My Workout.. your thoughts?

[RachelM]

Hi everyone, for those who haven’t read my intro, I am just a beginner and now on week 20 of a beginners workout.

It consists of a full body workout twice a week, and I have just added cardio (3 times per week for ½ hour each session) in at week 14. See below for my workout this week.

I have been adding weight when I can, and have probably added weight on each exercise once a month (approximately) for example I have added weight this week on SLDL and next week I will look to add weight on squats.

The instruction with this workout was do not train to failure, the goal is to get out all of the reps per set with good form and increase the weights over time. This has been the case for everything here, but biceps. Like a naughty girl I did train till failure on biceps on a few occasions and ever since I have struggled, have had to drop weight and even now the 7kg is a struggle. Is this normal, how do you push though this, is it psychological?

Also, is this workout ok? Does it cover the muscle groups I should be working? I really am a beginner and I have just taken this workout from the stickies, so someone else’s opinion would be great.

I also would like to ask because I have been reading everyone else’s logs and everyone else seems to be doing split workouts, I know this is a big debate, but should I continue what I am doing until I stop seeing gains?

My diet has been all over the place over the last month with Christmas, New Years and with me being on holidays, but thankfully I’m settling back into a routine. I vary with eating 1600 to 2200 calories per day and the splits vary in a big way, I will start being more diligent on fitday and give more accurate info. I will save my diet questions until I am back in a routine.

My goals are body recomp, I’m 5’6 and I am approx 132 pounds (or I was about a month and a half ago) I guess I was/am what you call skinny fat (although I'm now changing) and my goals are to be a strong, fit and have a hard muscular body.

Oh and I work in kilos not pounds..so I’ve included a conversion
Here’s my workout this week:
Monday
DB Bench Presses
8kg x 8 (17.6 pound DB)
9kg x 8 (19.8 pound DB)
12.5kg x 8 (27.5 pound DB)
12.5kg x 8

DB Bent-Over Rows
8kg x 8 (17.6pound DB)
9kg x 8 (19.8 pound DB)
12.5kg x 8 (27.5 pound DB)
12.5kg x 8

DB Curls
5kg x 8 (11 pound DB)
6kg x 8 (13.2pound DB)
7kg x 8 (15.4 pound DB)
7kg x 8

Overhead DB Presses
6kg x 8 (13.2pound DB)
7kg x 8 (15.4 pound DB)
9kg x 8 (19.8 pound DB)
9kg x 8


Stiff-Legged Deadlifts
20.5kg x 10 (45.1 pound)
28kg x 10 (61.6 pound)
45kg x 10 (99 pound)
45kg x 10

Single Leg Calf Raises
8kg x 10 (17.6 pound)
12kg x 10 (26.4 pound)
16kg x 10 (35.2 pound)
16kg x 10 (35.2 pound)


Squats
I still don’t know how to use the rack so I am just using a barbell (what the guys use for curls) which I lift over my head onto my shoulders, I was just using DB’s until the start of December
14kg x 10 (30.8 pound)
16kg x 10 (35.2 pound)
22.5kg x 10 (49.5 pound)
22.5kg x 10

Hanging Knee Ups/Leg Raises
10 reverse crunches (warm up)
10 hanging knee raises
10 hanging knee raises
10 hanging leg raises


Tuesday

Cardio
15 min rower
15 min bike
Your comments and questions & answers are much appreciated.
Cheers
Rachel

 

[Rebecca D]

I like this workout. It is easy for someone starting out but also good for anybody. Two good full body workouts and three cardio days is great. Heck, every once in a while I will throw in a week of full body workouts for fun.

Rebecca D

 

[Rebecca D]

I think full body workouts are a great way to get started. Two days a week plus three days cardio is good. Once you feel comfortable you can split up your workout if you want to, but don't underestimate the power of the full body workout. I still take a week every now and then and do full body.

Good Luck

Rebecca D

 

[RottenWillow]

I think full body workouts are totally appropriate for a beginner. Only thing I'd suggest is to ensure you continue to have sufficient energy remaining to properly work those muscle groups later in the workout.

Splits really only become necessary when the intermediate trainee needs to begin to add volume to encourage continued adaptation and it simply becomes too much work for a single workout. I think quite often people split out of convenience with their daily schedule rather than an actual demand by their body.

 

[RachelM]

Thanks Rebecca, that's part of the reason I chose this because as a beginner I have had to learn how to do each exercise and in this respect this routine is not overwhelming. Whereas if I would have to learn 5 new lifts each day I couldn't cope. I don't have that much time, not now anyhow.

The cardio days I'm just in and out, 2 lots of 15min is easy to get your head around, and it's easy to push hard because the countdown from 15 mins to nil is not long.

Rotten Willow, I am really conscious of having enough energy , the weights I needed for arms weren't available one day and I did squats & SLDL's first and that trashed me for the rest of the workout. I find if I do upper body first and then lower, I am able to push more.

I have a question for you about the bicep curl problem, I pushed to failure straight away then I started struggling, I have lowered the amount of weight but I'm still struggling.. I feel like a bit of a cock mentioning it because I know the weight is light and but nonetheless, I am still struggling!! After about 4-5 reps in it's just like my muscle doesn't want to contract, I put 100% of mental effort into it and it just contracts at snails pace, then it just stalls.

I am using DB's, and it is my right that is stalling, but I am hesitant in adding weight to my left because I'll be lopsided. Or should I just go to barbell curls and in that way as I increase my left my right will have to follow???

It’s frustrating because I have gone down rather than up in weight, I have lifted more than this? Do I just need to harden the f@*k up and push through?

 

[RachelM]

Wednesday

30 mins cardio
15 min elliptical
15 min rowing machine

Breakky
1/3 cup oatmeal made with water
1/3 cup milk
1 peach

Missed morning snack... too much work

1 latte 2 sugars

Lunch
95g tuna
2 eggs

Snack 1
95g tuna
80g yoghurt

Snack 2
95g tuna

Dinner
250g kangaroo sausages
homemade mash potato
1/2 cup Carrots
1/2 cup Beans


After dinner (I don't normally eat now but it's the remnants from Christmas, there's one piece left and as it's made by mum I cannot throw it out) Also missing mid morning snack made me ravenous all afternoon.
Christmas pudding
Cream

Total calories
1702 (26%F 33%P 40%C)

 

[shirlene29]

this is going to sound weird..but were you using the rower when you started to have problems with the bicep excercises?

I don't know what grip you use and I'm of two minds about this...one youre wearing out your arms on the rower by using an underhand grip...or two..if thats not the case...give that a try for some building...an underhand grip on the rower

I'm assuming you're using a concept model rower or the likes with the wooden 'handle"

 

[shirlene29]

and I reread your post on the subject..is it possible you damaged a tendon in your elbow?? however mildly?

 

[RachelM]

I have noticed a dull... something... in the back of my elbow above the joint. I wouldn't call it pain, it's barely there, but it is there.

I was only using the rower for warm ups when the problem started and it's been happening for a while now..

I use an overhand grip (palms to the floor) and it's one of those really old wooden handle machines.. not many people use them at the gym I go to probably because they are they oldest thing there , but last night there was a person using a one over/one under grip and I thought interesting.. I hadn't even thought of changing grip.

I guess I could have tweaked something and have never given it an opportunity to heal, should I stop the biceps curls for a week or so and see if there's improvement?

 

[shirlene29]

maybe try RICE for a a cpl of days on the area where you felt pain and give the biceps a small break and see where youre at

even the new machines look pretty fossilized...you should see the looks my husband and I get hopping on the only two machines in the gym...heh..and we live in a community that has a lot of rowing teams
plus Im just starting to look obviously pregnant and his arm is violently scarred up from a motorcycle accident...so we're quite the pair on these things..

anyway..yeah...it sounds like a concept 2 machine...google them, they have a website and you can check out all kinds of grips...my physical therapist actually got me into rowing a few months back and showed me good form on a rower along with a handful (no pun) of grips to try out to work different muscles while im at it..its become my favorite piece of cardio equipment