[Mattyluv]

Hello Evyerone-
I hit the gym about three-four times a week. I am 5'6" 130lbs.
Fairly muscular but also kinda scrawny, sorta like a semi-buff skinny hipster kid.

I would like to really rock my gym workouts this summer.

What i do or try to do when I go to the gym:
I usually do about 30 mins of fat/burn cardio on a treadmill with a THR of 145. (I usually accomplish this every time I go to the gym)

After that I sort of use the upped body circuit that my gym has setup.
Mostly weight machines for shoulders, abs, and chest. 10 reps 3 sets each.
I usually do about four or five separate weight excercises, kinda picked out of a hat,
maybe quick crunches thrown in between some reps
this lasts about 25-30mins.
then I stretch for five and kick it.

as you can see I am fairly inconsistent.

I like the lean tone upper body toning look guys in H&M catalogs have.
Can anyone recommend me an upper body workout that'll make me be more consistent??
I'm sure inconsistency is why after a long time of going to the gym, I am not getting the results I thought I would get.

Thanks
Mattyluv

[remek]

Matt: How's your diet? This could be affecting your results more than anything.

As for a good workout, here's a few that I've tried in the past with good results that don't take too much time (the time part is key for me):
The Abs Diet: Circuit Training - Sample Workout Plan (really good cardio + muscle workout in one)

Tim Ferriss Workout: From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks (I didn't see nearly the same results as he did, but I don't think anyone else did either. Either way, it was a good workout for a minimal amount of time).

5x5 Stronglift Workout: StrongLifts 5×5 Beginner Strength Training Program | StrongLifts.com


Big Al is a good guy to talk to about strength workouts. He has several good routines.

[Mattyluv]

Thanks remek, I'll take a look at these for sure- the ABS diet looks very thourough - exactly what I'm looking for.

to answer your question - my diet is pretty good - Very diverse with a lot of natural ingredients, vegetables, grains - no corn syrup (ok some ketchup).
Whey Protein powder shakes at least four times a week.

Thanks man

[NLarge]

Bodybuilding.com is my favorite bodybuilding info site and store. You will have to peruse their articles but they have recommended workouts for every body part, articles on motivation and nutrition for different bodybuilding goals, like mass gain or lean muscle gain.

Nutrition wise, my main staples are a good whey protein, pre- and post-workout drinks (for creatine and recovery), branched chains (BCAAs), and a carb powder. Everything else just tweaks your system.

Consistency is more a mental state. You have to motivate yourself to improve and increase the weight and complete your reps no matter how hard you struggle. Full body circuits are not your best bet. Try to break up your workouts to different body parts throughout the week. I have a leg day, chest day, arms, shoulders, and back and my workouts usually last an hour. Separate days allow your body to recover the rest of the week while you work the other parts.

[Lazy 8]

And don't forget your form in performing exercises. Cut back on the weights and make sure you perform the movements correctly (good form) and you will get quicker benefits than overloading the weights and using bad form to complete your sets. I've seen so many guys struggling with bad form and I want to tell them what's up but I never do.

[kevinthos]

I recently joined a gym and have developed a pretty good routine for myself. I stopped working out about 2 years ago and it feels great to get back into it. Getting enough sleep is really important and also a good diet like everyone has said is vital. It was recommended to me to ingest one gram of protein a day per pound of bodyweight, or 1 gram per pound of ideal bodyweight.. ie if you weigh 200lbs. and want to weigh 180 get 180 grams of protein a day. Also don't overtrain, if you work out your chest one day don't do tricepts the next because you use your tri's for the chest workouts. I wouldn't do shoulders right after chest either. My workout is Day1 chest and tri's Day 2 Back and bi's Day 3 legs and Day 4 shoulders. Good luck!

[Neo22]

Although I'm not a big advocate of it, I'm going to recommend crossfit (crossfit.com) to you. It's simple and they post workouts on the site six days/week. Most workouts are done for time and/or reps, so it's easy to track your progress. For someone who has experience working out, but has been inconsistent, this might keep you motivated enough to stick with it. I'm partial to (mountain)militaryathlete.com workouts. They're much more well rounded, diverse and involve a lot more strength training.
If you want to focus more on strength, look for stuff by Bill Starr. He's old school, but his approach will get you doing the lifts you need to do and it'll get your strong. I also used the Bigger Faster Stronger routine for a bit while in high school and saw great results with that. Of course then, my hormones were seeping out through every orafice, but it would be good looking into it nonetheless.

[bodeen]

Originally Posted by Mattyluv

Hello Evyerone-
I hit the gym about three-four times a week. I am 5'6" 130lbs.
Fairly muscular but also kinda scrawny, sorta like a semi-buff skinny hipster kid.

I would like to really rock my gym workouts this summer.

What i do or try to do when I go to the gym:
I usually do about 30 mins of fat/burn cardio on a treadmill with a THR of 145. (I usually accomplish this every time I go to the gym)

After that I sort of use the upped body circuit that my gym has setup.
Mostly weight machines for shoulders, abs, and chest. 10 reps 3 sets each.
I usually do about four or five separate weight excercises, kinda picked out of a hat,
maybe quick crunches thrown in between some reps
this lasts about 25-30mins.
then I stretch for five and kick it.

as you can see I am fairly inconsistent.

I like the lean tone upper body toning look guys in H&M catalogs have.
Can anyone recommend me an upper body workout that'll make me be more consistent??
I'm sure inconsistency is why after a long time of going to the gym, I am not getting the results I thought I would get.

Thanks
Mattyluv

T-Nation is great site with many different fitness trainers, different diets and routines. I have had great results. Not just for body builders.

[gwnhwyvar]

I'm going to recommend crossfit

I'm with Neo - did the routine thing for quite a while but it got old and stale and boring, no matter what I did to try to get excited about it. So now I just do whatever I feel like doing on a given day - could be pumping some iron or going for a job. Kinda let my body tell me what it wants to do for some exercise instead of me telling my body - make sense? hope so!

[Neo22]

Originally Posted by gwnhwyvar

I'm with Neo - did the routine thing for quite a while but it got old and stale and boring, no matter what I did to try to get excited about it. So now I just do whatever I feel like doing on a given day - could be pumping some iron or going for a job. Kinda let my body tell me what it wants to do for some exercise instead of me telling my body - make sense? hope so!

After I was through with my sports days, I started doing what I felt like I was up to for that day too. I thought it was good for the short term, especially since I was moving around and traveling a lot then, but I'm still old school. I like programs, going through cycles (not steroid cycles). I like periodization, tracking my progress, etc. If you want to know how much I squatted in September 1996, I'm sure I could go to my folks' place and find my old log book and let you know.
As a person who has been involved in athletics, lifting, hiking, and so on, for a while and already having built a solid foundation, crossfit was a poor choice on my part. It was like taking two steps back.
If you are inconsistent, I think it is imperative that you push through those plateaus and keep on keepin' on. I don't necessarily like training, but it has become habit at this point for me. Just pushthrough it. If you have a goal, or something else to work for, that will only aide in becoming consistent.