[uwfan27]

Hi there, I had taken a break from weights for about a month and now am back at it! I break up my week like this:
Monday - Chest (2 exercises, 12 sets total) + interval cardio
Tuesday - Back (2 exercises, 12 sets total) + interval cardio
Wednesday - Legs* (see below for what I've been doing)
Thursday - Shoulders (2 exercises, 12 sets total) + interval cardio
Friday - Biceps (2 exercises, 12 sets total) + interval cardio
Saturday - Triceps (2 exercises, 12 sets total) + interval cardio
Sunday - rest

*As for legs, I had previously been doing 6 sets of dumbbell squats, (15 reps, 10 reps, 5 reps, 5 reps, 10 reps, 15 reps) weights getting heavier, then lighter as I come back to the set of 15. Then I have done the same type of sets/reps with dumbbells for lunges, and then calf raises.

This just seems like a LOT of work and a lot of reps! Maybe I'm just a wuss I wanted to get a sense of what you all do for your leg workouts. I am more inclined to do free weights vs. machines that much I know. Tips, suggestions to mix it up, all are welcome!!!

[nelie]

I just started a new routine myself but I'm enjoying it so far. It is done with barbells but can be done with dumbbells.

Workout A:
squats (6 warmup sets of increasing weight, decreasing reps, 3 sets of 5 at same weight)
Bench press (6 warmup sets of increasing weight, decreasing reps, 3 sets of 5 at same weight)
Deadlift (6 warmup sets of increasing weight, decreasing reps, 1 set of 5 at same weight)

Workout B:
squats (6 warmup sets of increasing weight, decreasing reps, 3 sets of 5 at same weight)
Shoulder press (6 warmup sets of increasing weight, decreasing reps, 3 sets of 5 at same weight)
Power Clean (6 warmup sets of increasing weight, decreasing reps, 3 sets of 5 at same weight)

The workouts are alternated every other day so for example, Monday would be workout A, Wednesday would be workout B.

So far, I'm enjoying it. I was a bit skeptical about bringing the bench press back into my workouts because pushups have been my primary chest exercise for a while but it is good to mix things up.

Your leg muscles are your largest muscles and certainly can be worked out more frequently. I'd look into different types of squats and deadlifts.

If it was me, I'd also drop working triceps and biceps as a good upper body workout should be working those.

[mkroyer]

any particular reason you are doing a 6 day body part split? as opposed to a 2 day split of upper/lower or push/pull? or even full body? that type of split is generally reserved for body builders or people who are ADVANCED in weight training...... not just "fooled around with weights for the last couple years" kinda thing... but years of intense, progressive loading programs complete wit deloads and training breaks....
anyway, i think your volume is a little wird... i dont understand how you cam eup with this program... a good rule of thumb is no more than 25 reps per BODY PART...... take nellie.. LEGS (squat/dealift) 3 sets of 5 = 15 squats + 1 set 5 of deadlifts = 20 maximum load reps per major body part..... to see progressyou REALLY nead to be at maximum load, for the prescribed number of reps.... youll see more strength gains doing sets of 3-6, but they must be HEAVY, with a large rest interval in between......

nid def add barbell squats, deadlifts, and single legged straight leg deadlifts with dumbbells..... if you LIKE lunge variety, than move on to Bulgarian split squats......VERY HARD exercise, and isolates your legs.........

[uwfan27]

This is all very useful! Thanks for all your advice. Truthfully, the weight routine I do was the program set up by a fitness company my employer contracts with. The people who founded the fitness company who my employer hired to guide employees through exercise for better fitness had actually won the Body for Life competition years back. So the program they created was loosely based on that... So anyway, that's where it came from!

But it sounds like I might not be needing to do quite so much. I will adjust based on your advice, it sounds very sound