attn: Ford Prefect or Iron Fist

I have a routine that I got from a link that tri2bmt posted. It is a full-body workout that I do with dumbells only. I plan on doing this particular routine for 8 weeks. I started last night and my whole body feels like jelly today (I don’t know why but I love this feeling).

Based on what is below, do you see anything good, bad, ugly or wrong with this?

3 sets with 10 reps in each set.

Legs:
Lunge (Forward)
Lunge (Backward)
Squat
Step up
Straight-Back Straight-Leg Deadlift
Straight-Leg Deadlift
Single Leg Calf Raise

Back:
Bent-over Row
Lying Row

Deltoid (Side):
Lateral Raise
Lying Lateral Raise
Upright Row

Chest:
Bench Press
Decline Bench Press
Fly
Pullover

Deltoid (Front):
Arnold Press
Front Raise
Shoulder Press

Biceps:
Curl
Incline Curl
Barbell Curl

Triceps:
Incline Triceps Extension
Kickback
Lying Extension
One Arm Extension
Extension

Abdominals:
Crunch
Incline Crunch
Incline Hip Raise
45 degree Side Bend
Incline Twisting Crunch
Twisting Crunch

I know you didn’t ask me but here’s a couple things I would change…

There really isn’t any difference between the forward and backward lunges…same muscles, same benefit. Why not just do 6 sets of stationary lunges? Also, 12 sets of legs seems a little excessive to me.

After back, I would do chest. Or you may also try chest then back. But I wouldn’t do back, then shoulders, then chest. You want fresh delts in your chest presses. Also, a common mistake on here is that pullovers are for chest. It isn’t really…it’s a lat move. It’s the same as straight arm pulldowns.

I also see no reason why you can’t do abs first, but that’s a preference thing, really. But honestly, these set schemes seem really excessive. Is this ONE exercise session? Those many exercises with three sets would probably take me three hours in the gym. WAY too long I think.

No wonder my legs have been rendered pretty much useless today.

Yeah one exercise session. Three days a week. It took about an hour and a half. I only did 2 sets of 10 to start out. I didn’t want to overdue it.

First, let me ask you what you want to get out of your weight training? (strength, size, etc)

As for the routine, I think it is plain “ugly”. The volume is way too high. I couldn’t possibly see even the most genetically gifted person on steroids being administered through an IV drip not experiencing symptoms of over-training with this thing. If your goal is body building, which this routine is purely for, then there are other much more effective ways of achieving the results. Let me know what your goals are, your current level of fitness is, and what equipment you have available to you and we can work from there. You can achieve quite a lot with a very limitted equipment and with a lot less time and pain than that routine.

I am just getting back into shape. I am trying to lose my flab as well as gain strength and size. I am kind of that “genetic freak”. I can get big pretty quickly. I have no desire to compete. I have to go easy with my right shoulder since I really smashed my clavicle a few years ago.

Really the only thing I have to work with are dumbells and a flat-to-incline bench. There are lat pulldown, shoulder press and preacher curl machines there too (apartment fitness center). I really would only like to work out on a M W F schedule.

The program that you listed seems awfully complicated to me…
But what the hell do I know… :smiley:

L

I have like NO time right now, but one thing I thought I’d add:

Chest:
Bench Press
Decline Bench Press
Fly
Pullover

Lose the decline bench press. It’s really worthless and all you need is regular bench. Incline press is also pretty worthless as well. Also, pullovers don’t work your chest at all, they work your lats.

Or is there another exercise that is also called “pullovers?”

Dude I gotta run, I’ll come back with comments and read everyone’s replies later tonight.

IronFist

Loosing flab and putting on muscle mass at the same time isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do. Since you said you are a genetic freak, I’d focus strickly on losing fat and gaining strength until you reach a point where you want bulk up.

An excellent all around strength builder with limitted equipment would be the one-hand dumbell snatch for reps. This will hit your entire posterior chain, your core, shoulders, and forearms pretty well for strength endurance. It will also increase your explosiveness as well due to the ballistic nature of the lift. Not only that but you’ll be sucking wind like a mad man, so it will definately increase what you have in the gas tank. To do them, position you body like you are about to deadlift and hold the dumbell in a hang between you legs. Thrust your hips forward straightening your legs. This will start the dumbell on its ascent. Next, just use your shoulder to keep the dumbell’s momentum all the way up so you end up holding the dumbell overhead with a straight arm. bring it down and repeat. It should all be in one fluid motion.

A dumbell clean and press is another good exercise for full body strength and explosiveness. 3 sets of 12 would be a good place to start.

For more conventional strength training, you can also throw a bench press in there as well. It will increase your pressing strength a bit as well as add some superficial appeal. :wink:

A pull-up bar for your place would be a good investment as well. Nothing can build and strengthen the back and biceps like pull-ups.

The routine would be something like say M,Tu,Th,Fri

Mon,Th -

Dumbell Snatch x 3 sets of ladders: Do 1 snatch with each hand, take a breath, do 2 snatches with each hand take two deep breaths, etc… Do this until you know you won’t be able to complete the next set. Do not fail!! That is important. When you won’t be able to complete the next set, drop back down to 1 and start over. Do 3 ladders like this, then rest a couple minutes, repeat, rest, repeat.

Pull-ups: I’m not sure how much pulling strength you have. Whatever your max is multiply that number by 4 and do those amount of pulls in the least amount of time possible. Say your max is 7. Do 30 pull-ups like 10 sets of 3 reps in 10 minutes. Keep adding when you can to eventually get to 10 sets of 10. You’ll be a pulling machine by the end of a cycle like this. My max shot from 8 to 20+ after a couple months of doing this last summer.

Tu, Fri -

DB Clean and Press 3 x 12: Just make sure to leave a rep or two left in you. Again, you don’t want to fail.

DB Bench Press 3 sets of ladders: 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3 rest, repeat, etc. You want to rest for the same minutes as the amount of reps you just did. ie 1 rep rest 1 min. Rest 3 minutes between sets of ladders. Use your 5RM max for weight.

Pistols (one leg squats) 3x3: For this one hold your hands out in front of you like a zombie, lift one leg in the air like a front kick, squat down butt to heel and back up. Do 3 sets of 3 for each leg. You may want to start holding onto to something for aid and balance. When your strength increases start holding a dumbell or weight plate in your hands for added resistance.


The dumbell snatches should really hack the fat away, and the other lifts will give you a good foundation to build from. After about 4 months of this, you could start adding some squats, regular deadlifts, and some other more conventional work to add maximal strength and size. Having a good foundation to build from is extremely important though.

For complete bodyweight workout ideas go to:

http://www.trainforstrength.com/index.shtml

http://www.webfects.com/hea/routine.htm

Some other good strength forums are:

http://www.dragondoor.com/cgi-bin/tpost.pl

http://pub17.ezboard.com/fanimalabilityanimalability

http://pub26.ezboard.com/boldschoolstrengthtraining70757

On of my favorite bodyweight workouts is this. You may want to give this a try as well as this tears the fat from your body:

A playground is the best bet for this as you need sprinting room and pars to do pull-ups from. Set up 6 cones. One at 10 yards, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60.

Do 20 hindu (shootfighter) squats and then 10 push-ups. Without any rest do 20 more squats and 12 push-ups. Do this until you get to 20 squats and 20 push-ups.

Immediately sprint out to the first cone and back and do 5 pull-ups. rest 20 seconds and sprint to the next cone and back and do 5 more pull-ups. Do this until you’ve sprinted out to the last cone and back and do 5 pulls after each sprint.

Reverse what you initially did. ie 20 squats/20 push-ups, 20 squats/18 push-ups… down to 20 squats/10 push-ups. Again, no rest at all!

Reverse the sprints as well. ie sprint to the last cone and back/5 pulls and rest 20 seconds, etc etc.

Make sure you have water and a puke bucket handy. I nailed two of my friends with this one. hehehe.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions. Train hard!

Thanks. I like #1 on webfects. I would start today if I wasn’t so daamn sore from that hellish workout on wednesday.

Ford Perfect,

The workout you described is very similar to what I do! I do one-arm snatches, swings, C & J and the Military Press (different variations). Another nasty one is the “windmill”. In addition to these, I’ve been doing ladders of pull-ups and pistols as well.

I lost quite a bit of weight (read flab) doing the excercises you describe. I highly recommend these types of workouts.

KG

KG, care to share exactly how much weight you lost?

I did high rep ballistic workout with dumbells (i.e. snatches, C&J and swings) and later graduated to using Kettlebells, which I feel provided a better workout.

I lost about 15 - 20 lbs of flab and gained probably around 5lbs in muscle. No more love handles! :smiley:

These days I still do the KB’s (Kettlebells) but are doing more presses and stuff for strength rather than really high rep ballistics.

If you’re interested in these types of excercises I suggest checking out the book or video called “Russian Kettlebell Challenge” by Pavel Tsatsouline.

KG

KG - Cool. Thats about what I’m lookin to lose. Maybe more.

Any one know anything about the easychin chin-up bar :
http://www.easychin.com/

I am thinking about something like this for my apartment.

ewallace,
I think it would be easy to lose more weight by doing the RKC workout.

That chinup bar looks like a good idea. Then if you get some dumbells (and a KB if you can afford it), you’d be set!

KG

Actually I think I am just going to get a membership to Balley’s, order Tae Bo and the bun and thigh rocker. Then I can be in-style, in-shape and be able to kick ass too. :slight_smile:

Don’t be dissin’ Tae Bo. That’s my style! :smiley:

That rkc looks like a good workout. I am not sure what weight I would need. I really would only have $$ for one kb and the video. I have been doing most of my workouts with 20-30 lb dumbells. I was thinking the 18lb might be the best for now. Am I wrong?

ewallace,

I would suggest going with the 1 pood (16kg/36lb) along with the RKC video (I don’t recommend you getting the book to start). I really think the 18lb. is going to be too light for you, especially doing the ballistic workouts. Also, Pavel recommends no more than five reps per set on presses, so you probably can manage with a 36lb kb. If you feel it’s too heavy as may be the case when working on your presses and such, just work some of the exercises with the db’s.

I rarely workout with weights, and don’t consider myself all that strong but I went ahead and bought the 1 pood KB and I think it’s a good buy. I’m hoping to upgrade to the 1 1/2 pood KB soon. :slight_smile:

If you have more questions, feel free to ask or send me a p/m.

KG

I read more into the site and realized that too. I will go with the 1 pood.

So this really isn’t a bs workout I take it. I read the testimonials and they sound good. Then again anytime I see testimonials I get very very suspicious.

ewallace,

It definitely is not a bs workout! I guarantee that if you do the workout 4 - 6 days with varying intensity (never do the exact same workout 2 days in a row) you’ll lose some serious weight.

I didn’t really believe in the testimonials either, but a buddy of mine had been doing the RKC workout so I decided to get the video just to see what it was all about. Tried the excercises and loved them. I didn’t start doing these to necessarily lose weight, but rather to gain more ‘functional’ strength. Losing weight was a side-benefit! If you do the workout in a circuit type fashion, you’ll be sucking wind in no time! Most of my workouts are around 15 - 30 minutes, and on occasion go up to a max of 45 minutes.

As we all other exercise routines, start slow and ease your way into it.

KG