Looking for suggestions for new workout

[bigjohn58]

I'm looking to switch up my routine for the next 2-3 months. I've been doing a 4 day a week workout (Monday Chest/Tris/Delts, Tuesday Back/Bis/Legs/Traps, Wednesday Abs, Thursday Delts/Tris/Chest, Friday Legs/Bis/Back, Weekend Abs). I was basically hitting each muscle group with 2 exercises and 3-5 sets in a pyramid sets, 12-10-8-6. I was also doing 20 minute up hill walk on the treadmill after my Monday and Thursday workouts and fitting in 2 days a week of 20 minute jogs. I also cleaned up my diet and went from weighing almost 240 down to almost 220. I've been lifting for years but trying to get serious about losing some weight. I have nice bulk muscle and want to kick things in to get back down to 200 pounds. I want to go down to a Monday Wednesday Friday routine with doing cardio and possibly abs on most of my off days. I am not too worried about putting on more mass at this time. I just want to get more ripped. Thinking about a super set routine or circuit or anything to mix things up. Just looking for suggestions.

 

[mountainman33]

I've been doing the following split, super sets, with HIIT after each set on upper body days:

Quad / Calves
Chest / Lats
Hamstrings / Cavles
Delts / Traps

I've gotten pretty lean everywhere except my mid section which leads me to experimenting with adding some ab work from time to time. I also use a PHAT style for these splits, except I do high rep for a month, power for a month, high rep for a month, etc.

 

[jball63]

What's your stats on main compound lifts? What's your macros? I'm in the same boat you're in. Trying to lose fat and be overall leaner.

Try a full body routine if you want to work out 3 days/week.

 

[bigjohn58]

Thanks for the couple of replies. I tried posting this on bb.com and never even got a reply. I was looking at routines on that site and I couldn't find any that made sense to me that I thought I'd like. I am considering doing a full body workout with more compound lifts since they involve more movement and more muscle groups. I was just hoping to actually find a routine to go by instead of always completely making up my own routines which I have been doing for the last 12 or so years.

 

[jball63]

You can still be considered a novice even though you have been lifting for years. Try Bill Starr 5x5, Ice Cream Fitness 5x5, or even starting strength. These are proven programs that will yield results.

 

[McCrew530]

Ive got a buddy thats doing Dog crap training and he is liking it loosing a good amount of fat. I am using the GVT program while staying lean and getting strong

 

[bigjohn58]

You can still be considered a novice even though you have been lifting for years. Try Bill Starr 5x5, Ice Cream Fitness 5x5, or even starting strength. These are proven programs that will yield results.

If this is the 5x5 that I am thinking of I used to do this when I powerlifted...I even used to do a few competitions when I was in my early to mid 20s. When I powerlifted I was benching like 330, squatted 360, and deadlifted 500 but I was weighing under 200 pounds at the time. Right now I'm 5'8" and 220...was up to almost 240 though back in December/January but finally got my diet back on track.

 

[PaulBlack]

First off, congrats on the weight loss...!
Lots of routines can work to be honest.
If your main goal however is weight loss, I might guess the hardest work, will be watching and paying strict attention to diet.
Diet or slowly less food, will get you cut up more than any specific routine really.
Lose slooooooooooooowly, you keep more of your lean mass.

 

[bigjohn58]

First off, congrats on the weight loss...!
Lots of routines can work to be honest.
If your main goal however is weight loss, I might guess the hardest work, will be watching and paying strict attention to diet.
Diet or slowly less food, will get you cut up more than any specific routine really.
Lose slooooooooooooowly, you keep more of your lean mass.

I almost all the weight I lost I attribute to my diet. I'm still not as good as I should be with my diet but I was really awful for a while.

 

[PaulBlack]

I almost all the weight I lost I attribute to my diet. I'm still not as good as I should be with my diet but I was really awful for a while.

Like anything, habits are not always bad ones. You can learn great self control then have the seemingly strictness, become almost second nature and you think about it less, but just eat right, if one repeats it enough times.
Also, (and this might be conjecture, but I believe in it in ways) your body will learn to crave good stuff, just like it has learned overtime to crave say bad stuff.
And bottom line I usually always ask people is, how bad do you want it? What is one willing to do, to get their goals met?

 

[bigjohn58]

I appreciate all the help here...I have a lot of things going against me but I have to keep blocking them out and keep going in the right direction to get back to where I once was. I was just hoping someone could suggest a quality program that they might have had success with. I just wanted to try something new. My body is far from what it used to be. I mean I still have bulk muscle but my gut kinda sticks out further then my chest and I really hate that. I can still do quite a bit of weight with my lifts but joints have gotten bad over the years and 4 bulging disks don't help much either but I've learned to work around things. Funny thing is though I still love lifting weights even though it does sometimes hurt me (I usually change up my routine if something is hurting in a bad way). Its just something I've been doing since I was 14 and I'm 32.

 

[GoatNapper]

ya, id say a full body three days a week, or an upper and lower split 4 days a week. i never got any good results from a 5 day split.