Which direction do I go? All info about me + pics - Need serious schooling!

[rarv1491]

Hello, as you can see by my post count, I'm new here. I will try to make this post as complete as possible. Please stick with me.

ABOUT ME:
Height 69" - Weight 170 lbs - Age 22
Started going to the gym about 9 months ago
Started (what I believe) properly training about 3 months ago
Started dieting 2 months ago
Currently working 12 hrs a day, and doing some studying at night for about an hour or two (so time is a little tight)

WHAT DO I EAT:
Breakfast: 4 egg whites, oatmeal, some fruit, about 16 oz of 1% fat milk OR some days I switch the 4 egg whites for a omelette (w/ yolk) with onions, mushrooms, ham, cheese, tomato.
+1 hour after breakfast: Mass gainer shake 700 calories (17g fat, 130mg colesterol, 400mg sodium, 700mg potasium, 90 total carbs, 50g protein)
+2 hours after breakfast: GYM for approx 1 hour to 45 minutes (that's all the time I got) After gym I drink 40-60 grams of whey protein
+5 hours after breakfast: Chicken with rice or mashed potatoes, some fruit if I can squeeze, some juice, and whatever veggies I can fit in my stomach (I'm full by this time)
+8 hours after breakfast: Maybe some cereal with 20 grams of protein, or a granola bar, or a banana and peanut butter... something like that
+10 hours after breakfast: almost the same as lunch.
Before bed: 25 grams of casein protein

I'm probably not eating enough to build a decent size of muscle, that's why I started drinking weight gainer shake, but is pretty damn hard to eat a lot... I'm always full... although I continue working on it and try to somehow eat smart and a lot.

DAILY ACTIVITIES:
well, I sit in an office the whole day pretty much and then take an hour break to go to the gym, then go back to sit some more.

WHAT DO I WANT:
Build a nice body, go up to about 185-195 lbs with a single digit BF%

WHAT DO I NEED:
A gym advice, what to do in the hour that I have to work out the 7 days a week. How to work out. What parts to work out, high rep or low rep? or both? opposite muscle supersets or what?

WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING:
since I only have an hour daily, I do Shoulder on Monday, Chest on Tuesday, Legs on Wednesday, Bicep on Thursday, Triceps on Fridays, and Back on Saturdays. Sundays I do core exercises and abs. I switch the number of reps each week. 1 week i do 12-14 reps, next 9-11, next 6-8, and finally 4-5. Then go back to high reps and repeat.


I do not use steroids, I though about it for a second and started doing research, but quickly noticed that I need way more experience in lifting before anything, understanding my muscles and controlling what I eat. So for now I am not looking to use steroids, I will stick with shitty supplements and what not Attached is a pic of me trying to flex lol...
I know most of you are very dedicated and have a lot of knowledge, and it looks like you guys are very good at keeping the bullshit away.

View attachment 555706

 

[tbonexl]

Just glancing over your post, I would switch your training routine around a lil bit. Do chest before shoulders. It's hard to get a good chest workout in when u taxed your shoulders the previous day. Shoulders are incorporated into every upper body movement. Just something to think about. I'll pist my training split. Not suggesting u do this just giving u an idea of what I do.
Monday- chest
Tuesday- back
Wednesday- legs (primarily squats)
Thursday- shoulders
Friday- arms
Saturday legs (hi rep squats, more hamstring and calves)

 

[rarv1491]

Thanks for the advice, makes sense. Also, I see you do 2 days legs, and I guess biceps and triceps the same day. I like legs day and I'm trying to practice my good form on squats and getting into deadlifts, you think I should do legs twice a week? one day for squats and other for deadlifts? or how should I do it? Keeping in mind that I have to squeeze my workout in 45 minutes-1 hr

 

[tbonexl]

I do deadlifts on back day. I start with pull ups and then deadlifts. I go real quick between sets and exercises with little rest time. That's me though.

 

[riprockwell]

Good advice has been given. Personally I am busy with time but I kind of cram in all body parts in 3 days. It can be a little much but its just what I have to do. So I usually do Chest/Shoulders, Arms, Legs/Back and take a day off in between each workout. I personally recommend Jim Wendlers 531 program. A great program to put on some serious mass, etc.

 

[rarv1491]

Good advice has been given. Personally I am busy with time but I kind of cram in all body parts in 3 days. It can be a little much but its just what I have to do. So I usually do Chest/Shoulders, Arms, Legs/Back and take a day off in between each workout. I personally recommend Jim Wendlers 531 program. A great program to put on some serious mass, etc.

How long is each gym session?

 

[riprockwell]

How long is each gym session?

Generally an hour and a half.

 

[tbonexl]

I don't do a lot of exercises per bodypart. I focus on the compound movements. Bench presses, dips, shoulder presses, pull ups, deadlifts, barbell rows, squats, stiff leg deadlifts, standing calf raises, etc.. I'll throw in some dummbell flys for shoulders, shoulder shrugs for traps, and a couple tri and bi moves for arms. I keep it simple and quick.

 

[rarv1491]

I wish I had more time every day. I will hopefully be less busy by April, but for now I need to know what is better for 1 hour max every day.

 

[tbonexl]

My workout typically last 45 minutes to an hour. Just pick a few movements and bust your ass to failure. Eat and grow. Eventually you'll see what works and what doesn't work. What I do might not work for u.

 

[rarv1491]

I don't do a lot of exercises per bodypart. I focus on the compound movements. Bench presses, dips, shoulder presses, pull ups, deadlifts, barbell rows, squats, stiff leg deadlifts, standing calf raises, etc.. I'll throw in some dummbell flys for shoulders, shoulder shrugs for traps, and a couple tri and bi moves for arms. I keep it simple and quick.

Where can I find compound exercises for every body part so I can start and testing my workout? I would need explanation of every exercise, what muscles work out and the proper form to do them. You have any idea where to find like a library of exercises or something like that? I'm looking at im Wendler's 5/3/1 aqrticle that riprockwell refered to see what can I get from it.

 

[tbonexl]

Google

 

[snowpatrol123]

I agree with the advice given in this thread. My split is similar, slightly different order - also bodyparts don't correspond to a day, other than 1,2,3,4,5. I don't schedule rest days but take them if I'm extremely tired (I go to the gym before work) or, god forbid the gym is closed.
1: Legs (squats, stiff leg deadlifts, leg press, calf raise variations, quad & ham machines +upper abs)
2: Chest (extensive shoulder warmup due to past rotator cuff issues, then-> incline DB press, flat bench, weighted dips, incline bench, DB & cable flyes +lower abs)
3: Back (deads - heavy or volume depending on energy level, superset with pullups usually, wide rows, seated rows, inverted rows, lat pulldowns, then depending on time / energy left: DB pull-overs, Tbar rows, 1-arm DB rows +upper abs)
4. Delts (warmup, then seated DB press, hang clean & press OR overhead press, behind the neck press, DB laterals, front barbell raises, rear delts [either bent raises or reverse Pec dec] +lower abs)
5. Arms and shit (I don't focus a lot on arms, more on what I missed over the past few days, but: close grip bench, chin-ups, rope tricep pushdowns, cable curls, barbell curls or concentration curls, weighted tricep dips if I didn't do chest dips, high-volume bench press, smith machine shrugs, dumbbell shrugs, +obliques)

 

[casperthefriendly]

A lot of great advice so far. Regardless of the rep range you're working in, make sure to keep your reps very slow and focus your mind on contracting whatever muscle you're working. You won't be able to use as much weight as if you were cranking out the reps as fast as you can, but you will cause significantly more hypertrophy, which is what causes your muscles grow.

 

[3J]

i see a much bigger problem with the diet than the training routine....

 

[3J]

imo you are not eating to grow

 

[rarv1491]

I agree with the advice given in this thread. My split is similar, slightly different order - also bodyparts don't correspond to a day, other than 1,2,3,4,5. I don't schedule rest days but take them if I'm extremely tired (I go to the gym before work) or, god forbid the gym is closed.
1: Legs (squats, stiff leg deadlifts, leg press, calf raise variations, quad & ham machines +upper abs)
2: Chest (extensive shoulder warmup due to past rotator cuff issues, then-> incline DB press, flat bench, weighted dips, incline bench, DB & cable flyes +lower abs)
3: Back (deads - heavy or volume depending on energy level, superset with pullups usually, wide rows, seated rows, inverted rows, lat pulldowns, then depending on time / energy left: DB pull-overs, Tbar rows, 1-arm DB rows +upper abs)
4. Delts (warmup, then seated DB press, hang clean & press OR overhead press, behind the neck press, DB laterals, front barbell raises, rear delts [either bent raises or reverse Pec dec] +lower abs)
5. Arms and shit (I don't focus a lot on arms, more on what I missed over the past few days, but: close grip bench, chin-ups, rope tricep pushdowns, cable curls, barbell curls or concentration curls, weighted tricep dips if I didn't do chest dips, high-volume bench press, smith machine shrugs, dumbbell shrugs, +obliques)

Nice, looks like I can grab some exercises from you and do some supersets. Thanks for the info.

A lot of great advice so far. Regardless of the rep range you're working in, make sure to keep your reps very slow and focus your mind on contracting whatever muscle you're working. You won't be able to use as much weight as if you were cranking out the reps as fast as you can, but you will cause significantly more hypertrophy, which is what causes your muscles grow.

Ok, Like I posted before what I was doing was trying to have a good form, and changing the resps every week. But next week I will start with 8 reps and as perfect form as I can, and flexing my muscles on every contraction to see how it feels.

imo you are not eating to grow

I was not used to eat 5-6 times a day at all. I am always full. I'm also scared of fat, IMO I have enough at this time. I am on a fry food diet and sugar diet. I'm always full... but if I'm not eating enough I can try get some more calories I guess.

 

[Medhead]

IMO, if you've only been lifting for three months, you should be training every bodypart no less than twice per week (2-3). If you need more rest, you are doing far too much volume. Your split is designed similar to those who've been training for years and are on gear. An upper/lower or push/pull/legs split allowing you to hit each muscle group 2x per week would yield better results for a trainee like you.

Diet is of course more important than your training routine, but newbies should focus on strength increases (mass will come with as a noob), and you'll see far bigger increases in strength with higher frequency/less volume vs what you are doing.

 

[rarv1491]

IMO, if you've only been lifting for three months, you should be training every bodypart no less than twice per week (2-3). If you need more rest, you are doing far too much volume. Your split is designed similar to those who've been training for years and are on gear. An upper/lower or push/pull/legs split allowing you to hit each muscle group 2x per week would yield better results for a trainee like you.

Diet is of course more important than your training routine, but newbies should focus on strength increases (mass will come with as a noob), and you'll see far bigger increases in strength with higher frequency/less volume vs what you are doing.

Ok, so far my strenght is jncrementing, maybe not as much as I would like but maybe is just normal. Would you think that the following routing is a good example?
Day 1:
Chest - Back
Day 2:
Shoulder - Leg
Day 3:
Biceps - Triceps
Then do same muscle again for the next 3 days? and then one day rest or so? I would need help putting this one together because If I did back yesterday, I don't want to do Bicep today.

 

[Yatz77]

I am currently doing a leg/push/pull and working mostly with heavy compound lifts in the 4-6 rep range. I recently switched to this from a five day split and I am really liking my results.