Is this workout routine gonna do me any good?

[Penciltester]

Hey I'm 28 5' 10" 165 pounds. I was 190 about 4 months ago. A girl broke my heart and I just wasn't that hungry any more....but thats a story for another day. I just started lifting last week. When I would try to lift in the past I would just wuss out after a week or two of lifting 2 or 3 times a week. Now I have an unexplainable URGE to lift everyday. Anyway this is my routine and I wanted to make sure i'm not shooting myself in the foot.
Well basically I do a full body work out everyday with a 30 to 40 minute exercise-bike ride 5 days a week. I do 2 sets of 10 reps and about 40 sit-ups a day. I'm looking for more of a fit/cut, Bruce Lee/Spidey look not a bulk/huge, Arnold/The Hulk look. Oh and how long does it usually take to see results. Look wise I mean.

Advice would be cool, I am a newbie with all this. Thanks

[Dannyboy1]

Originally Posted by Penciltester

Well basically I do a full body work out everyday with a 30 to 40 minute exercise-bike ride 5 days a week. I do 2 sets of 10 reps and about 40 sit-ups a day. I'm looking for more of a fit/cut, Bruce Lee/Spidey look not a bulk/huge, Arnold/The Hulk look. Oh and how long does it usually take to see results.

You shouldn't work the same muscle groups every day. You should do Chest and Triceps on one day, Back and Biceps on another, and shoulders and legs on one day. Then, take a day off. If you don't want bulk you should be doing sets of 8 to 12 reps. Less reps on the last set if you want to bulk up a particular muscle group. You should do 3 exercises for each muscle group - 3 sets each. You should also have 3 protein shakes a day at least. Make sure you don't eat crap and keep your calorie intake below 2000 a day if you don't want to gain. Also, no fatty food. If you do all this, you'll notice some changes in a month. Two months and you're going to be totally psyched.

[Penciltester]

Wow thanks for the fast reply. I don't mind putting a little mass on, just not a ton, my pecs and biceps could be a little larger. So different muscle groups each day with a day of rest in-between. 3 reps of 8 to 12, Cool. So is bike riding and sit-ups ok every other day instead of everyday or is that gonna hamper things? Wow 3 protein shakes a day, would just eating more protein a day have the same effect or is there a difference with the shakes? Don't eat crap. I take it you mean fast food ,potato chips, chocolate ,etc....
Stay with lean meats and stay away from fats and carbs like potatoes?

Thanks again

[igmistro]

I would like to approach from two different angles. First is conceptual. The intensity of your workout determines how often you can workout. Let me explain. Say you go to the gym and pump out 5 sets of an exercise for 20 reps each with 50lbs in 10 minutes. That means you lifted at the intensity of 500lbs/min. The next day you come and you do the same routine but in 6 minutes. Now your intensity is 833lbs/min. You will have to try this for yourself to experience this, but I promise you, even though you lifted the same amount of weight you will be far more tired after the second workout then the first. And you will need far more recovery time as well. Why is this important? It answers your question of how often to workout. So if you take a long but relatively easy ride on the bike, you might be tired, but will probably be able to do another one the next day as long as you've eaten enough to make up for the lost calories. But if you take that same bike and do half an hour of wind sprints up a steep hill, you better not be thinking of doing that again until you had a chance to recover. Also consider a saying "Everyday is a liver day." What this means is that just because you worked out your upper body yesterday, it does NOT mean you can work out lower body today. Your whole body participates in muscle growth and recovery. Depending on the intensity you may well have to take multiple days off between each workout even if you alternate upper/lower/front/back/etc.

The second angle is more practical. If you want to look like Bruce Lee you should consider training like Bruce Lee. Personally I would make two recommendations. One, see if you can find classes in adult gymnastics. That would definitely get you the look you want, and make you far more agile in the process (not to mention it looks really cool). The other - consider bodyweight training. There are tons of videos on YouTube that show how to do it. Or you can read this book Combat Conditioning By Matt Furey - Bodyweight Training Products

[Spartan]

Well you definately don't need 3 protein shakes a day. One whey protein shake with about 25g of protein directly after your workout should suffice. Eat a banana as well to add some carbs. Try to eat regularly throughout the day, leaving about 3-4 hours between meals. Eat healthy foods that are high in protein and complex carbs, but low in fat. Also, take a vitamin tablet every day.

If you go to the gym 5 times a week, you should definately not be doing the same routine every day! I would allocate 2 days for cardio, and 3 days for lifting.

On day 1 work out chest, triceps and abs ( N.B. Obliques are part of the abs).
On day 2 do 30-60 mins of cardio at medium intensity. (If you run then try to do at least 5k in 30 mins and at least 10k in 60 mins).
On day 3 work out back, lower back and biceps.
On day 4 do 30-60 mins of cardio at medium intensity.
On day 5 work out legs, shoulders and abs.

When lifting do 3-5 sets of 10-12 reps. Rest for 1-2 mins between sets and stretch muscle groups between exercises. Workout for about 1 hour, then drink a protein shake within 20 mins. Also, each week change the order that you do the exercises in.

[DayInTheLife]

Well basically I do a full body work out everyday with a 30 to 40 minute exercise-bike ride 5 days a week. I do 2 sets of 10 reps and about 40 sit-ups a day. I'm looking for more of a fit/cut, Bruce Lee/Spidey look not a bulk/huge, Arnold/The Hulk look. Oh and how long does it usually take to see results. Look wise I mean.

Heh... there's no need to ever worry about accidentally getting too huge. It is very difficult to gain large amounts of muscle mass, and nobody does it who doesn't really want it.

I am not a believer in the huge amounts of protein commonly recommended (1-2g per pound of bodyweight per day), just make sure you have a significant protein source every meal.

I wouldn't lift every day, but definitely exercise everyday. What kinds of lifts are you doing? In my opinion the best looking physiques come from full-body or compound exercises (bench press, squats, kettlebell swings and presses, deadlifts.) No need to work each muscle group individually... get them working together.

How long to get results depends on your routine. After a few weeks you should see a noticeable difference, after a few months other people should definitely notice. If you don't see noticable results in a month, something is wrong, IMO.

[Dannyboy1]

Originally Posted by Penciltester

Wow thanks for the fast reply. I don't mind putting a little mass on, just not a ton, my pecs and biceps could be a little larger. So different muscle groups each day with a day of rest in-between. 3 reps of 8 to 12, Cool. So is bike riding and sit-ups ok every other day instead of everyday or is that gonna hamper things? Wow 3 protein shakes a day, would just eating more protein a day have the same effect or is there a difference with the shakes? Don't eat crap. I take it you mean fast food ,potato chips, chocolate ,etc....
Stay with lean meats and stay away from fats and carbs like potatoes?

Thanks again

Either work each muscle group twice a week, or you can spread the workouts to every other day and do cardio. I do stomach every workout.

I completely disagree with people who say you don't need the protein I was trained by the runner up to Mr. Minnesota in body building and he stressed the protein shakes. I've seen amazing results in a very short time. And, it's long term results too. People can read about it all they want, but I'll tell you what has given me results. If you work out as I said, you'll get results. Just make sure you maintain good form while lifting.

[Wanderer]

Hi,
If you want a bruce lee/spidey look, then perhaps you don't need to be lifting at all. Calisthenetics (body weight exercises), running, and a martial art and you will be looking like spidey in notime. Personally I'd go for running three times a week, with one run been long distance (whatever that is for you). Then a calisthenetic thing of

x press ups
x tricep dips
x/10 pull ups

2x sit ups
2x backs

2.5x step ups
x squats
x squat thrusts

with x been any multiple of 10, and maybe 3 reps of it 3 times a week, on the days you don't run.

And then do martial arts as much as possible, preferably a less arty and more pain based one like muay thai, wrestling, kickboxing, mma etc.

Increase the runs and workout as required.

I'd also just like to add that I have never taken protein supplements and look pretty good without them. Theres a lot of conflicting information regarding protein so just do what feels best for you.

Good Luck!

-W-

[Elrond]

Originally Posted by Penciltester

Oh and how long does it usually take to see results. Look wise I mean.

If you you're new to weight lifting, then it will take some time. Initially, you will become stronger while not gaining any mass. This is because more nerve-muscletissue (probably not right teminology) pathways will form so that you will be harnessing more and more of your already existing potential from your muscles: You will be using more of your already-existing muscle mass, basically. But you will of course gain more mass when that becomes needed.

Originally Posted by Dannyboy1

If you do all this, you'll notice some changes in a month. Two months and you're going to be totally psyched.

If you can gain mass that fast, that's great.

Originally Posted by Dannyboy1

You shouldn't work the same muscle groups every day. You should do Chest and Triceps on one day, Back and Biceps on another, and shoulders and legs on one day. Then, take a day off.

You could also do the back and biceps on one day and the front of your body and triceps on another day – opposite muscle groups. And you should generally involve the shoulder in compound exercises and not isolate those muscles. It seems you have to do that if you have a day of legs/shoulders only. You should also ask yourself if you want more mass in you legs, calfs, thighs, etc - if you want to involve those in your weight training. If you do, you should maby not do those bicycle-rides.You should also consider how implement the leg training relative to the upper-body training. If you want a seperate day for that, or whatever.

Originally Posted by Dannyboy1

If you don't want bulk you should be doing sets of 8 to 12 reps.

You should at least consider to take more reps initially, like maby 20. That reduces the chances of injury and such. There's probably other benefits, because it's widely recommended.



Take what I’ve written with a grain of salt. It’s been over two years since I was involved in weight-lifting.

[Elrond]

Originally Posted by igmistro

The other - consider bodyweight training. There are tons of videos on YouTube that show how to do it. Or you can read this book Combat Conditioning By Matt Furey - Bodyweight Training Products

I feel inspired to try that out now that I checked out the link. At first I'll check out some basic articles and such. There are at least one article inspired by the book by Mike Mahler on Bodybuilding.com.

That kinda regime seems could be a great conditioning for my soon to be conscription in the military. Do you think it could benefit me, or maybe something else would be better?

[igmistro]

Since I was 6 my primary exercise came in the form of martial arts training. I am a firm believer that raw strength and applied strength are two very different animals. I've seen guys at the gym who can bench press over 300 lbs, yet can't do a single pull-up. I find that to be kind of absurd.

So with that said - here is how I train. I do weights maybe once a week at the gym (I actually often skip this, but still). Usually compound exercises that I don't have the equipment to do at home like: weighted pull and chin-ups, barbell squats, etc.

My primary strength conditioning is done with kettlebells. I train with them twice a week for 45 mins. The rest of the time I do about 1.5 hours of MA training 5 times a week. Half of that time is spent on bodyweight training and gymnastics.

With that said, I believe that the best training regiment for any average adult would be at a minimum 30-45 minutes of bodyweight or gymnastics training 3 to 5 times a week. In addition to that I would recommend at least two hours of endurance exercise weekly (b-ball, tennis, running, hiking, rowing, etc.).
With this kind of regiment you will notice your applied/functional strength and agility literally skyrocket and it's virtually free. (Although if you do go for gymnastics it will require a coach at least for the first year.)

[mlc82]

Be careful on the "low fats" idea- keeping junk fats like big macs and french fries out entirely is a no brainer, but cutting good fats very low- such as those in nuts, olives, eggs, and etc, can screw up your body's hormone production. Lacking in testosterone production is not a good way to be for a weight training routine.

I personally like to keep my protein and fat levels higher (I eat a LOT of eggs), cut junk carbs such as sugar and processed bread, etc out entirely, keep green veggies as high as possible, and starches to a minium (same with fruit for me, though you wouldn't have to). I feel better taking in more protein and healthy fats over loads of oats or brown rice, and am having impressive results doing so- my sense of well being and sex drive seem to have blown through the roof from the higher fats, and tendency to become depressed seems MUCH lower as well. I've also gotten much leaner doing so, not losing strenth or muscle mass either.

I've learned over the years when I need a good carb-up meal, something like whole oats or whole grain rice to replenish glycogen stores and will eat it if needed, that knowledge usually comes much later down the line though.

[ThoughtAddict]

Originally Posted by Dannyboy1

I completely disagree with people who say you don't need the protein I was trained by the runner up to Mr. Minnesota in body building and he stressed the protein shakes. I've seen amazing results in a very short time. And, it's long term results too. People can read about it all they want, but I'll tell you what has given me results. If you work out as I said, you'll get results. Just make sure you maintain good form while lifting.

The amount of protein is important, but so is recognizing the barriers to absorption and use. Three protein shakes a day will result in a heavier load on the liver, while it will create a protein-rich environment. Similar results can be obtained by ensuring .6-.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day, so long as the protein is spread over the day, with quick absorbing proteins used around the workout. This is the guideline recommended by the Navy SEAL fitness guide, and it has worked quite well for me. If you're looking to bulk up to body builder size, an extra few grams will probably help, but going above 1 gram per pound seems excessive.

By the by, I fully agree with those who are recommending martial arts/gymnastics for the look the OP wants. Balancing speed and power helps to ensure that you don't simply bulk up. Bodyweight exercises especially keep off excess mass while making you look like you're carved out of wood.

[bdp]

This makes the second time this week I have recommended the following site in this forum, but I'm not affiliated with it: Fitness Tips To Get Lean and Toned, Not Bulky! | Fitness Black Book.

The author is an experienced trainer. His focus is on the lean athletic look, not the cheesy bodybuilder look. His advice will get you the look you want, without the typical bodybuilder advice that will damage your long-term health.

[Dannyboy1]

Originally Posted by ThoughtAddict

The amount of protein is important, but so is recognizing the barriers to absorption and use. Three protein shakes a day will result in a heavier load on the liver, while it will create a protein-rich environment. Similar results can be obtained by ensuring .6-.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day, so long as the protein is spread over the day, with quick absorbing proteins used around the workout. This is the guideline recommended by the Navy SEAL fitness guide, and it has worked quite well for me. If you're looking to bulk up to body builder size, an extra few grams will probably help, but going above 1 gram per pound seems excessive.

By the by, I fully agree with those who are recommending martial arts/gymnastics for the look the OP wants. Balancing speed and power helps to ensure that you don't simply bulk up. Bodyweight exercises especially keep off excess mass while making you look like you're carved out of wood.

I edited this because thought addicts numbers are about right I had missed a decimal point and responded to quickly. The rest of this now is just an explanation why you need protein shakes if you're working out.

1) Everyone's body is chemically different you can't say "THE" body can only absorb...

2) Who did they test? People who are working out are tearing their muscles and can and NEED to absorb much more protein than someone who sits on the couch all day because the muscles get torn and need protein to repair.

3) The size of the person is a huge factor. Bigger people need more than smaller people. That's why they're bigger.

4) Taken just around the workout? Not true. Your body works to repair the muscle tissue all day and all night. The protein you take around the workout will be out of your system fairly quickly. What about hours later or when you're sleeping? Your body needs the protein then too. It's still repairing.

5) Protein is needed for many other things as well. Concentration, memory... Many people don't get enough protein and many doctors have recommended protein shakes as a supplement even for people not working out.

6) You can't argue with RESULTS - I know I don't improve half as much if I don't get protein in the morning and at night. Bottom line. You can't argue with results. Try it yourself and you will come to agree.

That's all I have to say. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt it works. You can either listen to me, give it a try, and benefit from the results, or you can get way less than the full benefit of your workouts.

[Fullcrum]

0.6-0.8 = 10 grams per day? Only if you weigh 16 2/3 pounds maximum!

I weigh around 120 lbs and that would put me between 72 - 96 grams of protein. And I'm smallish.

[Dannyboy1]

Originally Posted by Fullcrum

0.6-0.8 = 10 grams per day? Only if you weigh 16 2/3 pounds maximum!

I weigh around 120 lbs and that would put me between 72 - 96 grams of protein. And I'm smallish.

Well, that's more reasonable! lol

I missed a decimal point. Woops!

[ThoughtAddict]

Originally Posted by Dannyboy1

2) Who did they test?

Navy SEALs, mostly. Some Olympic swimmers and bodybuilders as well as a few martial artists, but mainly SEALs.

Originally Posted by Dannyboy1

4) Taken just around the workout? Not true. Your body works to repair the muscle tissue all day and all night. The protein you take around the workout will be out of your system fairly quickly. What about hours later or when you're sleeping? Your body needs the protein then too. It's still repairing.

I wasn't clear enough on this point. Quicker absorbing proteins like whey are best around the workout, as your body will increase the use of the protein when you're lifting. More slowly absorbing proteins are better during the rest of the day because they will slowly enter your bloodstream (and muscles) rather than putting being excreted or filtered in the liver.

[Dannyboy1]

Originally Posted by ThoughtAddict

I wasn't clear enough on this point. Quicker absorbing proteins like whey are best around the workout, as your body will increase the use of the protein when you're lifting. More slowly absorbing proteins are better during the rest of the day because they will slowly enter your bloodstream (and muscles) rather than putting being excreted or filtered in the liver.

You're one of the few people I've talked to who really knows about supplements. So many people have this automatic negative reaction because they're not in food, so they're "unnatural". Very cool.

[Penciltester]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Today I ate breakfast, lunch and decided what i was going to have for dinner. I just added up the total calories of the day. It will be about 1200 calories for the whole day. Now at 165 I would like to loose another 10 pounds. I still have fat around my stomach and buttox.
I have taken the advice of working different muscle groups each day and the addition of another set. What I'm concerned with is with a work out routine of 5 days a week is this enough fuel for my system or is it gonna start eating muscle? Also should I expect to loose another 10 with working out and gaining muscle mass or am I gonna level out? loosing the fat but gaining muscle weight.

Thanks again

oh and here is a "before" image I guess. To give you an idea of what im working with. Kinda blurry...you can click for larger.

[ThoughtAddict]

Originally Posted by Penciltester

It will be about 1200 calories for the whole day. Now at 165 I would like to loose another 10 pounds.

. . .

What I'm concerned with is with a work out routine of 5 days a week is this enough fuel for my system or is it gonna start eating muscle? Also should I expect to loose another 10 with working out and gaining muscle mass or am I gonna level out? loosing the fat but gaining muscle weight.

You're not taking in enough calories to build mass, and you're well below what you should intake for even a weight loss program. For your weight, height and workout program, you need around 2500 calories to maintain your current weight. Eating 2000 would provide steady weight loss.

That said, I'm not sure strict weight loss is your goal. If you want to look like Bruce Lee, you'll probably be around 165, possibly a bit more. The difference is that the fat would be gone and you'd have more muscle. I wouldn't obsess about cutting fat.