Stuck! Please rip apart my workout routine

[newlyconverted101]

Hi, I’m trying to optimise my workout routine to better meet my goals, as I find that I’m not really seeing a significant progress after 3 months. I appreciate your honest feedback.

Profile:
30M, 5’9”, dry BW 165lb, BMI 24.4, former marathoner but now skinny fat, ~100g daily protein consumption (protein intake limited by kidney condition)

Priority:
1) lose visceral fat / central obesity
2) maintain muscle mass

Current routine:
Everyday, I try to hit the gym for at least an hour to maintain it as a healthy habit. After much experimenting, I’ve simplified to push day or pull day for lifting portion, plus HIIT day or slow-burn day for a cardio portion. Thus, each day, I’m doing a push or a pull, plus a HIIT or slow-burn cardio.

LIFTING PORTION (warm-up -> 5x5 -> 1x8)

Push day:
- bench press (55lb each side)
- overhead barbell press (25lb each side)
- incline dumbbell bench press (55lb dumbbells) or skullcrusher

Pull day:
- seated cable low row (70)
- standing tricep cable pull-down (70)
- seated cable lat pull-down (70) or bodyweight pull-up
- bent-over barbell row (30lb each side)

CARDIO PORTION

HIIT day:
- treadmill: incline 1.0, 5-min warmup, then alternating 60sec sprint (9.5mph) with 180sec jog (6.0mph) for a total of 30min

Slow-burn day:
- stationary bike: steady resistance, 500-600kcal loss for 45min-60min
OR
- treadmill: incline 1.0, 5-mom warmup, then steady run at 7.5mph for 30-45min

 

[dawn16]

@newlyconverted101 I would say there's just not enough volume or intensity in the lifting portion of your routine. If you're doing 5x5 followed by 1x8, the 5x5 portion is too light. If you're able to do a set of 5 followed by a set of 8, that means you had at least 3 reps in reserve for the set of 5. If you're doing a full 5x5, that means your first set of 5 was easier than your last set of 5. So the majority of your workout when you finish a set, you could have done at least 4 or 5 more reps before you hit failure. In general, you should have somewhere between 1 - 3 reps in reserve. Otherwise, you're not training heavy enough. That's your biggest problem. You don't train heavy enough.

Another issue is you don't get enough frequency. Muscles should be trained at least twice per week in order to grow. You don't get enough frequency.

Your volume is too low. Your shoulders only get 6 working sets per week. Each muscle group should be getting 10 - 20 sets per week, depending on how advanced you are and how much you can recover.

You're also neglecting a lot of muscle groups. Your entire lower body and arms get no direct work.

In summary, you just don't train hard enough or with enough volume to actually grow muscle effectively.

 

[dawn16]

I agree. The volume and number of sets seems low. Great advice!

 

[newlyconverted101]

@dawn16 Gotcha. That makes a lot of sense. I’ll try to incorporate some changes over the next three months and report back. Thanks!!