My gym routine

[drscott]

By request, here's what I do at the gym:

I've been lifting for almost 7 years now. This routine evolved from a 4-split (legs, back, shoulders, chest) into more like a 7-split; I used to have the stamina to do a 3-hour leg day, for example, but a few years ago I split it into two pieces (or more, depending on time available.) I often have to cut a day short because of some evening social obligation and finish what remains on another day. I also pyramid some exercises (increase weight as I do sets) when I'm doing well. I always do 250-500 calories of cardio after each lifting session. But this is approximately what I do now:

(Exercise - Weight - Sets - Reps/Set)

Day 1: Chest
MedX Flat Bench Press: 360# 5x15
Hammer Incline Press: 140# 4x18
Hammer Decline Press: 230# 5x12
Hammer Wide Chest: 180# 4x15
Cybex Fly: 120# 5x15

Day 2: Shoulders 1
Hammer Military Press 140# 5x15
Hammer Behind Neck Press 140# 5x13
Dumbbell Upright Row 25# 5x25 (used to do 40# until shoulder injury...)

Day 3: Lat/Back
Hammer Pulldown 210# 5x15
Hammer Isolat DY Row 230-270# 20-16
Hammer Upward Row 230# 5x15

Day 4: Dips/Abs
Pushdown (a plate-loading dip machine): 125# 5x20
Leg Lift/Ab Machine: 120# 5x25 (pulled a groin muscle at 150# and backed off)
MedX Flat Bench: 360# 5x15

Day 5: Shoulders 2
DB Lateral Raise 25# 5x20 (down from 30# due to shoulder injuries)
DB (alternating) Front Raise 30# 5x40 (20 each side) (lowered from 40# due to shoulder joint)
Rotator cuff exercises
Rear Delt (on Fly/Rear Delt machine): 120# 5x15

Day 6: Dips/Torso
Pushdown 125# 5x20
Nautilus Lat Pullover 200# 5x20
Rotary Torso 200# 2 (both sides)x18
Assisted Pullup 35# assist, 5x15
Dips 5x15

Day 7: Shrugs
Hammer Shrug 180#30, then 360# 5x20,
alternating with "Back Shrug" (Hammer Upward Row using only back muscle to lift) 270# 5x15
MedX Flat Bench 360# 5x15

The above are followed in the same order, repeating roughly every 10 days, interspersed with leg exercises repeating about every 30 days. The SLDLs are usually done one one of the previous days as time allows:

Leg 1:
Leg Press: warmup: 490# 3x20 different foot placements
Leg Press: 720# 1x18, 950# 5x18
Leg Extension: 285# 5x15

Leg 2:
Leg Curls 110# 5x15
Hip Abductor 150-165# 20-12
Hip Adductor 170-85# 20-12
Donkey Calf 400# 5x15
Hammer Calf Raise 140# 5x15

Leg 3:
Squats (barbell, in safety cage): 135# 20, 225# 5x18
Hack Squats: 200# 3x18

Leg 4:
Leg Curls 110# 5x15
Hip Abductor 150-165# 20-12
Hip Adductor 170-85# 20-12
Donkey Calf 400# 5x15
Hammer Calf Raise 140# 5x15

Leg 5:
SLDLs: 225# 5x15

In addition I sometimes do an arm day with Paul, but my elbow tendinitis is acting up and it's better not to do any specific arm exercises when that's happening....

Whew!

Oh, and no matter how hard you work out, you won't get any definition unless you eat carefully. My old post on diet.

Comments

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

Interesting that you don't specifically target your arms.

The dips (when properly done) target both pec and triceps, and the back exercises also hit the biceps.

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

That's the idea -- the compound exercises are enough work to keep biceps and triceps in good shape with having to do isolation work, which has tended (particularly biceps) to exacerbate the elbow tendinitis. My amrs have been larger, but they're not bad.