Can anyone help setting up a work out?

[Kenny022593]

Hi, i have been doing a workout for a month and would like to create another one so that i can alternate them each month. The problem is i have no clue what to include or exercises that would be just as good.

I have only dumbbells (sadly) but enough to put 46 lbs on each one. My current workout is as followed. I have notes to myself from when i started so you can disregard them.

Monday - chest and triceps
flat bench dumbbell press - 4 sets - lay on exercise ball
incline bench dumbbell press - 3 sets –sit on steps and lay back against
flat bench flyes - 2 sets -lay on exercise ball
skull crushers - 3 sets –lay on exercise ball use curved bar
single arm overhead extensions - 3 sets –sit on exercise ball brace elbow with other hand

Tuesday - legs
squats - 4 sets –use free weights (try to do 50 each side)
lunges - 3 sets -use free weights (be careful)
stiff legged deadlifts - 4 sets -proper form please (use curved bar)
standing calf raises - 4 sets -hold weights

Wednesday - off

Thursday - shoulders and traps
seated dumbbell press - 4 sets –military press
single arm lateral raises - 3 sets –what I used to do with thte 5lbs weights
shrugs - 4 sets –try using curved bar if not use dumbbells

Friday - back and biceps
deadlifts - 4 sets –arc back correctly
bent over rows - 4 sets -use back more than triceps
single arm bent over rows - 2 sets –place knee and hand on bench
standing dumbbell curls - 3 sets –curls don’t use body momentum
preacher curls - 2 sets –kneel and use ball (curved bar)

Saturday/Sunday - off

So any help would be much appreciated.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

What are you goals? Is this primarily for bulk, for power (speed strength), for tennis? If power is a goal, you might want to include some plyometric exercises. If tennis is your primary reason for working out, then check out the following for ideas:

USTA.com/USTA/Global/Improve_Your_Game/...

USTA.com/sitecore/content/.../114682_Strength__Conditioning_Home.aspx

 

[Slazenger07]

Do you not have access to an adjustable bench? Thats the best thing to do your chest workout on, that way you can do flat bench and a varying degree of incline bench work.

for muscle mass train in the 6-12 rep range 8-10 specifically being the best range for muscle mass.

always train to failure, meaning until you cant complete another rep.

keep your workouts under an hour.

eat, eat, EAT at least every three hours, high protein, high quality carbs

take whey protein right after you workout, eat carbs right before you workout.

Try Creatine.

and youre on your way to a muscular body!

Worked for me...

 

[Kenny022593]

What are you goals? Is this primarily for bulk, for power (speed strength), for tennis? If power is a goal, you might want to include some plyometric exercises. If tennis is your primary reason for working out, then check out the following for ideas:

USTA.com/USTA/Global/Improve_Your_Game/...

USTA.com/sitecore/content/.../114682_Strength__Conditioning_Home.aspx

I want to improve my tennis game through lifting and improve my body. I have been on and off with lifting but now i really want to build muscle mass and just get a better overall body for tennis. I have lifted before but that is just it. I never actually looked at other things such as Plyometric exercises. Actually i have no idea what they are. I will look into them and continue this workout. Thank you for the advice of Plyometrics i will be sure to look into them

Do you not have access to an adjustable bench? Thats the best thing to do your chest workout on, that way you can do flat bench and a varying degree of incline bench work.

for muscle mass train in the 6-12 rep range 8-10 specifically being the best range for muscle mass.

always train to failure, meaning until you cant complete another rep.

keep your workouts under an hour.

eat, eat, EAT at least every three hours, high protein, high quality carbs

take whey protein right after you workout, eat carbs right before you workout.

Try Creatine.

and youre on your way to a muscular body!

Worked for me...

Why keep them under an hour? And Creatine doesn't really increase your mass does it? I heard it just makes you look bigger.

 

[Itagaki]

Why keep them under an hour? And Creatine doesn't really increase your mass does it? I heard it just makes you look bigger.

The body ceases to benefit from heavy lifting after 45 minutes to an hour depending on your body

and honestly the best advice i can think of is to invest in a gym membership

 

[Kobble]

Hi, i have been doing a workout for a month and would like to create another one so that i can alternate them each month. The problem is i have no clue what to include or exercises that would be just as good.

I have only dumbbells (sadly) but enough to put 46 lbs on each one. My current workout is as followed. I have notes to myself from when i started so you can disregard them.

Monday - chest and triceps
flat bench dumbbell press - 4 sets - lay on exercise ball
incline bench dumbbell press - 3 sets –sit on steps and lay back against
flat bench flyes - 2 sets -lay on exercise ball
skull crushers - 3 sets –lay on exercise ball use curved bar
single arm overhead extensions - 3 sets –sit on exercise ball brace elbow with other hand

Tuesday - legs
squats - 4 sets –use free weights (try to do 50 each side)
lunges - 3 sets -use free weights (be careful)
stiff legged deadlifts - 4 sets -proper form please (use curved bar)
standing calf raises - 4 sets -hold weights

Wednesday - off

Thursday - shoulders and traps
seated dumbbell press - 4 sets –military press
single arm lateral raises - 3 sets –what I used to do with thte 5lbs weights
shrugs - 4 sets –try using curved bar if not use dumbbells

Friday - back and biceps
deadlifts - 4 sets –arc back correctly
bent over rows - 4 sets -use back more than triceps
single arm bent over rows - 2 sets –place knee and hand on bench
standing dumbbell curls - 3 sets –curls don’t use body momentum
preacher curls - 2 sets –kneel and use ball (curved bar)

Saturday/Sunday - off

So any help would be much appreciated.

Throw that routine in the trash. A gym membership on that routine will waste your money. There is not enough frequency per exercise to make any fast gains. Not to be insulting, but I had a similar routine when I was in H.S.. One year at it and I still couldn't benchpress 150 lbs. using an Olympic bar. I failed because I worked every bodypart 1x per week, and used machines. I ripped myself to shreds in the gym, but was getting owned by people who casually benched 3x a week. Most thought I could do more because of my physique. Don't go down the road I went down.

- You need at least 2x per week in any exercise to make good progress.

The positives:

Ninety six pounds of dumbells is a good amount to do weighted situps, lunges, squats, and clean and jerk with if you are a beginner. I would focus on that stuff. You will get stronger in ways that transfer to sports. As for chest, 94 lbs. is likely too little to build much further strenght. You would be better off doing explosive pushups than pressing those things to failure.

As for what routine, search Sheiko, Smolov, Mark Rippetoe, Bill Star 5x5, and even stuff on youtube. There is a lot of bad information out there. I even doubt the legitimacy of some of the smolov routines. One suggests working 9 sets at 90% of your 1 RM. Ninety percent is about your 3-4 rep max. Nine sets of that would take you forever, if ever, to complete. Unless, the goal is to just beat the **** of you no matter what. It will certainly accomplish that. The "Russian squat" calculator (http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Weightlifting/RussianSquatProgramGenerator.html) is reasonable, though. Bill Starr might be the best place to start, honestly. You need a gym membership, or better equipment to do it, though. Starr's program has you assessing your max, and then starting with like 70% for 5 sets of 5 reps. You keep cranking up the weight slightly every week until you can't get the required reps. Long term, this will not work, but it gets you started, and with confidence (even if slightly artificial) by increasing your poundages each week. Mark Rippetoe is a pupil of Bill Starr, so you get a similar strategy. Sheiko and Smolov are for hardcore lifters. Many people say Sheiko just destroyed them and little more, and others love it because there are many cycles to continue progress available online. Westside barbell is, IMO, weird. I have never used it, and have strayed away from incorprating their ideas. They advertise the DE method as key, but then I hear some claim they don't really use it in their new design. I don't like the inconsistency. They advertise as having used information from Russian research, yet most of their stuff looks nothing like typical Russian style workouts. Think about this, Westside is a private gym. Doors are closed to outsiders. Who the heck knows what they really do.

Overall, max out what you have presently. Then, buy better equipment or a membership. Start on a cookie cutter routine that keys on the squat and lower body development. For upper body, do whatever, makes you feel good. For tennis, upper body is almost pointless. Look at Federer's upper body, and then his lower body. You will see what really matters. However, if you want a buff chest like Agassi, or do pull ups like those ghetto workout guys (or Murray), throw bench and pull ups in. For tennis, however, legs are what pays the bills.