it's time to go with it and see what happens.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    it's not a BAD thing- but it's just nonsenical to me.
    I don't understand why you are going 4 times a week and only have a 2 day whole body split???


    If I was doing weights 4 times a week it would be
    M- squats
    T- chest
    R- deads
    F- back

    or
    M-deads
    T- chest
    R- squats
    F-back

    The big compounds at the heart of those- with 2-3 accessory lifts.

    also don't do chest on Monday- you'll never get a bench- rookie mistake.
  • sarahmakeskinny
    sarahmakeskinny Posts: 10
    Well I was just going to rotate those two workouts, do A on Monday, B on Tuesday, A Thursday, B Friday.... and change up some of the smaller lifts as I see fit/get bored. I've always had a workout buddy or a trainer, so weight training completely alone and being responsible for creating my own routine is totally new to me, and I've been mind screwing it with research and just cant find a pre-built routine that I like. The first couple routines I made were four separate splits instead of two whole body ones, and they just seemed out of balance... like I said, mind screwing it.

    Good to know about chest on Monday lol
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    not for nothing- but I would really try for an established program at least for 6-12 weeks.

    I know it's hard mentally- but you'll see a lot of gains- and you'll spend less time fiddle farting around because you will know exactly what you need to do. Build a strong base- get you comfortable with programs and see success.

    Did you look at Wendlers 5/3/1 at all? that's not a bad program either.

    Strong Curves is booty oriented but still a solid program.
  • PJPrimrose
    PJPrimrose Posts: 916 Member
    I'm starting out slowly with "Starting Strength" a book program as I have this strange rule of no electronics at the gym. I'm probably one of 3 people without a phone glued to an arm. I train with my DH as a spotter (form obviously).

    I started out before MFP with heavier weights instead of light hand barbells I'd always worked with in the past. I did this with advice off youtube and body building sites for form and pace. I started out with front squats, bench press and deadlifts with an empty bar for a few months as my body got used to the equipment. Then I went up in tiny, weeny increments trying to figure out what the heck I was doing! I finally made it to MFP and got solid advice on lifting and bought the book.

    I train for kick boxing 3 times a week (my actual sport).
    I lift weights 2xs a week and have 2 rest days.

    I'm still really light:
    BP 75lbs
    back Squat 85lbs
    DL 105 lbs
    brain cruncher 40
    press 50lbs

    I trade off bench press and press between the two days and do everything else the same. I'm starting to add 5lbs every 2 weeks. I cannot gain weight (leave my kick boxing weight class) or (unlikely) bulk.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    I would simple it up much like JoRocka stated her routine which is very similar to mine. Do compounds, and then work in a couple accessories that day.

    I also try to match them up a bit with the push/pull concept. If you are doing bench/inc bench that is a good day also to hit your rows. Lunges same day as leg curls. OHP same day as pull ups. Biceps/Triceps etc...
  • sarahmakeskinny
    sarahmakeskinny Posts: 10
    I really appreciated everyone's replies, I'll look into some of those programs and tweak my split. Thank you!!!!!!

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