Please critique this routine.

[john11]

Hi And thanks for reading this thread.

Here is a back circuit rountine that i got out of a book, would love any opinions on it,
would it be good for strengthening up the back muscles

10 reps pulldowns. 45 seconds rest.
10 reps cable rows. 45 seconds rest.
10 reps pullovers. 45 seconds rest.
Now rest for 5 minutes and repeat the circuit for a total of 3 times.

Then, 10 reps face pulls. 45 seconds rest.
10 reps bent over rows. 45 seconds rest.
10 reps upright rowing. 45 seconds rest.
Now rest for 5 minutes, then repeat the circuit for a total of 3 times.

What do you think. Sorry, it is not a complete blow by blow of every body part,
i just wanted to give you an idea, it is all the same for the other body parts, doing three exercises with 45 seconds rest inbetween.

Many thanks

 

[Vipera1]

Not my cup of tea, wouldn't use this routine.

But like everything else in life, give it a shot and see if you like it and getting any progress.

Imo, there are much better programs out there.

 

[Xlgx]

Looks like a good “exercise” program
To
Stay active and use in addition to or instead of cardio.

Not for “training” or lifting for muscular size and strength

 

[Mac11wildcat]

45sec rest is nearly a full rest period for bodybuilding type workouts. IMO the 5min rest afterward is lame and unnecessary. Clustered/supersetted movements shouldn’t be gapped by time. It should be as quickly as you can move to the next exercise and then rest 2-3 mins before the next cluster. It’s to induce metabolic stress. Rests that long kill the purpose.

 

[john11]

Should i abandon this routine altogether, or can it be salvaged in any way.
You do not like the 5 minute rest after each circuit, so should i do this as suggested:

Clustered/supersetted movements shouldn’t be gapped by time. It should be as quickly as you can move to the next exercise and then rest 2-3 mins before the next cluster. It’s to induce metabolic stress. Rests that long kill the purpose.

Does it become a bodybuilding routine, or more of a cardio / cutting routine.

 

[Mac11wildcat]

Should i abandon this routine altogether, or can it be salvaged in any way.
You do not like the 5 minute rest after each circuit, so should i do this as suggested:



Does it become a bodybuilding routine, or more of a cardio / cutting routine.

I’d just say you can do better than this if you really just want a written routine. Do some more reading, decide what your goal is, and find something that fits it.

Unless your goal is pure strength, no need for rest periods over 2m.

 

[LeoTC]

I'd probably not run a routine like this...

That said, it's hard to give advice sans context. Are you training for size, strength, or overall athletic performance?

Strongman style training is generally what I suggest because it puts emphasis conditioning and building an extremely athletic base.

Which also means less traditional cardio. Which, frankly, nobody really likes...right?

But it depends on your goals and what kind of effort you can put in. Consistently.

I also get really bored with pure powerlifting / bodybodybuilding programs as there's not much in the way of a mental challenge. In my case, before anyone has an opportunity to get butt hurt. So I can't run most programs without eventually butchering it to add more intensity week over week, or just flat out abandoning it for my own programming.