Critique my gym life please!

[Toxic]

Hi Guys!

It’s been a while since I had my routine and diet critiqued so I thought I’d post up what I’m doing now and reap the benefits of your advice.

My basics are: 5’ 8”, 11st 8 (at last count), age 23, and would appear to be endo/meso (more endo probably!).

Unfortunately, I’m chained to a desk all day, so all exercise is outside of working hours.

I cycle 15 miles a day (to work and back) which takes me 1 hour in total (damn traffic).

I recently finished a cycle of 5x5, and am now on my take of HST. I’m currently on my second week of 10 reps.


Monday

Front Squats 2x10
Squats 2x10
Military Press 2x10
Calf Raises 2x10
Cable Row 2x10
Deadlift 1x10
DB Incline Press 2x10
Arnold Press 2x10
Fly 2x10
Curls 2x10
Tricep Extensions 2x10
Dips 2xF
Wide Pull-ups 2xF
Plank 2x1 min


Wednesday

Squats 2x10
Calf Raises 2x10
Front Squats 2x10
Military Press 2x10
Cable Row 2x10
Deadlift 1x10
Arnold Press 2x10
DB Bench Press 2x10
Curls 2x10
Skull Crushers 2x10
Lat Raises 2x10
Close pull-ups 2xF
Dips 2xF
Plank 2x1 min


Friday

Front Squats 2x10
Squats 2x10
Calf Raises 2x10
Military Press 2x10
Bent-over Row 2x10
Deadlift 1x10
DB Incline Press 2x10
Arnold Press 2x10
Fly 2x10
Curls 2x10
Upright row 2x10
Inverted Row 2xF
Dips 2xF
Preacher Curls 2x10
Plank 2x1 min


On Thursdays and Fridays I circuit train. Change it up every time, but usually something like this done twice or three times (depending on energy levels) with 1 min rest between each circuit.

Press-ups
Pull-ups
HCPP
DB Curls
Lat Raises
Plank

This is followed by hill sprints, which consists of 5 sprints up a very steep 20m hill.

Also, I do press-ups 5-6 times a day when my boss goes out to have a fag, more out of boredom/restlessness than anything else, dunno if this makes a difference!


DIET

Gym day
07:30 – Whey + Banana: 30P 20C 2F
09:00 – Cottage Cheese + Apple + Mixed Unsalted Nuts + Seeds: 30P 20C 30F
11:30 – Chicken + Mixed Veg + 1 Wholemeal Pitta + Tbsp EVOO: 40P 20C 10F
14:30 – Chicken + Mixed Veg + 1 Wholemeal Pitta + Tbsp EVOO: 40P 20C 10F
16:30 – Cottage Cheese + Apple + Banana: 25P 35C 2F
Workout at 18:00
19:30 – 1 scoop MP Impact Whey + 1 scoop MP Fine Oats + Banana: 35P 55C 5F
20:30 – Tuna + Mayo + Veg: 30P 10C 20F
22:00 – 1 scoop MP Impact Whey + Whole Milk: 30P 10C 10F

Totals for the day: 254P 220C 89F = 2697 Calories (37%P, 33%C, 30%F)

Non-gym day
07:30 – Whey: 30P 2C 2F
09:00 – Cottage Cheese + Apple + Mixed Unsalted Nuts + Seeds: 30P 20C 30F
11:30 – Chicken + Mixed Veg + ½ Avocado + Tbsp EVOO: 40P 10C 20F
14:30 – Chicken + Mixed Veg + ½ Avocado + Tbsp EVOO: 40P 10C 20F
16:30 – Cottage Cheese + Apple + Banana: 25P 35C 2F
19:00 – Whey: 30P 2C 2F
Circuits at 19:30
20:30 – Tuna + Mayo + Veg: 30P 10C 20F
22:00 – 1 scoop MP Impact Whey + Whole Milk: 30P 10C 10F

Totals for the day: 254P 99C 106F = 2366 Calories (43%P, 17%C, 40%F)

I’m trying to add muscle whilst cut down my bodyfat (I let things slip whilst I was unemployed, ironically). I know there’s a school of thought that says it isn’t practical, but I have done it before very successfully when Boxing regularly, and since I’ve been doing the above I have gained quite a bit of strength whilst losing 8 pounds to date (in around 2 months), which would lead me to believe it is possible?!

Anyway, I’d love some feedback, because really I have just made all of this up as I've gone along, so have no idea if I’m committing any major mistakes!

Thank you in advance.

[a-z-z]

Hey man,

I dont have time to critique the entire thing, but what stood out to me was how low your carbs are. 99 carbs on a "non-training" day, when you're still doing circuit training.

Everyone has their own needs, but I wouldnt go below 250 carbs on your circuit day and 300 on heavy weight training days.

Also, an hour before you train, and immediately afterwards are when you really need your carbs, too.

Personally, I have 60-75 g carbs powder about an hour before my workout, and 60g immediately afterwards. Obv I have other stuff too, but i'm only discussing carbs here. That works really well for me, so I suggest you up your carbs overall, and especially either side of your workout.

a-z-z

[James]

Ideally best to try and hit one target at a time, so for instance as summer is coming possibly ditch the fat first, then build some lean muscle. Your calorie intake is a little low if you are trying to gain some muscle also, you are working out a LOT from what I can see. A general formula for lean mass gain is your weight in pounds x 18. So at 162lbs (11st 8lbs) you are looking at at least 2916 calories each training day.

In regards to macronutrient intake, I would go for at least 1g of protein per lbs of bodyweight, then at least a third of your daily calories from fat, make the rest up with carbs FYI 1 gram of carbs/protein = 4 calories, 1 gram of fat is 8 calories.

[James]

Quote

Everyone has their own needs, but I wouldnt go below 250 carbs on your circuit day and 300 on heavy weight training days.

Personally, I was on 30g of carbs on my circuit days. I only use high carbs for hard weight days. Carbs can slow fat loss when that is the desired goal.

[a-z-z]

Quote

Personally, I was on 30g of carbs on my circuit days. I only use high carbs for hard weight days. Carbs can slow fat loss when that is the desired goal.

I'm not an expert, by any means, but I have got excellent results for myself. from <70kg, to 88kg, lean muscle in 2 / 3 years.

anyways, if he wants to lose fat AND gain muscle, surely 30g carbs per day would make it difficult/impossible to gain muscle. ?

a-z-z

[James]

Not at all, if he wants to tackle both goals (I wouldn't! so good luck on that!), then the low carb/circuit days would be the one chance his body had to try and burn fat.

[a-z-z]

I've heard a lot of convincing arguements that if you do intense exercise without sufficient carbs, it can/will cause your body to breakdown your muscles and use as fuel. thus counter productive.

[James]

Don't get NU in here!

Carbs aren't required by the body for exericse or even muscle gains, as long as your diet takes that into account.

[Toxic]

What if I eat a little more on my heavy lifting days, whilst keeping my carbs and calories quite low on my circuit training days (maybe chuck in an extra banana in before I start tho)?

Also, someone had a look at my gym diary yesterday and thought I was overtraining, does he have a case? I was always under the impression that between 25-30 sets was best, but maybe I made that up..!

[Frankie]

It sounds quite like my routine, although I do more cardio and you do more weights. I've been out for almost a month because I keep crashing my bike but before I started taking L Glutamine to help with recovery. Seems to make a big difference to how I felt in the morning! eating more towards 5000cal also helped a lot.

Right when hurt myself for the first time I got a bodyfat test and had put on 1/2 a stone and lost 1.5% bodyfat in about 2 months which was during the time I went from 2000/2500 calories to 4000/5000.

I don't think you are over training as but probably under eating!

by the way I'm not very experienced so could be totally off!