Getting back into Shape need to know if routine is good

[sEqueL]

My senior year of high school i was in good shape from hockey and weighed around 220 lbs. When i quit hockey and started gaming and eating unhealthy (monster energy drink 4-5 a day, alot of fast food, and alot of soda) i jumped up to 289 lbs. a year later i started at the gym and it took awhile but i got down to 238 lbs. I quit the gym when i stopped seeing results and in 8 months have gained 11 lbs back.

Before quitting the gym this was my routine:

Monday:
10-15 minutes elliptical
Flat Bench 3 sets of 10
Incline bench 3 sets of 10
Skull crushers 3 sets of 10
Rope on cable machine for Tri’s 3 sets of 10
Chest machine 3 sets of 10 + Triangle Push-ups 3 sets of 10 (Superset)
Cardio


Tuesday:
10-15 minutes elliptical
5 minute warm-up
3 sets of 10 assisted pull ups
3 sets of 10 back pulling
3 sets of 10 bicep curls
3 sets of 10 pull Downs
3 sets of 10 bicep curls
3 sets of 10 bicep hammer curls


Wednsday:
10-15 minutes elliptical
Seated 90* shoulder presses 3 sets of 10
Standing Rear lateral raises 3 sets of 10
Shrugs 3 sets of 10
Standing Front Raises 3 sets of 10
Standing cable fly’s 3 sets of 10
Seated 90* Arnold Presses 3 sets of 10

Thursday:
10-15 minutes elliptical
3 sets of 10 squats
3 sets of 10 leg press
3 sets of 10 dumbbell leg thrusts
3 sets of 10 with the laying on your stomach leg lifts machine (dont know the names of the machine)
3 sets of 10 with the other leg raise machine (dont know the names of the machine)

Friday:
Just running on the elliptical.

While doing all of this i was taking
Cellucor D4 and T7
Cellucor C4 preworkout drink
Myogenix Aftershock postworkout

Now after being gone from the gym for 8 months i think i will slowly build back up to doing all of that again. But i also just started the Insanity workout everyday just for cardio.

So it would be M-F gym with what i posted every week for month then change it up so i dont get used to it.
Also now M-Sat. Insanity (purely for cardio and weight loss)

Now:
26 years old
5'-8" tall
248 lbs (im a bigger guy)

My ulitimate goal is to be back in shape and play hockey again. I want to lose the stomach and excess fat and just being healthy again. Is all of this to much? OR do i need to tweak things with the workout so i can benefit from it more?

Yes im new to the forums and looked at other posts. Just looking for someone to critique what im doing.

[tmor6]

My ulitimate goal is to be back in shape and play hockey again. I want to lose the stomach and excess fat and just being healthy again. Is all of this to much? OR do i need to tweak things with the workout so i can benefit from it more?

If you're really just looking to loose fat, focusing on cardio with a little bit of weight training thrown in would be the way to go. Run, run, and run some more and maybe look into cross fit. But if you're looking to loose weight AND add muscle, then you need a much different set-up. Your post confused me: are looking to add muscle, to loose fat, or both?

[sEqueL]

Sorry I am mainly wanting to lose the fat. The weight training I do isn't to max out or try being ripped. I just want to be toned and not have the darn belly anymore. Like I said critique the hell out of it please.

[tmor6]

Sorry I am mainly wanting to lose the fat. The weight training I do isn't to max out or try being ripped. I just want to be toned and not have the darn belly anymore. Like I said critique the hell out of it please.

That helps (note: this is wannabebig - most of the guys on here are looking to become beasts. That said, many of the other posters are knowledgeable about weight loss, too). Here is my two cents.

If I were you, I'd look into CrossFit. Crossfit is an all-around "be as fit as possible" type of program. I'm not a huge fan (I just like to move weight), but to loose weight, you really want to focus on cardio, but you REALLY need to watch what you eat. Weight lose is as simply as burning more calories than you consume - cardio is a great way to burn a lot of calories in a shorter amount of time than say, weight lifting (Note: Obviously, this isn't always the case, but in 15 minutes you can run 1.5 miles and will probably burn more calories than bench pressing 3x10 150 pounds).

If you want to lift weights, I suggest you concentrate on heavy compound movements - get rid of the isolation work (of which your routine is loaded with). Your not burning a whole lot of calories doing curls - you probably won't see a whole lot of progress towards loosing fat. Here is something you might want to consider.

Day 1: Chest/Tris
Flat Bench Press
DB Flys
Military Press
Decline Press
Shoulder Press

Day 2: Cardio/Crossfit

Day 3: Back/Bis
Deadlift
Seated Row
Pull Ups
Pull Down

Day 4: Cardio/Crossfit

Day 5: Legs
Squat
Leg Curls
Leg Extensions
Leg Press

Start tracking what you are eating - that is the single most important thing to do. Cut your calories to below maintenance, run/lift, and you'll loose the weight.

[WI_Cheeshead]

If I were you, I'd look into CrossFit. Crossfit is an all-around "be as fit as possible" type of program.

I've got a nephew who's been hardcore into CrossFit for two years and he went from looking like a guy who never exercised (which was true) to a guy who is in great shape. He also started the Paleolithic diet about a year ago which really helped, too. Now he is studying to be a CrossFit personal trainer.

The advantage to lifting weights is that the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn. Every pound of muscle you gain raises your basal metabolism rate.

[chris mason]

I'll 3rd the vote for CrossFit.

Your current routine sucks. Way too much volume. Never do aerobic work before strength work.

You totally misunderstand why you should use strength training.

On Friday when our normal home page is back live go to www.atlargenutrition.com and click on the yellow sticky note for the fat loss article. It will help you immensely.

[chris mason]

Here is a link to the guide I mentioned: https://www.atlargenutrition.com/med...ss_program.pdf

Read it!

[yayeti]

aren't those caloric starting points a little high? I weigh 178 and have been eating about 1800 calories per day and have only lost 4 lbs in 3.5 weeks. This program would have my calories at 2800.

[chris mason]

No, they are not high. At your size if you are consuming that few of calories and barely losing weight you have crushed your metabolism with chronically low caloric intake etc.

[yayeti]

Damn thats not good. Crushed metabolism? I don't know anything about this. You got me worried now. How do I figure out if this is the problem and how do I fix it?

How long is considered chronic. I did Lyle's rapid fat loss for 10 days, took 1 week off, then did his ultimate diet for 6 weeks, took 3 weeks off and am now have been eating at 1800 for 3 and a half weeks.

Before this I didn't count calories and just ate when I hungry.

[chris mason]

Hmm, that is rather odd. The timeframes you are referencing should not have created a problem. Perhaps you are just one with a metabolism that is on the slower end of the spectrum?

[yayeti]

How do you make your metabolism faster? When you transition from a cut to a bulk is there a right way and wrong way to do it?

[BG5150]

Tuesday:
10-15 minutes elliptical
5 minute warm-up
3 sets of 10 assisted pull ups
3 sets of 10 back pulling
3 sets of 10 bicep curls
3 sets of 10 pull Downs
3 sets of 10 bicep curls
3 sets of 10 bicep hammer curls

and

Sorry I am mainly wanting to lose the fat.

That's not helping.

[Bako Lifter]

+1 for crossfit, seems you have the goals it is built for. Follow the mainsite workouts for a month or two and if you like it, you can pick a more structured routine like crossfit football or something.