Need Help With My Training Routine

[Benedikt Farsmann]

Hello guys,

My main goal is to lose weight and drop from around 93-95kg back to 70kg and to get in shape again. My grip shall be well rounded. I used to work out in a gym but that's no option at the moment so I do it at home with the equipment I already have (no barbell available at the moment because of lack of cash). I got problems with my metabolism and I have to take drugs so I will only be doing a "full" body workout 2 times a week. I tried to do more but in the end I ended up sick. I take no PEDs and I also stopped using supplements as I don't see the point in taking them when I eat healthy (more or less).

I used to weight 70kg when I was working out 5-6 days a week but that was 4 years ago - since then I have be doing nearly no training (I'm 26 now). I always warm up properly in order to avoid injuries and I'm also used to grip training now so I don't have any more problems with nuckle pain like when I started.

Anyways, I got some trouble with my training routine because I don't know how many sets/how many reps I should do or how long I should pause between the sets and reps to reach my goals. Usually I rest for 1 minute between sets/singles and different exercises.

Hopefully some of you will help me out. Here's my routine with comments on what I've been doing in the past.

Mo + Th

Body:

DB Rows: 3 Sets of max 5 reps to failure. No goal set.Will be replaced by pull-ups later.

Push-Ups: 3 Sets to failure. My goal is to be able to do 100 good reps in one set.

DB Hammer Curls: 3 Sets of max 5 reps to failure. No goal Set. Will also be replaces by Pull-Ups later.

Ab Roller / Crunches:

-Ab roller: I read about this exercise on the interne so I included it in my routine but I have never done it before.

-Crunches: 3 sets to failure + 3-5 count hold after each rep. No goal and no need for visible abs as my girl doesn't like them. Haha.

Pull-Ups: 3 Negatives as I'm not able to do a single one @ 95kg BW. Goal at least 10 reps then weighted reps later on.

Mo: after my body workout

Crush Grip: Goal: No Set Vulcan LVL 13 @ 60mm Spread / #3 later on.

No Set Vulcan @ 60mm Spread: 3 Sets of 15s attempts with a setting that I can't quite close. Why? - No set training.

Vulcan Negatives: 3 Sets of 15s with a setting 2-3 leves above the setting I used for no sets. Why? - Full ROM training.

Overcrushes with filed Gripper: 3 Sets of 15s. Why? - Beyond the range/isometric training for the close.

Tu:

2HP 50mm: 3 Sets of max 5 reps to failure. No goal set.

Key Pinch with Pony Clamp: 3 Sets of max 5-15 reps to failure.Goal: crush a walnut with my index and thumb in a key pinch movement.

2HP 50mm Overcrush: 3 Sets of 15s. Why? -Isometric training

We:

Expand-Your-Hand Bands: 3 Sets of max 15 to failure + 15s forced hold after each last rep of the set. No goal set but I don't want to neglect the extensors.

Th: after my body workout

FBBC 8lb the Bomb deadlift: 3 sets of max 5 reps to failure or 1RM lift from time to time. Goal: 70kg for a single.

FBBC 8lb the Bomb Overcrush: 3 sets of 15s. Why? - Isometric training.

Fr: Wrists: I train my wrists only once a week because wrist training effects my other training very badly. I tried to do less then 5 reps but it was so hard on the fingers that I couldn't train the wrists properly and it became more of an extra pinch/thumb workout.

DB Wrist Curls (+ Reverse WC): 3 Sets of max 5 to failure + 15s forced hold after each last rep of the set. Goal for Wrist curls: 50kg for a single.

Thick Bar Levering (all directions): 3 Sets of max 5 to failure + 15s forced hold after each last rep of the set except for side levering because I didn't want to risk a biceps tear. No goal set (red nail traditional reverse in the distant future but I prefer Levering at the moment so my hands aren't to worn out to train other grip stuff as well)

Powerball: 3 Sets of 45-60s wrist rotations. Why? - I like the pump and it hits the whole forearm once again before the weekend.

Mo - Fr:

Cardio Training:

Recumbent Bike 60 Min at the end of my workouts

My favourite exercise! I'm no fan of running because I get bored very quickly. I prefer my bike in front of a TV and in reach of my bathroom for a quick shower afterwards when I'm sweaty.

Sa + Su

OFF, time for the girl

Thanks guys! Hope to hear from you soon!

[Martin Gaisser]

One thing I wanted to mention is your main goal. If your want to keep your strength, even gain strength and loose weight and you can't train much because of your health its really going to come down to 1 thing and that's your diet. And your still probably gonna lose some strength even if your diet is nailed down perfect. I recently tried to loose weight by just not eating alot of calories and my strength went down the crapper. If you have the money I would recomend talking to someone who's an expert on doing what your trying to do not just us guys. One guy that comes to mind is Shelby Starnes. You can find alot of his articles on Elite Fitness website and for a few hundred dollars he will lay you out a plan just for you and keep in constant contact with you changing things up as they need to be so you get the maximum results. I'm not trying to be negative about your goals here I just don't want to see you get discouraged if your not getting the results you want which are totally possible. Good luck with your training.

[Benedikt Farsmann]

Thank you but as I mentioned I don't have much money to spend on additional equipment and stuff so I simply can't afford that, Martin! The thing that bothers me most is the other stuff like rep range etc. I'm sorry - Maybe I didn't make it clear in my first post. I'm confident about my goal of dropping weight. I've never done a strict diet and probably never will because I like to eat a lot and if someone asks me how to loose weight I will always answer: do more cardio. It worked for me in the past when I was doing cardio 5-6 times a week eating like a strongman and it will work again. The reason why I gained that much weight is because I still eat as much as back then - hehe - No problem there. A reduced diet's no fun - cardio is I'm sorry it didn't work out for you though.

[Benedikt Farsmann]

I'm also curios what kind of lower back and shoulder work I could include to my routine?

Maybe superman extensions and DB presses? Do you know good exercises?

[Martin Gaisser]

Yea I love the extensions they always gave my lower back a great pump also stiff legged deadlifts, goodmornings and just reagular deadlifts work my whole back like nothing else from bottom to top. Right now I'm doing military presses for shoulder strength but have also done DB presses in the past with great results maybe even better for you if you have any issuses with shoulder problems. But you can only work up to a certian level with DB's. Yea I'm not much of a cardio guy never have been. And I don't have any more time for anything else doing nearly 2 hours a day 5 days a week with the 5/3/1 program, grip work and bending. I'm not going to drop any of that stuff to make room for cardio right now. And certianly not going to eat rabit food! I'm right with you on the money situation. As far as the wieght traing I've never had good success with working to failure. I have gotten great results with Super Squats and the 5/3/1 program, probably the only proagram I've ever been on where I actually made lasting gians. As far as the grip stuff goes I've done the KTA twice and it works. As far as a long term traing program for grip I wish I knew. Lots of things for me worked for a short time and then quit pretty quickly.

[Benedikt Farsmann]

Haha - Rabit food. That's what I was thinking too. I will check out those programs ("Super Squats" is also available in German - may be helpful - haha), thanks for your help. I've never heard of that 5-3-1 program before!?

Any others willing to help too?