feedback on my workout schedule? (im a beginner)

[purplephilosopher]

i'm 5'8, 130 lbs and i'd like to get up to 160lbs or so in like a year or so (growing a little taller wouldn't hurt either)

so a day or two ago, i had a question about if muscles should be sore after working out and one of you recommended me to post my schedule so here it is:
i started about 2 weeks ago

Mon: Chest and back + Abs
reverse wide grip pull ups
-i go for 3 sets, 6 reps, but the last set I can barely do 3
flat bench press
-no spotter... so I don't go for too much but on the last set I can barely do the reps (i actually might lower the weights next time cause this seems dangerous)
-3 sets, 6 reps, bar + 50 lbs (~95lbs?)
incline barbell bench press
-same as above except now i'm more tired so i just lift the bar
dips
-3 sets, however many i can do
seated narrow grip cable rows

Tues: rest

Wed: Lower body + Abs
barbell squats
-3 sets, 8 reps, 60 lbs
deadlifts
-3 sets, 8 reps, 80lbs
lunges
-where should i feel the muscles working? (i think i might be doing these incorrectly)
-3 sets, 10 reps, 20lb dumbbells
seated calf raises
-3 sets, 10-15 reps, 40lbs

Thurs: rest

Fri: shoulders, triceps, biceps + Abs
barbell clean and press
-3 sets, 6-8 reps, 40lbs
seated dumbbell press
-3 sets, 8 reps, 20lb dumbbells
standing tricep push downs
-3 sets, 6-8 reps, 50 lbs
lying tricep extensions
-3 sets, 8 reps, 30lb barbell
standing barbell hammer curls
-3 sets, 8 reps, 20lb dumbbelss
standing barbell bicep curls
-3 sets, 6-8 reps, 30lbs

Sat: cardio
brief warm up - stretch - jogging/running outside for about 20 mins - cool down (walking) - stretch

Sun: rest

other details:
i eat a banana, cereal or oatmeal, and some nuts about an hour before i go to the gym
workouts go for about 45 mins-1hr
after i work out, i eat a large meal at the cafeteria w/ lots of protein and carbs
i modeled my workout after this website (thanks!):
Ahmad's Total Body Exercise Program (with videos) - The Community for Excellence Forum

I believe I have gotten past the hardest part, which is getting started... i wake up at 5 am now and go to the gym at 6am (before i would be waking up at like 8 all tired and sometimes lethargic and then hauling my ass to class)
any suggestions for improvement?

[VacMan]

purplephilosopher,

Great job on getting started!

I'm not going not nit-pick your workout plan, it looks pretty good. That being said there's always room for improvement in anything, and personal preference comes into play pretty hard here as well.

But, the one thing that I want to stress here is that:

If you want to gain weight, you need to eat enough calories to do so.

If you aren't eating enough, even the best workout plan will not help you, peroid.

I does not even matter so much "what" you eat, for strictly gaining weight you just need a surplus of calories.

Personally I'd recommend: (I don't know your age, so I assume 20)

(Approx in grams)

Calories: 2950
Protein: 180
Carbs: 435
Fat: 55

I'd also say that you should be able to eat whatever you want as long as those numbers line up in the end.

I was also 5'7 at 130 and I've built up to 180, and cut down to 160 and been a lot of places in-between

It's a fun journey, have a blast!

[mopDog]

Your list of exercises sounds fine. The weights are a bit low which is understandable since you're a beginner. On your chest/back day, I would do your benchpress first since it's potentially the most dangerous without a spotter and you want all of your reserve energy available if something goes wrong.

Also I would go 8 reps rather than 6.

If you've only been working out a few weeks, then it will take your body time to adjust to be able to do these lifts. Your chest itself is probably strong enough to move more than 95 lbs, but the exercise has demands of your whole body which is still getting used to the movement. Once you've been in the gym for a few months and the weight you lift is starting to increase, you'll definitely feel sore because you would then have the ability to really work the muscle.

As an example, I've been lifting on and off for years, most recently I have been doing bench press twice a week. Monday I'd do 15 reps with 95 as warmup, 12 reps of 135, still warming up, then go to my workout weight which was 205, and do 2 sets of 8. My chest would be sore until Thursday or Friday, where I'd repeat the same warmup lifts but I'd to 3 sets of 5 with 215. The point is you need to be moving weight and stressing your muscles for them to be sore, and to grow, you're getting used to it, it will come as the weight increases.

Also, being a "hardgainer" myself (5'10", 150 lbs) I agree with VacMan that you need to eat enough. But I would eat good stuff, brown rice, chicken breast, vegetables, protein shakes, in large amounts, and not just dump calories into yourself such as weight gain shakes, hamburgers etc. If you eat too much bad stuff, you'll put on weight alright, some will be muscle but lots will be fat, which is not a good look! I've been there, done that, I ate tons of good/bad food, weight gain shakes, in my early 20s and got up to about 190.. I was strong at that weight (bench 280) but looking back at pics of myself then, I had way too much bodyfat.

Now I'm back to beanpole, relatively stronger than I was when I was heavier, and eating much healthier. Size aint everything.

[Tayrak]

Just to add a bit; I would do some light cardio and certainly streches on the days you take off from lifting weights. I think it is extremely important to keep yourself limber and while you focus on gaining muscle a lot of body builders don't put enough importance on moving well. It's nice to be big but a lot nicer if you can make use of all those muscles.
I also agree with mopdog, you have to watch what you eat, eating enough is vitaly important but if you eat junk that's what you'll get back.

[irtrogdor]

woah, this is wierd. I'm 5'10, 130lbs, and just started my workout to bulk up about two months ago. but i do have some advice for you in terms of your workout....

first off, you want to switch the combinations of muscles your doing each day a little bit. some better combos would be
chest+triceps
Back+biceps
legs+shoulders

reason being that when you do chest exercises, you are generally also doing tricep exercises. same with the back. the legs and shoulders combo comes from the fact that that is all that is left and you need at least two of rest between triceps and shoulders... trust me :P

as for cardio on the off days, sometimes I really enjoy a nice morning bike ride, and sometimes i really like just not having to anything while my muscles are so sore.
and absolutely make sure you stretch every day, it will help you a lot in the long run. especially your legs and chest.

also, about the actually exercises you are doing, i may have missed it but i don't think i say bench press or incline bench press or preacher curls or concentration curls in there. oh yeah, and don't forget about narrow grip bench press and skullcrushers. the legs looked pretty good though, good job in that area. as for the lunges, I don't actually do them (but i'm thinking i probably should) so i can't answer you there.

here's a great website that maps out your muscles and then shows you (through video clips) how to exercise them.

ExRx Exercise & Muscle Directory

hope that helps!

[Dbarker]

PurplePhilosopher,

that's great that you're getting started. You will definitely be sore starting out. I used to lift quite a couple of years ago, quit for little over a year after a job change and just started back two days ago. Ouch - I did one set of each exercise and felt pretty stiff yesterday and today, which I expected.

I agree with irtrogdor that chest and triceps be done together, although you might add shoulders in as well. The key for me bulking up was squats and deadlifts more often. A four-day split worked well for this as I benched two days, squatted one, and deadlifted the fourth. Look to get strong and the bulk will come. Keep eating good food and be patient.

Good luck.

[absvan]

I would not recommend doing chest and back on the same day. These are two major muscle groups. Focus them individually on different days.

Everything else looks good. Since you are gaining weight focus on eating more but in good quantities throughout the day.