Feedback on routine & question about weight maintenance.

[Sc00t]

Here's the routine I've been following:

muscleandstrength.com/workouts/john-cena-workout-routine

I've not been following the diet. I've been consuming around 3,500 calories a day with a healthy diet consisting of foods such as chicken, mackerel, breads, rice, pasta, oats, whole milk and whey protein.

Here's my supplements:

Whey Protein w whole milk
Multivitamin
Vitamin C
Fish Oil
Casein (bedtime shake) w whole milk
Glutamine (powdered, in water)
NO (20 mins before workout)
Creatine (serving before/after workout or morning/bedtime on my 2 rest days)
BCAA (2 servings of 6 tablets each day)

I've gone from 10 stone (140 lbs) to 11 1/2 stone (161 lbs) over the first few months when I was just taking Creatine & Whey Protein, so the additional supplements listed above are relatively new to me.

I would like feedback on the workout routine. Obviously there's no cardio in there which concerns me a little but I know cardio will cut my weight -- would you recommend cardio for the cutting phase as opposed to bulking?

Also, when I do reach my goal weight I am curious as to how you guys would recommend maintaining the weight? I presume I would drop some calories, but I'm not sure how best to do that? I'm aiming to weigh 200lbs and I'll do some cutting to make sure it's lean and not fat, but yeah... weight maintenance. How do you guys do it?

Thanks,
sc00t

[tmor6]

On one hand, if it's working for you, that's what matters. If YOU feel like YOU are making gains, then stick with it. On the other hand, John Cena didn't big on this by using this routine - he got big from dopping up - an advantage I am guessing you don't have. (Yes, I'm sure he also lifted a lot, too; but lets face it...that's his job.)

Personally, if I were you, I'd go with Starting Strength or Starr's 5x5 routine. Both are excellent routines designed for relative beginners looking to put on weight. It's been my experience that a relative beginner doesn't need an arm day and a shoulder day like in the routine you are on. Choose a work out that is based around large, complex movements and don't focus on the isolation crap at this moment in time (if ever). Just my two cents.

[tcooper]

On one hand, if it's working for you, that's what matters. If YOU feel like YOU are making gains, then stick with it. On the other hand, John Cena didn't big on this by using this routine - he got big from dopping up - an advantage I am guessing you don't have. (Yes, I'm sure he also lifted a lot, too; but lets face it...that's his job.)

Personally, if I were you, I'd go with Starting Strength or Starr's 5x5 routine. Both are excellent routines designed for relative beginners looking to put on weight. It's been my experience that a relative beginner doesn't need an arm day and a shoulder day like in the routine you are on. Choose a work out that is based around large, complex movements and don't focus on the isolation crap at this moment in time (if ever). Just my two cents.

Please do not offer beginners to start with starting strength.. that routine is not ideal at all. I have no idea why anyone recommends it anymore, it seems like everyone is against it now. I wasted the first year of my training by following the similar advice you gave that guy

I would start with a split I personally do not like full body routines at all for bodybuilding.. YES newbies can do splits and YES they can focus a muscle group around a compound movement as most should. BUT isolation IS needed. have you ever seen a body builder amateur or professional not do isolation movements? It just annoys me to see people on this board give the advice of not doing isolation movements.

Now where I see a lot of newbies mess up is they go in and just do isolations and dont focus on progression. Find a split that has a compound movement for each major body part ( back, legs, chest, shoulders ) then hit isolations accordingly. do a lower volume routine for now until you get more experienced

[sliver1]

Please do not offer beginners to start with starting strength.. that routine is not ideal at all. I have no idea why anyone recommends it anymore, it seems like everyone is against it now. I wasted the first year of my training by following the similar advice you gave that guy

"I have no idea why anyone recommends it anymore, it seems like everyone is against it now." The same reason why everyone was for it 4 or 5 years ago. Trends. Everyone was for it because it was the cool program. Now everyone is against it because it's cool to knock things that were once popular.

I would start with a split I personally do not like full body routines at all for bodybuilding.. YES newbies can do splits and YES they can focus a muscle group around a compound movement as most should. BUT isolation IS needed. have you ever seen a body builder amateur or professional not do isolation movements? It just annoys me to see people on this board give the advice of not doing isolation movements.

Now where I see a lot of newbies mess up is they go in and just do isolations and dont focus on progression. Find a split that has a compound movement for each major body part ( back, legs, chest, shoulders ) then hit isolations accordingly. do a lower volume routine for now until you get more experienced

If you literally wasted the first year of your training on SS or 5x5 then the problem is you and not the program. Is SS or a 5x5 program the best for someone interested in purely aesthetics ? Nope. But to say it's a waste of time is disingenuous at best. "you do not like full body splits for bodybuilding". That's you. You are not everyone. And every person is different. Building a foundation of strength before focusing purely on bodybuilding is not a terrible idea.

[tcooper]

If you literally wasted the first year of your training on SS or 5x5 then the problem is you and not the program. Is SS or a 5x5 program the best for someone interested in purely aesthetics ? Nope. But to say it's a waste of time is disingenuous at best. "you do not like full body splits for bodybuilding". That's you. You are not everyone. And every person is different. Building a foundation of strength before focusing purely on bodybuilding is not a terrible idea.

I didnt say i wasted it on a 5x5 program....... I said i wasted it on SS... I never once said a 5x5 program was bad. Hell, once i moved on to a program like 5/3/1 was when I started to see results. I'm just saying that a rookie would be disappointed with his results if he just did SS and was looking to put on some good over all size. I'm sorry dude it wasn't me my diet is 100% and always have been..

I agree building a foundation of strength is the way to go. But there are way better routines out there then SS to start with.

look around the internet, even this board most people are against SS because its garbage.. Im not talkin about bill starrs 5x5 or 5/3/1. we are talking about SS

[chris mason]

Here's the routine I've been following:

muscleandstrength.com/workouts/john-cena-workout-routine

I've not been following the diet. I've been consuming around 3,500 calories a day with a healthy diet consisting of foods such as chicken, mackerel, breads, rice, pasta, oats, whole milk and whey protein.

Here's my supplements:

Whey Protein w whole milk
Multivitamin
Vitamin C
Fish Oil
Casein (bedtime shake) w whole milk
Glutamine (powdered, in water)
NO (20 mins before workout)
Creatine (serving before/after workout or morning/bedtime on my 2 rest days)
BCAA (2 servings of 6 tablets each day)

I've gone from 10 stone (140 lbs) to 11 1/2 stone (161 lbs) over the first few months when I was just taking Creatine & Whey Protein, so the additional supplements listed above are relatively new to me.

I would like feedback on the workout routine. Obviously there's no cardio in there which concerns me a little but I know cardio will cut my weight -- would you recommend cardio for the cutting phase as opposed to bulking?

Also, when I do reach my goal weight I am curious as to how you guys would recommend maintaining the weight? I presume I would drop some calories, but I'm not sure how best to do that? I'm aiming to weigh 200lbs and I'll do some cutting to make sure it's lean and not fat, but yeah... weight maintenance. How do you guys do it?

Thanks,
sc00t

The routine you have referenced is horrible in my opinion. I would also say that it is very likely NOT one that Cena follows. I agree that Starting Strength is far from ideal.

We offer a great and FREE program called HCT-12 (see tab above). Download the PDF and give it a try. The routine you are on will have you stagnated very soon if you are not already.

[tmor6]

The routine you have referenced is horrible in my opinion. I would also say that it is very likely NOT one that Cena follows. I agree that Starting Strength is far from ideal.

We offer a great and FREE program called HCT-12 (see tab above). Download the PDF and give it a try. The routine you are on will have you stagnated very soon if you are not already.

Don't know where all the hate for SS came from, but either way, go with this ^. He knows his sh*t...it's his website. Kind of like playing the 'ol trump card.

For what it's worth, I still think a 5x5 routine would be great choice, but HCT-12 is great, too. I made great gains on a 5x5 and I stand by those gains (see stats below). However, take a read through the PDF on HCT-12 - it may hit a note with you and is certainly a good choice.

[chris mason]

Don't know where all the hate for SS came from, but either way, go with this ^. He knows his sh*t...it's his website. Kind of like playing the 'ol trump card.

For what it's worth, I still think a 5x5 routine would be great choice, but HCT-12 is great, too. I made great gains on a 5x5 and I stand by those gains (see stats below). However, take a read through the PDF on HCT-12 - it may hit a note with you and is certainly a good choice.

I don't care for SS because so many have bought into it as some wonderful program when it truly is mediocre at best. That's the nutshell.

[BG5150]

Did you notice in that routine the big, compound lifts are later in the routine after the machine and cable movements?

That seems crummy to me.

(Ditch the NO. What's that doing for ya except costing you $60/month?)

If you are 160 pounds, you should be getting all the protein you need from food.

[Falcon63]

Well, I dunno if this is waht you're asking, but we can't accurately estimate how many calories you need. Experiment and see if the numbers on the scale go up/down/stay. Really the only way to tell.

And yes, you can do cardio, you just need to eat more.

EDIT: As for your routine, I'll go against popular opinion. Everyone's body responds differently to different stimuli. Don't listen to anyone who says "oh, you will/won't gains strength doing this/that". The only person who can tell you that is you. Experiment and learn through your OWN experiences, not others'.

Just MY opinion.