New Workout Program

[dankup]

Hello all, first post! I've been a reader of this website for many months and finally decided to make an account and ask a question. I'd like you to judge my workout as I have taken out some exercises and added a few in. Reason being is I've changed gyms for the next few months and this one is really small with limited dumbbell weights and a poor variety of machines.

A little background info:
19 years of age
145 lbs (up from 140 lbs from June)
5'6
Not certain but anywhere from 11% - 13% body fat
Bulking at 3,000 calories a day: ~330g carbohydrates, ~100g fat, ~180g protein

Here goes:

Each exercise is pyramid based (except the crunches). Weight increases while reps remain the same (10 for all), or decrease with each set.

Monday (chest/triceps/abs):
Previous: www.box.net/shared/487x92aycuj7sxeto88j
Current: www.box.net/shared/8r7lpnvhusdcsff2weit

Wednesday (legs/shoulders/abs):
Previous: www.box.net/shared/tdxyiw9xwfeo2lhlghr0
Current: www.box.net/shared/3n2w6t632mcq624kkrf7
1) Should I substitute leg curls for any of the quadriceps exercises? 2) Should I have stiff legged dumbbell deadlifts in the first place? 3) Should I substitute leg curls instead of the stiff legged dumbbell deadlifts? 4) Should I add a calf targeting isolation exercise? 5) Pulled a nerve in my right shoulder and I need to wait a few months until I can form an angle that will work on my shoulder for exercises such as the military press or the kettlebell seated press. I can raise my hand vertically up, but once I'm bringing my arm down and the elbow passes my shoulder and keeps going, I feel a tug and a burning feeling on a nerve in the front of my shoulder. For now I'm stuck with exercises that don't involve much shoulder bending such as one arm side laterals and seated bent over rear delt raises.

Friday (back/biceps/abs):
Current: www.box.net/shared/pxt319p68zheffawurr3 6) Is the chin up more of a bicep or lats exercise? 7) Should I add an upper back/lower back exercise as the ones I have mostly target the lats and middle back? 8) Should anything else be added as I feel I don't have enough exercises for the back muscles.

9) Should I add deadlifts somewhere? If so, what day and instead of what? Judging by videos I've seen it seems as though my lower back will be hurting when doing these?
10) If anything needs to be changed in my diet, I'm up for it.
11) Always wondered: do vegetables also have protein in them? Whenever I look at nutritional facts it's very miniscule but I eat them anyway as they are important. But then I see things like: www.box.net/shared/qto866xe1gnjoojh2m1i

Thanks to everyone who critiques! Really appreciate it.

[Frostbite]

Haven't looked at the actual workouts your doing yet but some pointsthat I have for you from reading the rest of the post.

- You said your "bulking", if so you need more protein a good general rule is 1.5g for each pound of body weight. some people prefer 2 g per pound. Find what works best for you.
- Your doing 10 reps per exercise. Thats a bit high for "bulking". Increase the weight so your max reps you can do are closer to 6.
- Your workouts days involve a lot of work. Your working three big muscle groups each workout day. I prefer working one muscle group per day.
ex Monday Chest
Tuesday Back
Wed Rest
Thurs Shoulders and so on
Abs dont need to be done everyday once a week is enough. I usually throw mine in on my leg day.
- Leg curls are a great exercise, change it out for another exercise every once in a while.
- Should I do Calf isolation moves? I do because calves are a tough muscle to make grow.
- The chin up is a lat and a bicep exercise. It works both areas pretty good.
- For back day change the seated cable row out with a Bent over row. Free weights are always better than machines.
- Deadlifts : I do mine on back day. Thats my preference some people I've seen do them on leg day. Definitely include deadlifts they are one of the main exercises that will add size to you. If done probperly they will not hurt you or cause lower back pain. Form is everything practice with an empty bar until you got it right otherwise your risking an injury. ( that goes for any exercise )

- Vegetables do have protein in them. Its not the same type that you get from most protein powders. The most common type from powders is whey protein. Vegetables have soy protein. There are bodybuilders out there that are vegans and still have an incredible figure its all.

- Read around the forums there is tons of info on nutrition.

Thats all I got for now. Best of luck.

[dankup]

Thanks for the input frostbite.

It is damn hard getting 200g+ of protein a day.. I only take protein shakes on my workout days
I start off at 10 but as the weight increases I go down in reps. I'll usually go 10, 8, 6 - 8, 6
I can only workout 3 days a week (M/W/F). I was told it's fine to incorporate muscle groups that work together (chest and triceps, for example)
Don't usually feel DOMS on my abs as I'll just do a few crunch sets at the end of the workout until failure
Was told leg curls are an isolation exercise and because I'm bulking I should do more compound exercises. Just wanted to confirm that
Same thing for the calves
Thanks on the chin up advice I will start doing them
Thanks for the back exercise advice
Never done deadlifts before but if I do I think I'll add them into the back workout and not the leg. Don't want to be doing squats and deadlifts on the same day? Will start off slow with just the bar until I perfect my form

Thanks again frostbite!

[Frostbite]

- Protein shakes only on workout days is fine. Post workout shakes are really the only time you need a shake. Nutrients from food are better.
- Try increasing the weight a little more still see if you like the results of something like 8,6,6,6 heavier weight is what you want for bigger you.
- Incorporating multiple muscle groups is fine. I said "I prefer" to do one a day that way I can always get the heaviest lifts for my all my muscle groups. Again both ways are fine.
- DOMS doesn't equal growth.
- Compound exercises are definitely the better of the two but it never hurts especially when adding muscle size to throw in an isolation move every few weeks.

Your welcome. Hopefully someone will some more information can help you out with the rest of the question that I could not answer.

[dankup]

- Protein shakes only on workout days is fine. Post workout shakes are really the only time you need a shake. Nutrients from food are better.
- Try increasing the weight a little more still see if you like the results of something like 8,6,6,6 heavier weight is what you want for bigger you.
- Incorporating multiple muscle groups is fine. I said "I prefer" to do one a day that way I can always get the heaviest lifts for my all my muscle groups. Again both ways are fine.
- DOMS doesn't equal growth.
- Compound exercises are definitely the better of the two but it never hurts especially when adding muscle size to throw in an isolation move every few weeks.

Your welcome. Hopefully someone will some more information can help you out with the rest of the question that I could not answer.

No worries and thanks a lot frostbite! Appreciate the responses.

[TT Eric]

I see no problem taking 3 shakes per day and 3 solids meals, I do that year round, 3 x 50g, I'm a light eater so this help getting the proteins in.

Eric

[Skailes]

Ok first off get your nutrition figured out as this is 70% of your progress. As far as the gym goes as long as you have the basics IE squat rack, incline and flat bench's, leg press, and DBs that go up to 80 lbs or so then you'll make great gains and at your age all you need are the basics as you need to build a foundation so squats, pressing, rows, deads, pullups and maybe some leg curls and calf raises and loads of hard work on these basics with good exercise form and you'll make gains. DO NOT follow the latest pro routine you find in any muscle mag as these will be far too advanced for you.