Please critique my workout routine

[cerddoriaeth]

Please critique my workout plan

I am a 41yo male training for general fitness and health. I would appreciate any comments about my workout routine. Thank you.

Here's my 5-day workout routine:

Day 1: Upper Body Strength & Cardio

1. Warm-up: 10 minutes of light cardio (jogging or brisk walking).
2. Bench Press: 4 sets x 8 reps
3. Dumbbell Rows: 4 sets x 8 reps (each arm)
4. Overhead Shoulder Press: 3 sets x 10 reps
5. Bicep Curls: 3 sets x 12 reps
6. Tricep Dips: 3 sets x 12 reps
7. Cardio: 20 minutes of HIIT (e.g., 30 sec sprint, 1 min walk)

Day 2: Lower Body Strength

1. Warm-up: 10 minutes of light cardio.
2. Squats: 4 sets x 8 reps
3. Deadlifts: 3 sets x 6 reps
4. Lunges: 3 sets x 10 reps (each leg)
5. Leg Curls: 3 sets x 12 reps
6. Calf Raises: 3 sets x 15 reps
7. Stretch: Focus especially on the legs and hips.

Day 3: Cardio & Core

1. Warm-up: 10 minutes of light cardio.
2. HIIT: 20 minutes (e.g., jump rope, burpees, mountain climbers)
3. Planks: 3 sets x 45 sec
4. Russian Twists: 3 sets x 20 reps (each side)
5. Leg Raises: 3 sets x 15 reps
6. Bicycle Crunches: 3 sets x 20 reps

Day 4: Rest or Active Recovery

• This could involve light activities like walking, cycling, or swimming. You can also focus on flexibility exercises like yoga.

Day 5: Full-Body Strength & Cardio

1. Warm-up: 10 minutes of light cardio.
2. Pull-Ups/Assisted Pull-Ups: 3 sets x 8 reps
3. Push-Ups: 3 sets x 15 reps
4. Dumbbell Squat Press: 3 sets x 10 reps
5. Dumbbell Deadlift High Pull: 3 sets x 10 reps
6. Cardio: 30 minutes of moderate-intensity, steady-state cardio (like jogging or cycling).

 

[judge2]

@cerddoriaeth I really like it, honestly.

One thing I’ve found with warmups is that you can over do it. I just focus on getting my body temperature up a bit and then some dynamic stretching, just loosening up the joints, especially shoulders. 10 mins light jogging isn’t a lot but I actually found 4 or 5 mins was plenty and if I did hit 10 or more it might affect my first resistance training exercise. That’s just a point I wanted to share. Could just be me.

I would also say it might be worth making all of the exercises 4 sets. I see some are 3 and some are 4. If you can hit 12-16 sets per muscle per week, that’s supposed to be the ideal range. Just making sure with your split here that each one is 4 sets, seems to get closer to that 12-16 number. Depends on how much time you have though, it’ll maybe 10 mins to a workout.

 

[cerddoriaeth]

@judge2 Ah, I appreciate that. Adding an extra set is easy and sounds like it's effective!

I actually like running. I need the stamina

 

[joyfam]

@judge2 what you said about warmup is true, but don't forget about doing a pyramid progression in your first exercise. don't rush it

 

[joyfam]

@cerddoriaeth I like it, I just think your back volume is very low. you should have do more pulling than pushing (like a 3-2 ratio or even 2-1 in terms of volume). this is not only for hypertrophy, but also for better posture and shoulder health. do loads of pull ups and rows (basically, horizontal and vertical pulling, just like you do horizontal and vertical pushing). also, do some rear dela work. I prefer face pulls because of the external rotation component of it, very good to improve shoulder health

 

[cerddoriaeth]

@joyfam Thank you. I'll have toook into that. Right now, my back has high muscle quality than my chest/abs. So I wanted to kind of address that imbalance. Thoughts on that? Should I still add more back to my workout?

 

[joyfam]

@cerddoriaeth in that case you can do a 1-1 for example. you shouldnt do more chest than back. remember- you can never have too big of a back

 

[dubs]

@cerddoriaeth I like your workout plan, but I'd like to offer some important considerations.

It's crucial to vary your training over time for several reasons. Firstly, variation prevents your body from fully adapting to a specific routine, which can lead to a plateau in results. Secondly, diversified training can help prevent overuse injuries, as it avoids constantly overloading the same muscle groups.

Remember that variety is the key to achieving long-lasting fitness results. To help you introduce this variety, you might consider following our new YouTube channel called "ShapeUp." Every two days, we release new workout routines that can be adapted to your current plan and your age. This will provide you with the opportunity to discover new exercises and approaches to keep your training interesting and effective.

Furthermore, we want to emphasize that we are here to assist you. Don't hesitate to reach out to us for additional questions or training advice. We'd be happy to provide you with free guidance. Have a great workout!

I leave you with our Workout channel : https://youtube.com/@ShapeUpNow.?si=Zs5rEM1SY9xoyYC9

 

[cerddoriaeth]

@dubs Cool! Thanks. My plan was to switch the routine once I plateau or after 6 months, which ever comes first. I am tracking my progress so I should be able to detect a plateau when it occurs. Thanks for the tips!!