Please critique my workout routine and diet.

12 week cycle

I stumbled upon this routine is from the Strength Training book from Lee Brown of the NSCA. I bought this book in college (1 year and a half ago), I remember doing the routine and it worked well gains wise, but I never committed to it due to my studies. It's a 2 day split (I think), and 4 "on" days a week at the gym.

The first number represents warm-up sets, the second represents "work sets".

Phase 1 - Preparatory and Hypertrophy: 6 Weeks

Days 1 and 3:
Back Squat: 1, 4 X 8-10 reps
Leg Extension: 3 X 8-10 reps
Seated Leg Curl: 3 X 8-10 reps
Calf Raises: 3 X 8-10 reps
Lat Pull-down: 1, 4 X 8-10 reps
Seated Cable Rows: 1, 4 X 8-10 reps
Bicep Curls, Dumbbell: 3 X 8-10 reps
Bicep Curls, Barbell: 3 X 8-10 reps
Back Extension and Hyper-extension: 3 X 15 reps
Ab Crunch (or other Ab Workout): 3 x 20 reps

Days 2 and 4:

Bench Press: 1, 4 X 8-10 reps
Incline Bench Press: 3 X 8-10 reps
Dumbbell fly, incline: 3 X 8-10 reps
Seated Overhead Press, Barbell: 1, 4 X 8-10 reps
Dumbbell Upright Row: 3 X 8-10 reps
Dumbbell Side Raise: 3 X 8-10 reps
Tricep Pushdown: 3 X 8-10 reps
Lying Tricep Extension: 3 X 8-10 reps
Situps (or other Ab workout): 3 x 20 reps

Phase 2 - Basic Strength: 6 Weeks

Days 1 and 3:
Back Squat: 1, 4 X 6-8 reps
Deadlift: 3 X 6-8 reps
Seated Leg Curl: 3 X 6-8 reps
Calf Raises: 3 X 6-8 reps
Lat Pull-down: 1, 4 X 6-8 reps
Seated Cable Rows: 1, 4 X 6-8 reps
Bicep Curls, Dumbbell: 3 X 6-8 reps
Bicep Curls, Barbell: 3 X 6-8 reps
Back Extension and Hyper-extension: 3 X 15 reps
Ab Crunch (or other Ab Workout): 3 x 20 reps

Days 2 and 4:
High Pull: 1, 4 X 6-8 reps
Bench Press: 1, 4 X 6-8 reps
Incline Bench Press: 3 X 6-8 reps
Dumbbell fly: 3 X 6-8 reps
Seated Overhead Press, Barbell: 1, 4 X 6-8 reps
Dumbbell Front Raise: 3 X 6-8 reps
Tricep Pushdown: 3 X 6-8 reps
Lying Tricep Extension: 3 X 6-8 reps
Situps (or other Ab workout): 3 x 20 reps

I will be doing cardio in my offdays, either HIIT for 20 minutes or 30 minutes of moderate biking. What do you guys think?

Goals/Diet/Macros/Supplements:

Goals: Lose fat (20-30 pounds, 7-12% body fat). Build Strength.

Macro(IIFYM/Emma-Leigh's Sticky school of thought seemed to be roughly the same):

2,100g Calories
215g protein
80g fat
125g carbs

Diet:
Combo platter of chicken, brown rice, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, spinach, tuna, salmon, egg whites, greek yogurt, strawberries, protein shakes with milk and bananas each day

Supplements:
Body Fortress Protein (until i run out, then Dymatize)
Body Fortress BCAAs (until i run out)
Fish Oil
Orange Triad Multivitamin

Thoughts?

Thanks.

-Shawn

Replies

  • Lofteren
    Lofteren Posts: 960 Member
    Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much siht in this program. I have found that picking one main lift and hammering the hell out of it for 75% of your training session and then doing 1 or 2 accessory movements is vastly superior to having training ADD and doing a hundred different exercises. As an example, here's what my training looked like last week:

    Sunday:
    Press
    135x5
    185x5
    225x5
    245x3
    255x3
    215x5
    215x5
    215x5
    215x5
    215x5

    Bench Press...Superset...Barbell Rows
    135x10-135x10
    225x10-225x10
    315x10-315x10
    365x5-365x5

    Tuesday:
    Deadlift:
    135x5
    225x5
    315x3
    405x3
    495x3
    585x3
    635x3
    655x3
    525x5
    525x5
    525x5
    525x5
    525x5

    Kettlebell Swing...Superset...Ab Wheel Roll Outs
    110x20-BWx12
    110x20-BWx12
    110x20-BWx12

    Friday:
    Box Squat
    135x5
    225x5
    315x5
    405x3
    495x3
    545x3
    435x5
    435x5
    435x5
    435x5
    435x5

    Front Squat...superset...Sled Drag
    225x10-405x25 yards
    225x10-405x25 yards
    225x10-405x25 yards

    This way you can focus almost all of your attention on the lifts that are going to build the most muscle, build the most strength and burn the most fat. I just work up to a 3 rep max and then do 5x5 with 80% of whatever my 3RM was. Afterwards I'll do a superset of some supplementary movements but I never spend more than 15 minutes on this. Your training may not need to look just like this but the basic idea should be the same. Doing a bunch of accessory movements won't do you any favors but hammering the big lifts with more volume, more weight and more intensity will do you LOTS of favors.

    I do a week of 5rm's, a week of 3rm's and a week of 2rm's and then I start over.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    I'm not a huge fan of the program only in that I think you could probably put in more compound movements and then reduce the volume slightly. That and it doesn't include a progression model which is fundamentally important. As it stands now it's just a list of movements. And lots of movements at that...

    What are your stats?
  • RKintaudi
    RKintaudi Posts: 8
    Stats:

    Height 5'9
    Weight 217
    Body Fat 22%

    I was going to incorporate my own progression by adding 5% weight every two weeks.
  • Lofteren
    Lofteren Posts: 960 Member
    Height, weight and bodyfat aren't sufficient. How long have you been lifting and how much can you lift on press, bench press, squat and deadlift?
  • RKintaudi
    RKintaudi Posts: 8
    Haven't lifted in awhile about 6 months.

    Bench: 125
    Squat: 180
    Leg Press: 160
    Deadlift: 150 (estimate)
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Stats:

    Height 5'9
    Weight 217
    Body Fat 22%

    I was going to incorporate my own progression by adding 5% weight every two weeks.

    I was inquiring about the above stats so I could get a better handle on his macro needs.

    IMO you could safely reduce protein and increase carbohydrate if you wanted to do so. I wouldn't bring protein below about 165g or so just to give you an idea. However that gives you plenty of room to increase carbs if you prefer to do so (could provide better adherence, could provide better gym performance).
  • RKintaudi
    RKintaudi Posts: 8
    Would you recommend increasing the amount of carbs even though I'm trying to lose weight?
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    It depends. Generally though yes, I'd suggest slightly increasing carbs and reducing protein but you would pay attention to adherence/satiety when doing so.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Stats:

    Height 5'9
    Weight 217
    Body Fat 22%

    I was going to incorporate my own progression by adding 5% weight every two weeks.

    I don't know about your weight programme but as to food, 2100 seems a little low for your height and age and 215 protein and 125 carbs seems a bit protein heavy to me.

    ETA: oops! SIdesteel already got it - listen to him :)
  • RKintaudi
    RKintaudi Posts: 8
    I'm trying to cut so that's why the calories are low. So that I'd be eating at a deficit. What if I downed my protein to 195g and upped my carbs to 150g?
  • RKintaudi
    RKintaudi Posts: 8
    bumpsies