Is my routine good for my goals?

[mjspade]

Hey folks this forum is great, it's exactly what I have been looking for. Here is my issue I was a football player in high school and college, I used to eat whatever I wanted and it didn't really matter much because of the amount of excercise I did. Well my playing days have long since been over and I stepped on the scale a few months ago to the tune of 240 pounds. I started hitting the gym in January and I am down to 215, I want to get cut and defined and down to about 205 pounds, but the only routines I know are my bulking ones from my old football days. I read a few articles here and there and I modified my routine, but I don't know if it's getting the job done, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Here is my routine below.

Day 1:

Warm Up 5 minute jog on Treadmill
Bench Press 4 sets 185 lbs. x 8 reps (My bench max is around 230 - 240)
Decline Bench 4 Sets 185 lbs. x 6 -7 reps
Incline Dumbell Press 4 Sets 55 dumbells x 10 reps
Standing Curls 4 Sets (Squiggly Bar 1 25 on each side) x 8 reps
Machine Aided Butterflys 4 Sets 135 stack x 10 reps
Standing Machine Aided Tricep Press 4 Sets 70 stack x 8 reps
90 Crunches


Day 2:

15 Minute Run on Treadmill
Squats 4 sets 225 lbs. x 10 reps
Leg Press 4 sets 4 45's on each side x 10 reps
Calf Raises 4 sets 135 x 12 reps
Machine Aided Seated Leg Raises 4 sets 120 stack x 10 reps
Machine Aided Seated Leg Press 4 sets 275 stack x 10 reps

Day 3:

Warm Up 5 minute jog on Treadmill
Bench Press 4 sets 185 lbs. x 8 reps (My bench max is around 225 - 240)
Decline Bench 4 Sets 185 lbs. x 6 -7 reps
Incline Dumbell Press 4 Sets 55 dumbells x 10 reps
Standing Curls 4 Sets (Squiggly Bar 1 25 on each side) x 8 reps
Machine Aided Butterflys 4 Sets 135 stack x 10 reps
Machine Aided Chest Press 4 Sets 150 stack x 12 reps


Day 4:

OFF

Day 5:

Warm Up 5 minute jog on Treadmill
Bench Press 4 sets 185 lbs. x 8 reps (My bench max is around 230 - 240)
Decline Bench 4 Sets 185 lbs. x 6 -7 reps
Incline Dumbell Press 4 Sets 55 dumbells x 10 reps
Standing Curls 4 Sets (Squiggly Bar 1 25 on each side) x 8 reps
Machine Aided Butterflys 4 Sets 135 stack x 10 reps
Standing Machine Aided Tricep Press 4 Sets 70 stack x 8 reps
Overhead tricep dumbell raises 4 Sets 60 dumbell x 10 reps
Machine Aided Curls 4 sets 100 stack x 8 reps
90 Crunches

Day 6:

15 Minute Run on Treadmill
Squats 4 sets 225 lbs. x 10 reps
Leg Press 4 sets 4 45's on each side x 10 reps
Calf Raises 4 sets 135 x 12 reps
Machine Aided Seated Leg Raises 4 sets 120 stack x 10 reps
Machine Aided Seated Leg Press 4 sets 275 stack x 10 reps
90 Crunches

Day 7:

OFF

That's pretty much it any changes advice on exercises or changes to the routine are welcome, I know I am missing out working on a lot of muscle groups after reading a few threads on here. thanks for the help.

[Paul Stagg]

You need to work your back.

Why work your upper body more often than lower?

[Max-Mex]

Cause he wants that Johnny Bravo Look. :D

[Built]

Ditch the pre-workout cardio. After is fine.

[mjspade]

My primary focus is losing weight and developing my chest and arms, so I guess I must have been over doing it on the upper body, and I need to work some back excercises in. Is the 2 body parts a day approach the best way to go?

[Built]

You'll get more fatburning from working your lower body hard than you will from the cardio. It'll release more test and help your upper body grow anyway.

Personally, I wouldn't do ANY cardio on leg day. If you can, you aren't working your legs hard enough IMHO.

[smalls]

Ditch the pre-workout cardio. After is fine.

Agreed.

Work you chest less and your back more. Your routine need's to encompass all major bodyparts.

[DNL]

yeah dude, you clearly work your chest way too much. chest is the smallest muscles group of the big 3. Most of the weights i gained are from my back and legs. My chest is really stubborn. A strong back can help you alot with your bench as well.

[fixationdarknes]

What's with the 90 crunches at the end of your workouts? I don't see you doing 90 reps for Bench Press or Squats, so why do 90 crunches? I'd suggest doing weighted sets of 6-10 reps and make sure you go slowly especially during the negative if you want to up the intensity. That seems to work well.

[Built]

:withstupi

I do 3 or 4 short, weighted sets of abs once or twice a week.

That's all.

[shansen008]

I did weighted swiss ball crunches with a 35lb plate behind my head, 3 sets of 10-12...its now i think 4 days later and im still sore as hell lol.

Scrap the crunches for some weighted movements.

[getfit]

I did weighted swiss ball crunches with a 35lb plate behind my head, 3 sets of 10-12...its now i think 4 days later and im still sore as hell lol.

Scrap the crunches for some weighted movements.
holy crap swiss ball crunches with a 35lbs plate behind your head are you alive! i do a plate on decline and i die!

[mjspade]

After reading the Johnny Bravo comment I realize I need to make some changes lol, thanks for the advice folks I decided to start with the WBB routine as a baseline and make a few changes.


Day 1 : Chest and Back

Chest

Flat Barbell Bench Press : 3 x 6-8 reps
Low Incline Dumbbell Press : 3 x 6-8 reps
Dips : 2 x 6-8 reps
Decline Bench Press: 3 x 6-8

Back

Chin ups : 2 x 6-8 reps
Deadlifts : 2 x 6-8 reps
Barbell Rows : 3 x 6-8 reps
Shrugs : 1 x 10 reps

Day 2 : Cardio

HIIT

Day 3 : Legs

Squats : 3 x 6-8 reps
Hack Squats : 2 x 6-8 reps
Leg Curls : 3 x 6-8 reps
Straight Legged Deadlifts : 2 x 6-8 reps
Standing Calve Raises : 4 x 10 reps

Day 4 : Cardio

HIIT

Day 5 : Shoulders, Triceps and Biceps

Shoulders

Military Press in Rack : 2 x 6-8 reps
Seated Dumbbell Press : 2 x 6-8 reps
Standing Lateral Raises : 2 x 10 reps
Triceps :

Narrow Grip bench Press : 2 x 6-8 reps
French Press : 2 x 6-8 reps
Tricep Press : 3 x 10 reps

Biceps :

Barbell Curls : 3 x 6-8 reps
Hammer Curls : 2 x 6-8 reps

Day 6 : OFF

Day 7 : OFF


I attempted to modify this routine for cutting specifically that's why I just added more sets, and I may add more reps. If anyone can tell me anymore ways to modify this futher for cutting and weight loss I would really appreciate it. Now I just need to find out what some of these excercises are I will check the WBB1 routine forum, was adding decline bench press to the routine a good idea?

[Built]

You don't do more reps and more sets for cutting - if anything, you do less - as I understand it, since you don't have as many calories to fuel you, the short, heavy sets will help preserve muscle while you lose weight.

[CarlP]

Your weight routine shouldn't change much from cutting to bulking. The diet is what changes. You should still lift hard and heavy for either one.

[mjspade]

I started the first day of this workout yesterday, and it felt good except for the fact that I could only do 2 chinups, my back muscles must really be underworked because I feel it today. Hopefully I will start seeing better results in a few weeks from my previous workout.