Revising my schedule.

[Eagles77]

INC wall of text.

Recently i've been really trying to get into shape and work my fitness up to get back into the footy next year, for the passed 6-7 months I've been doing;


(Everyday before weights)
25 minutes high resistance cross training.
4.5km run
3 sets x 50reps of (9) Ab exercises + weights on the abs
Then depending on the day

Mon/Thur: Legs (5), Back(7), Chest(5), Arms(4)
Tue/Fri: Shoulders (3) Chest (5) Arms (4).

I usually end up training for 2.5 hours to 4hrs, 4 days a week with my break days being wednesday, sat sun.


Though this has really drained energy and willpower so I've decided to try fixing my schedule up.



Mon/Thur: Abs, Legs, Back, Chest, Arms
Tue/Fri: Abs, Shoulders, Chest Arms
Wed/Sat/Sun: 5Km run, 30minutes high intensity cross training, 15m Bike Ride + Light ab workout.


My only issue is with 7 days allocated I have no break days, which are in their own right important, I could do the 7 day structure don't get me wrong, but it's not healthy. I was wondering where I should perhaps put the break in, or if the schedule is alright at the time being.

Some more details about me:

Age: 21
Weight: 79.8kg
Height: 5.10ft
PB (4.5km run): 16:49

I don't really want to bulk up that much maybe another 5-10kg at most, though I won't lie I don't use protein cause I don't want to over-bulk, that and I can't really afford it at this point of time.

(Which I probably will cop flak about, I understand).

More importantly I don't want to lose my cardio fitness base, which is what I pride more then strength for the time being or put on any non-muscle related weight.

My Diet I try to stick to is

1000-1200 calories a day, closer to the earlier though.


Breakfast: Weetbix (Generally 4) With occasionally a banana on top. + berroca. + 2 coffees.
Lunch: 2 Tuna sandwhichs (Spring-water, drained) with tomato cheese lettuce and multi-gran bread, and a coffee or berocca.
Dinner: Generally steamed vegetables, with roast, meatloaf. your general dinner dishes, or 2x cold meat (multi-grain)wraps.


So a few questions I dare to ask if you've got this far down.

(a) Is this revised schedule alright without the breaks or if I should take a break during the week, and if so where would be most appropriate.

(b) What changes would I most likely see with the new revised schedule (e.g. Will I lose fitness, gain muscle, gain fat ect..)

(c) This is another thing that i've been unsure of until now, my dietry intake, is there too many carbs, not enough protein, too little to less calories, should I change anything I guess.


If you've read this far, thank you and apologize about the long thread.

 

[He_Beast]

Mon/Thur: Abs, Legs, Back, Chest, Arms
Tue/Fri: Abs, Shoulders, Chest Arms
Wed/Sat/Sun: 5Km run, 30minutes high intensity cross training, 15m Bike Ride + Light ab workout.

Weight: 79.8kg
Height: 5.10ft

1000-1200 calories a day, closer to the earlier though.

Something doesn't add up here.

 

[Eagles77]

Something doesn't add up here.

In what way, if I may ask?

If in terms of weight/nutrient intake, i've always been genetically a bigger bodied guy with a lot of muscle mass, runs in my family. That and I'm decline chestpressing 105kg Legpressing 200kg and Arm curling 45kg (22.5kg) each arm. That and I took a year lay off as I had been running the the current schedule for 3 years previous to that, with around the same nutrient intake.

 

[He_Beast]

I think it's just a miscalculation - I estimated that food list you have as around 1600-1800. 1000-1200 calories a day is something I would expect from a lara flynn boyle type. Crazy low. I mean it looks like on wednesdays you'll be burning ~700 calories in your cardio sessions, alone.

I'm about the same size as you (a little taller), currently cutting, doing nowhere near as much cardio, and I'm on about 2000 calories a day.

Your macro split looks okay to me.

 

[Eagles77]

I'll admit it maybe a bit out, whilst processed foods like bread, weetbix, milk ect come with nutritional guides, stff like vegies and meats I have no clue as to what sort of intake I maybe getting from these.

 

[lysp]

Don't like your split either.

You're hitting Abs, Chest and Arms 4 times per week??

 

[Eagles77]

Currently I am, I have this mindset, not so much the arms (I Added that in regulary) but everytime I train, that I have to do abs and the chest, and I feel as if I failed my workout if I haven't.

What would you suggest in terms of abs, obviously I should try limit the chest to perhaps twice a week.

 

[lysp]

Also don't like the running/excessive cardio before weights - perfectly fine afterwards though.

You really shouldn't need to spend 4 hours in gym each day - no wonder you are drained.

Something simple like a 4 day split: legs, chest, back, shoulders. Adding abs in once-twice a week. Arms tacked on to the end of whatever day you have spare time - wouldn't worry about heaps of different arm exercises either. Pull ups for biceps, dips for tris.

Also do 5-10 mins warmup, weights session (keeping to 60 mins if possible), then your cardio.

Keep your longer cardio to your days off and also give yourself 1 day rest off everything (at most a walk).

 

[evo]

1200 calories/ day with 4 hours in the gym...wtf? You must be losing a 1 lb every second day or so

 

[Eagles77]

Also don't like the running/excessive cardio before weights - perfectly fine afterwards though.

You really shouldn't need to spend 4 hours in gym each day - no wonder you are drained.

Something simple like a 4 day split: legs, chest, back, shoulders. Adding abs in once-twice a week. Arms tacked on to the end of whatever day you have spare time - wouldn't worry about heaps of different arm exercises either. Pull ups for biceps, dips for tris.

Also do 5-10 mins warmup, weights session (keeping to 60 mins if possible), then your cardio.

Keep your longer cardio to your days off and also give yourself 1 day rest off everything (at most a walk).

So essentailly dedicate a day of weights to each selected area, then keep the cardio to afterwards? Just out of curiosity (This is the main reason I've completed the Cardio at the start) I've heard that if i do Cardio after weights that instead of burning fat i'll burn muscle?

1200 calories/ day with 4 hours in the gym...wtf? You must be losing a 1 lb every second day or so

Generally I could lose 1.5kg over 2 days though that kinda evens itself out as I haven't been as strict on my intake on weekends. (Not so much drinking more so eating a few slices of pizza whilst watching the football).

 

[ThePezDispenser]

One of the most ridiculous things I have ever read.

Far too much running and abs before weights.

1000-1200 calories is less than half of what you need.

I find it humorous that you think 5-10kg's of muscle isn't much.

Abs every workout - not so bad. Chest everyday - not so smart, so too arms.

2.5 to 4 hours of training - I'll do cardio and weights on the same day (usually 6+ hours apart though) and spend a max of 2 hours training for the day.

You definitely need a bigger split and definitely need to work on a workout and specific exercises that will help you playing footy.

 

[evo]

yeah, it does seem a pretty crazy training regime.

 

[lysp]

I find it humorous that you think 5-10kg's of muscle isn't much.

Definitely! 5-10kg of muscle is 2-3 years of solid training. After that a gain of 2-3kg per year is a great result.

So essentailly dedicate a day of weights to each selected area, then keep the cardio to afterwards? Just out of curiosity (This is the main reason I've completed the Cardio at the start) I've heard that if i do Cardio after weights that instead of burning fat i'll burn muscle?

The main purpose of weights is to lift as heavy as possible. If your muscles are fatigued and their energy storage is depleted form all that running, you will not be able to lift as heavy as you could have been. The 10 mins beforehand is just enough to warm up and get the blood flowing.

Cardio after weights is fine, because weights don't use up that much energy and you can still do cardio on low energy storages.

One of the main parts of training is recovery. For that you need rest. If you're training a body part 4-5 times per week you're not giving it any time to recover. Hitting each part once per week (or 5-6 days) is totally fine and more optimal than what you're doing. This is also why you shouldn't train 7 days per week.

 

[Eagles77]

Definitely! 5-10kg of muscle is 2-3 years of solid training. After that a gain of 2-3kg per year is a great result.



The main purpose of weights is to lift as heavy as possible. If your muscles are fatigued and their energy storage is depleted form all that running, you will not be able to lift as heavy as you could have been. The 10 mins beforehand is just enough to warm up and get the blood flowing.

Cardio after weights is fine, because weights don't use up that much energy and you can still do cardio on low energy storages.

One of the main parts of training is recovery. For that you need rest. If you're training a body part 4-5 times per week you're not giving it any time to recover. Hitting each part once per week (or 5-6 days) is totally fine and more optimal than what you're doing. This is also why you shouldn't train 7 days per week.

I see, so i'm depleting my energy stocks before I even get to the weights then? I used to do that, but I had a PT who ended up putting this minconception in my head :/

What i'll try and break it down to is

Monday: 1 hour of back exercises + abs + 5km run
Tuesday: 1 hour of leg exercises + abs + 35 minute intense cross trainer
Wednesday: Rest day
Thursday: 1 Hour of chest, 30 minutes of arms + Abs + 5km run
Friday: 1 hour of shoulder, 30 minutes of arms + Abs + 5km row
Saturday: High Intensity Cardio
Sunday: Rest day.


Or is that still too much?
Sorry about the million questions, i'd rather get this right then still fook it up as a matter of speaking.

 

[cptkirk]

mate read my site a little:

www.aussierulestraining.blogspot.com

then come back with a revised plan as yours needs to be 100% revamped

 

[Ivan Danko]

Also don't like the running/excessive cardio before weights - perfectly fine afterwards though.

You really shouldn't need to spend 4 hours in gym each day - no wonder you are drained.

Something simple like a 4 day split: legs, chest, back, shoulders. Adding abs in once-twice a week. Arms tacked on to the end of whatever day you have spare time - wouldn't worry about heaps of different arm exercises either. Pull ups for biceps, dips for tris.

Also do 5-10 mins warmup, weights session (keeping to 60 mins if possible), then your cardio.

Keep your longer cardio to your days off and also give yourself 1 day rest off everything (at most a walk).

This.

That program you are on is insanity. Looks like a surefire way to overtrain, the lethargy and lack of energy you feel is no doubt due to overtraining.

 

[ThePezDispenser]

This.

That program you are on is insanity. Looks like a surefire way to overtrain, the lethargy and lack of energy you feel is no doubt due to overtraining.

Not so much over training, what he is doing is doable, but definitely not eating enough for his needs.

 

[Ivan Danko]

Not so much over training, what he is doing is doable, but definitely not eating enough for his needs.

I think I just read 4.5k run and abs before weights. And no rest days. On second look its probably doable...I dont know, ive just never heard of that much activity before weights before. You would become depleted extremely quickly.

But yeah...compounded by the diet, i agree. If you were pumping in more energy from food it would definitely help.

 

[mcgarnacle]

2.5-4hr workouts? No recovery days or weeks? Extremely low calorie intake? This isn't smart training at all. Do you want to play and be active for several years or just a one-off because your current approach will have you mentally and physically burning out in no time. You admit the signs are already there mentally. You seem to have a fear of regressing aerobically and are trying to do so many things at once. This isn't an efficient or effective way of preparing. It's only the beginning of October. Your stats don't imply that you're too much over a playing weight so trying to bring your weight/fat levels down isn't a massive priority. Too much aerobic work and lifting is counter productive. You need to plan your program in phases and gradually lift the intensity and/or or volume each week.

It's still relatively early in the off-season. In my opinion, you should cut down your aerobic work and concentrate on lifting and building a strength & size base up until the beginning of December. That's about 7-8 weeks with your energies really dedicated to lifting with a lighter week breaking it up. A frequency of 3-4 sessions per week of high intensity weights sessions (no aerobic work pre weight sessions, and each session of 1 hr max!!!!), with an alternating lower body/upper body split focusing on compound movements which will also challenge your core. Forget the superficial ab movements. Lift heavy to 6-8 reps max which will work on both strength and size.

Cut down the aerobic work for the time being, but don't stop it completely. Utilise cross training such as cycling and pool work. It is what all athletes do in the off-season. You'll be running most of the year for football. Give your joints a break. Do a run once a week, but limit it to a half hr or so of light jogging. Ensure to monitor your fat levels/diet/waist measurement so you don't put on unnecessary weight if you're concerned about this.

From December, you can re-introduce 1 or 2 more running sessions. You'll still lift, but if you were doing 4 sessions, cut it back to 3. Once again, build up the running sessions. The first could be a straight aerobic session starting at 30 mins and building the time up in 10% increments each week. Another would be an anaerobic workout such as 4 x 150-200m efforts with a jog recovery and adding an effort each week. Another could be a fartlek session of 15-20min and building up time in 10% increments each week. Don't just go out and jog.

After a few weeks of aerobic running (say when you're up to 45 mins of continuous running), you can introduce higher intensity intervals of 800-1000m. You move from fartlek running to repeat speed efforts to work on your acceleration - distances of 30-70m. In your anaerobic sessions, begin to cut down the number of efforts and the length of work to around 100m (from 150-200m). All this would be from early January and you're really ramping up the intensity in preparation for pre-season.

In general, just ensure that there are 1 or 2 days per week of recovery, and a lighter week of work every 4 or 5 weeks. Most importantly, listen to your body. Finding it hard is one thing, but becoming de-motivated, and generally lethargic, sore throats, etc could mean you are run down and trying to do too much. A tough athletic program over summer can be testing because not only do you have to ensure you the right things in terms of recovery after each session (stretching, fluid intake, heat), there are many distractions such as nights out, christmas, etc.

So start planning an off-season (as much as folks call it pre-season, it isnt) program and really look at adapting from week to week so by the time you head to club or pre-season games roll around, you will be in great shape.