Re: workout intensity?
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jeff,
I suggest you at least take a serious look at how the starting strength and 5x5 program's are designed, to give you a feel what a very effective workout looks like.
I know you're doing a split workout, with probably mostly isolation exercises like tricep/bicep work and leg extensions/curls. While those are really popular workouts at gyms across the country, they mostly suck. They don't include squats, and if they do, they aren't full squats but rather slight knee bends. Form is usually atrocious, as they often don't really focus on legs or it's not important to them. Squatting is THE most important exercise, period. Next, hardly anybody doing those splits performs deadlifts. Again, if they do, they usually do them for bouncing reps with bad form. Both the above programs, and any program, should have at least one of those as it's focus.
Also, the 5x5 program is designed specifically for intermediate lifters who experience plateaus.
But anyways, you haven't even told us what your program looks like. What exercises do you do on each day, for how many reps and sets, and how is progression built into the program? You basically gave us nothing. Also let us know at what weights you started at, and where you are now, so we can have a better idea of where to lead you. If you've only been working out for a month consistently, and sporadically for the last few months, you would probably do well with the starting strength program.
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I do squats and deadlifts. My program is pretty intense and time consuming. Like I said I wasn't working with a program originally until I bought the Arnold S bodybuilding book txredman recommended.
Like my squats and deadlift days are great, I just feel like my other workouts are a lot less effective- although I have shown a pretty good amount of progress its so short term its hard to gauge. Like I don't know if its because my arm/shoulder muscles are less developed but I just don't get the same burn and sweat going and lasting soreness as with leg/back days- although apparently that doesn't matter. That was really my main issue.
if you want I can still post my program and stuff. Everything is basically from Arnold's book (lol)
-Jeff
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