Critique my excercise program.

[Wolfram]

Hi.

I'm a newb here so feel free to berate me and point me to the FAQ (which I've browsed).

I've been doing a light workout program for the last couple of months. A friend of mine who's a personal trainer put it together for me, so I figure it's probably pretty solid, but I'd like to get a second opinion. I also need some help with the names of some of these exercises.

Background:
I'm 32yo male, 6'3" and 220lbs. I used to be really overweight (around 285lbs) when I was a young adult. Then at 27 I got my act together. I started eating more healthy and joined a squash club. I was obsessed with squash and would play 5-6 days a week up to 3hrs a day. I also started competing at a club level. At my peak I was down to 190lbs. I didn't have a regular lifting program, but just tried to squeeze in some push-ups, sit-ups and the occasional 30-40 mins. in the weight room.

Due to too much work and poker and decreased enthusiasm I've gained some weight again in the last couple of years, and I am in the process of getting fit again. I'm also focusing a bit more on weights this time.

Here's my program:

MON (chest+triceps):

10min warmup on elliptical/bike

-benchpress 2x12
-tricep pulldown 2x12
-("flying" machine - I don't know the correct word for this. Basically you push your arms together in a flying motion until the elbows almost touch) 2x12
-Lying down arm extension w/dumbells 2x12
-Leaning benchpress w/dumbells 2x12
-Assisted dips 2xMax (I use full assist and 12 reps right now)
-Sit-ups 4x40

WED (legs+shoulders)

10min warmup on elliptical/bike

-Squat-machine 2x12
-Militarypress w/dumbells 2x12
-Leg extensions 2x12
-Leg curls 2x12
-Bench stepups(?) w/dumbells (I take 2 dumbells, stand in front of a normal bench, step up on it with one leg, step back down and then repeat with the other leg 2x20(each leg)
-Shoulder extension w/dumbell 2x12
-Calf extensions in Smith-machine 2x20

FRI (biceps+back)

10min warmup on elliptical/bike

-dumbell curls w/twist 2x12
-back extensions 2x12
-lateral pulldown (machine where you sit down and pull down a bar above your head until it reaches your chin. Excercises biceps and back muscles) 2x12
-3-way barbell curl (8 low curls, 8 high curls, 8 full curls in succession) 2x 8/8/8
-Cable row 2x12
-Ab machine (front abs) 3x15
-Ab machine (side abs) 3x15

If I feel like it I'll sometimes do 20mins of cardio or 30 mins of squash after a weightlifting session to try and burn extra fat.

Tuesdays I play full-court basketball for 100mins. Thursdays and Saturdays I do squash or cardio. Sundays I rest.

My diet is basically:

Light breakfast in the morning (1 bowl of cheerios w/skimmed milk)

Light fruit/berries in mid morning.

Lunch is typically 6" whole wheat sub w/double turkey and no dressing. Sometimes chicken breast salad and once in a while fish + potatoes, grilled chicken + rice or maybey Thai beef salad (spicy).

In the afternoon I'll often have a plain yoghurt + musli (grain+raw oats+nuts+raisins)

1 hour before workout I'll have a bowl of cheerios to get my blood sugar up (otherwise I'll feel faint and nauseous at the end of the exercise)

After the exercise I'll have a protein shake for dinner. If I plan to eat a normal dinner I'll skip the shake though. Dinner usually consists of high protein, low fat stuff like grilled chicken breast + rice and veggies, chicken salad, scrambled egg whites + baked beans etc.

Late in the evening I'll eat a piece of fruit/cheerios/powerbar if I feel like I'm hungry. Often I don't.

1 day a week (usually saturday) I go nuts and eat anything I feel like (fast food, pizza, candy, snacks etc). I try to limit my alcohol intake to my one indulgence day.

During the week I drink lots of non-sugar carbonated drinks (diet-soda and carbonated water) and some coffee (plain espresso).

How does all this sound. I'd appreciate any feedback.

[Efourdee]

Read the FAQ!

But seriously, we are going to need more specific goals to give you better critique.

I think your reps are too high and sets are too low. Youd be better served splitting your 2x12's into 3 sets of 8 or 4 sets of 6 (while using heavier weight obviously).

The diet needs alot of work as well. Your pre and post workout are bad, and the late night meal is bad as well.

You should have protein with every meal. Especially pre and post workout. Not to mention before bed and right when you get up.

[Wolfram]

My main goal is to look good nekkid [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img], i.e. less fat and more muscle tone. I am no mesomorph and I'm over 30 so I don't really hope to get "big" or ripped. Just lean and toned would be good. Any sort of muscle gain would be sweet, but I'm not going to revolutionize my lifestyle for that at this point in my life.

I also want to lose some weight so that I'll move around faster on the squash-court.

Thirdly, I want to fit into normal pants. I've actually considered getting a tummy tuck because after my initial weightloss I still had some loose skin around the mid-section and I've never gotten rid of that feeling of having my belly overhanging my belt when I'm sitting etc.

When I was 190lbs and around 12-14% fat I still had to buy 36" waist pants, which was really annoing, and I'd sometimes tuck my belly under the waistband when sitting down.

[Efourdee]

Cutting is 10 times harder for me then bulking and I am an ectomorp too. You have to eat extremely well to lose fat without losing muscle.

Obviously you need a diet you can stick with, so you have to figure out how important this is to you.

What is so wrong with revolutionizing your lifestyle? Specifically related to a good diet?

[Wolfram]

[ QUOTE ]
What is so wrong with revolutionizing your lifestyle? Specifically related to a good diet?

[/ QUOTE ]
Ok, maybey I was being to literal.

I'd like a good diet. I actually did this change before, when I drastically cut down on fast food, candy, snacks and other fatty foods. And I thought my current diet was pretty much ok, but apparently it isn't.

I'd prefer if my diet consists mainly of stuff that's natural and easy to get. My main worry is that my diet will become to much of a hassle to obtain and to time consuming which will result in me giving up. I want something that I can keep up for life.

Also, remember that I live in Iceland and there just isn't the same availability of supplements and specialty foods as there is in the US.

[Efourdee]

Diet is where you are going to get the majority of your results from.

Heres a link on the Zone diet- The Zone

This one is from Abcbodybuilding. It will definatly get you results, but worth a read just to get a better understanding of why your diet needs work.13 week diet plan