Manual Labour & Getting Gains



E

[email protected]

Guest
Hey all,

Considering that I work a rather labour-intensive job 40 hours per
week, I'd very much appreciate any comments or suggestions you might
have on my weekly routine.

I'm a 29 year old male standing 5' 10" and weighing 142 lbs. My weight
tends not to change, no matter how much (nor how little) I eat.
However, as I'm running around lifting heavy boxes five days a week, I
make a point of eating well (consuming an average of 3000 calories
daily) and sleeping as much as I can (averaging seven hours per
weeknight).

After a few fits and starts as a beginner, I've re-committed to working
out twice a week. I do a light workout on Wednesdays and a heavy one
on Saturdays. My Saturday workout (minus the warm-up sets) is as
follows:

SQUATS: 2 x 20
SL DEADLIFT: 1 x 10
BENCH PRESS: 2 x 8-12
BENT OVER ROW: 2 x 8-12
SHOULDER PRESS: 2 x 8-12

Lighter weight and crunches instead of deadlifts on Wednesdays. After
a few weeks I plan to add weight and reduce reps. I should also
mention that because one side of my body is significantly more
developed than the other, I'm using dumbbells for every exercise. I'll
switch to a barbell when I've equalized a bit.

So aside from trying to eat and sleep as much as is reasonably
possible, I want to make sure that nothing about my weekly routine will
impede my progess. Again, I appreciate any comments or suggestions you
might have.

Thanks,

E.
 
[email protected] wrote in news:1141264756.102377.118280
@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

> Hey all,
>
> Considering that I work a rather labour-intensive job 40 hours per
> week, I'd very much appreciate any comments or suggestions you might
> have on my weekly routine.
>
> I'm a 29 year old male standing 5' 10" and weighing 142 lbs. My weight
> tends not to change, no matter how much (nor how little) I eat.
> However, as I'm running around lifting heavy boxes five days a week, I
> make a point of eating well (consuming an average of 3000 calories
> daily) and sleeping as much as I can (averaging seven hours per
> weeknight).
>
> After a few fits and starts as a beginner, I've re-committed to working
> out twice a week. I do a light workout on Wednesdays and a heavy one
> on Saturdays. My Saturday workout (minus the warm-up sets) is as
> follows:
>
> SQUATS: 2 x 20
> SL DEADLIFT: 1 x 10
> BENCH PRESS: 2 x 8-12
> BENT OVER ROW: 2 x 8-12
> SHOULDER PRESS: 2 x 8-12
>
> Lighter weight and crunches instead of deadlifts on Wednesdays. After
> a few weeks I plan to add weight and reduce reps. I should also
> mention that because one side of my body is significantly more
> developed than the other, I'm using dumbbells for every exercise. I'll
> switch to a barbell when I've equalized a bit.
>
> So aside from trying to eat and sleep as much as is reasonably
> possible, I want to make sure that nothing about my weekly routine will
> impede my progess. Again, I appreciate any comments or suggestions you
> might have.
>
> Thanks,
>
> E.
>

I'd add a chin or pulldown.

Up the weights on squats as you get comfortable with them. No need to do
them with DBs, of course.

It's a very abbreviated routine for 2x/week. Probably could increase the
frequency or number of exercises over time, even with your job.

What are your goals? If you want to get strong while still having enough
energy to get through your day, Pavel's Power to the People program might
be good.

Hugh



--
Exercise is a dirty word. Whenever I hear it, I wash my mouth out with
chocolate. ("Ladi")
 
Hi Hugh,

Thanks -- a couple sets of chins sound like a good idea. I think I'll
put them where the bent rows are in my routine, and save the rows for
last.

My goal is to add mass. I expect progress to be difficult considering
my job and my fast metabolism, but I'm going for it anyway. Taking
enough recovery time is probably my main concern. I want to avoid
injury and over-exertion yet maximize my gains.

When you say I should increase the frequency or number of exercises
over time, do you mean that after a few weeks I could add a third
weekly workout (a light one) without having to worry about recovery
time? I like the idea... three days a week would be perfect for
staying motivated.

Cheers,

E.
 
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