Please improve my exercise routine

[grega60438]

I am hoping for your suggestions to improve my exercise routine.

Stats:
45 years old, as of this coming January.
5-7”
I was at 187lbs on my last bulk and currently I am on my cut at 11% BF and 175lbs. I am hoping to get to single digits before my next bulk, which 3 weeks away.

Goal:
I would like to have single digit body fat at 200 lbs, hopefully within 2 years.
Reasons are to recover from my back injury, fighting the aging process, I want to look good, self confidence, high pressure job stress relief, keeps me out of trouble…most of the time…

Limitations:
I have a permanent back disability L4, L5, with two surgeries and using Celebrex for life. Therefore standard squats or standing with heavy weight is dangerous for me.
Knees are a slight concern, as I ran 10K races for about 25 years, before the back injury. Knees work, but click.
I have a past shoulder press injury, but recovery in progress. Getting there…
The above limitations are the reason for the many cable exercises.

Legs and Abs exercises not mentioned below:
Fast Walk and jog, alternating each half track, 6.5 incline: 5 days week. 1.25 miles/day
Abs: 5 days week. Upside down hanging sit-ups, alternate sides. 4 sets of 10-15 reps.

All the weights below are while on cut.

Day 1:
Shoulders: (superset 1&2) (2-3 min between sets)
1. Seated cable external rotation 40lbsx10, 40lbsx10, 50lbsx10, 50lbsx10
2. Seated cable internal rotation: 70lbsx10, 70lbsx10, 80lbsx10, 80lbsx10
3. Shoulder Press-machine-sitting: 100lbsx10, 110lbsx10, 120lbsx10, 130lbsx10
4. Seated Front raise-Dumbbell: 25lbsx10, 30lbsx10, 35lbsx10, 35lbsx10
5. Seated Side lateral raise-Dumbbell: 25lbsx10, 30lbsx10, 35lbsx10, 35lbsx10
6. Seated Cable front raise-Machine: 40lbsx10, 40lbsx10, 50lbsx10, 50lbsx10
7. Seated Cable side lateral raise-Machine: 40lbsx10, 40lbsx10, 50lbsx10, 50lbsx10
8. Shoulder shrugs-Machine: 100lbsx10, 100lbsx10, 100lbsx10, 100lbsx10

Day 2:
Back: (superset 1, 2&3) (2-3 min between sets)
1. Chin-ups (wide grip) 10-15
2. Rows (On my back using Pull down cable) (L4-L5 issues): 140lbsx10, 140lbsx10, 150lbsx10, 150lbsx10
3. Hyperextensions: 60lbsx10, 60lbsx10, 60lbsx10, 60lbsx10
4. Pullovers (Sitting using pull down cable): 70x10, 70x10, 70x10, 70x10,

Q: Should I also be doing Cable pull downs or are the Chin-ups sufficient?

Day 3:
Legs: (superset 1, 2&3) (2-3 min between sets)
Squat-machine-200lbs
Leg extensions (machine): 70x10, 70x10, 80x10, 80x10,
Leg curls (machine): 50x10, 50x10, 60x10, 60x10,

Day 4: (2-3 min between sets)
Chest:
Bench Press: 160x10, 180x10, 200x10, 220x10
Cable flyes low 1: 70x10
Cable flyes low 2: 70x10
Cable flyes low 3: 70x10
Cable flyes med 4: 70x10
Cable flyes med 5: 80x10
Cable flyes med 6: 80x10
Cable flyes med 7: 80x10
Cable flyes high 8: 80x10
Cable flyes high 9: 90x10
Cable flyes high 10: 90x10

Day 5: (superset 1&2) (superset 3&4) (2-3 min between sets)
Arms:
1. Alternate Hammer Curls (Dumbbell, sitting): 40lbsx10, 40lbsx10,
2. Standing Bent-Over One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension: 35lbsx10, 35lbsx10,
3. Concentration curls (Dumbbell, sitting): 50lbsx10, 50lbsx10, 55lbsx10, 55lbsx10
4. Standing Bent-Over One-Arm cable Triceps Extension: 50lbsx10, 50lbsx10, 60lbsx10, 60lbsx10
5. Cable wrist curl: 70lbsx10, 70lbsx10, 80lbsx10, 80lbsx10

Day 6: off
Day 7: off

 

[grega60438]

Wow...not a single hit?

 

[way8lifter]

you need to rethink what you are doing ...you are doing waaay too many isolation exercises and nooo compound movements.
you are doing more sets for your chest or shoulders then you are for your thighs!! ...
what is the easiest way to make the scale go up?? Put some size on your thighs ...12 sets of cable flyes are not going to do it ...( since you have squatting issues) try leg press and hack squats .... you should be putting twice the effort into thighs that you are putting into chest and shoulders
If you have shoulder issues you should NOT be benching..

as for your arm work ...drop all those exercises ..

Day 5: (superset 1&2) (superset 3&4) (2-3 min between sets)
Arms:
1. Alternate Hammer Curls (Dumbbell, sitting): 40lbsx10, 40lbsx10,
2. Standing Bent-Over One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension: 35lbsx10, 35lbsx10,
3. Concentration curls (Dumbbell, sitting): 50lbsx10, 50lbsx10, 55lbsx10, 55lbsx10
4. Standing Bent-Over One-Arm cable Triceps Extension: 50lbsx10, 50lbsx10, 60lbsx10, 60lbsx10
5. Cable wrist curl: 70lbsx10, 70lbsx10, 80lbsx10, 80lbsx10

everyone of these are worthless...# 2 and 3 ..mainly work the outside head of your triceps ...not the meaty long and short heads.
and hammer curls ... 99% of all people cheat so bad on these their biceps get ZERO work ...but hey your shoulders and back will.

Try 3 sets barbell curls
3 sets incline dumbell curls

3 sets overhead one dumbell tricep extension
3 sets lye tricep extension

shoot for 8-12 reps


..

 

[Carcaya]

Eat big and keep changing your routine. I don't think following this same routine or any specific routine for two years will get you where you want to be. I do agree with way8 - need more compound lifts. Get the growth hormone benefits of massive leg days!

 

[grega60438]

Way8lifter,
BTW cool name!
I really appreciate the suggestions.
The reason for the many isolation exercises was due to over compensating for the bad back. I will do a better extensive search for compound movements, and see what I can handle with a bad back.
I can tell you that standing barbell curls kill my back. I agree, many cheat on the bi's and tri's. I try so hard to not cheat, and I really appreciate the suggestion for cheat resistant exercises. I plan to do the the incline dumbell curls, overhead one dumbell tricep extension, and the lye tricep extensions. Also Perfect timing for a change to my exercise routine for my next bulk that starts in about 2 weeks.


Carcaya,
I really appreciate the suggestions. I am planning on changing up the exercise routine in about 2 weeks. I always try to eat clean and count calories. Last bulk I ate 4500 cals and hit 187lbs, but IMO gained too much fat with the muscle. M-LMG was involved, so maybe that had some effect. On my present cut I am at 11% bf. In the next bulk cycle to I hope to gain less body fat(2%?), so I was actually planning to lower the calories slightly to about 4k. Bad idea? Just deal with the fat at cut time?


Peace!
Greg

 

[Carcaya]

I always hate the backtrack feeling i get when i see myself getting a bit of pudge on my bulk. Yet, i think this is the way to go. Each bulk and cut cycle, I see my overall physique increasing in aesthetic appearance. I don't go crazy on my bulks! But, I think accepting a bit of fat gain is the part of the game.