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Old 03-04-2010, 05:41 AM
aulb89 aulb89 is offline
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Location: Atlanta, GA
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Question New member with many questions (Long)

First of all, thanks to everyone on these boards for the valuable information. I am a former college linebacker and have been lifting on and off for awhile, but have learned a lot from reading this site over the last two months.

I wanted to post my routine here to get some feedback. It is a push-pull 5 day split and works on a 3 week cycle.

Below is an example of what I have been doing the last 60 days:

Workout 1: Legs
Squats 4x8-10
Leg Curls 4x10
Standing Calf Press 2x12
Seated Calf Press 2x12

Workout 2: Chest, Shoulders, Tris
Bench Press 4x8-10
Incline Dumbbell 4x8-10
Dips (bodyweight) 2x10
Military Press 4x10
Side & Rear Laterals (supersets) 2x8
Nosebreakers & Close Grips (supersets) 2x8
Pushdowns 2x8
Dumbell Kickbacks 1x10

Workout 3: Back and Biceps
Deadlifts 4x8
Bent Over Barbell Rows 4x8
Assisted Chins 4x8
Barbell Curls 3x8
Dumbell Curls 3x8

Here is the schedule:

Week 1
Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri
1 2 3 1 2

Week 2
Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri
3 1 2 3 1

Week 3
Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri
2 3 1 2 3

...and so forth.


I also do the HIIT cardio mentioned in the stickies 3 times a week...Mon, Wed, Fri. Abs are done twice a week.

What do you guys/gals think? Too much volume? I have read that once a week for each muscle group is not enough in some posts, while other posts say that once a week is fine, so any clarification would be greatly appreciated. I have put on some quality weight with this routine and experienced a strength increase, but want to avoid overtraining.

My current stats: 6'2", 234 lbs.

I know I almost wrote a book in this post, so I appreciate your time. I will be happy to post exercise poundages and diet details if necessary. Let me know if I left anything else out.

Thanks!
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Old 03-08-2010, 05:09 AM
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iron_worker iron_worker is offline
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Your workout 2 seems a little excessive to me.

Also, as a linebacker I think your best benefits would be from raw strength and explosive power. With that I would suggest dropping the volume a little lower on your main lifts (squats, deads, bench). I also would suggest power cleans. They are an excellent lift (if executed properly) for almost any type of athlete. They develop explosive power and help develop a strong core which is great for transfering your power/strength to your opponents.

I am no coach so thats as far as I go. I will let some others help you with specifics on how to rearrange your routine.

Out of curiosity more than anything: Where are your lifts at in terms of poundages?

IW
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Old 03-08-2010, 05:41 AM
aulb89 aulb89 is offline
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IW, thank you for your input. Actually, I am a former linebacker. I am now just a 40 year old man trying to stay in decent shape. lol

My my main goal is to gain some muscularity while trimming away fat. I will gladly accept strength gains, but that is not my main focus these days.

Due to some old shoulder and back injuries from football, I do not go really heavy on any lifts. I am currently working out with 185 on the flat bench, 245 with deadlifts and 280 on squats. I use the same weight on all sets. I could handle more, but I am taking it slow...adding about 5 lbs per lift every two weeks.

I regards to workout 2, what volume would you recommend? Should I cut back to 3 sets per exercise?

Thanks!
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Old 03-08-2010, 06:53 AM
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iron_worker iron_worker is offline
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Oh well that does make a big difference. lol

If your goals are muscularity more so than strength then I would say your rep ranges are OK.

It's good to take it slow especially with previous injuries and you are a bit older. One thing to keep in mind that with age your recovery capability goes down and high volume is hard to recover from. In your case, hitting one muscle group per week might be an OK idea.

You can take it by feel: If you feel you're sore all the time then back off the volume.

If you feel you're recovering fully before you workout again and you're not getting worn down then keep it up. A good diet is very key if you're trying to trim fat and gain muscle (recomposition). You have to run a very fine line of calories and cardio. Also note that recomposition is a much slower way to gain muscle (for obvious reasons) and in some cases if you really want to gain some serious size it may be a better idea to do a bulk followed by controlled weight loss.

Hope this helps,

IW
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Old 03-09-2010, 10:55 AM
aulb89 aulb89 is offline
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Thanks for the advice. When I first started this program, I was was pretty worn out all week. Now, I am doing much better...not as tired and sore. I guess it just took awhile to get used to it.
I worked one muscle group a week last year and saw moderate gains, so I decided to mix things up with more volume starting back in January. After a few months, I will probably switch back and see how it works.

Thanks again for your input.
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