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My goal is to overcome my "skinny-fat" body. I am already working-out passionately but I want to hear advises from you guys about my workout routines. I have listed 2 different routines that I normally do, I'm currently doing routine 1. However, I think it is too complicated. Should I give up on routine 1 and start doing routine 2? Do you think either of them are ideal for me? Can you revise those workout routines for me? Thank you.

Body detail (In-Body measurement)

BMR: 1631 kcal

BMI: 23.7 kg/m2

Height: 177 CM

Weight: 74.4 KG

Total body water (TBW): 40.9

Workout routines (2 variations)

Routine 1 (I've been doing it for 3 weeks)

Monday (Compound workout day)

  1. Flat Bench presses 8 reps x 4 sets (I usually do extras)
  2. Smith machine squats 10 reps x 4 sets
  3. repeat 1
  4. repeat 2
  5. Deadlift 8 reps x 4 sets

Tuesday (Upperbody day)

  1. Incline bench press 8 reps x 4 sets
  2. Smith machine shoulder press 10 reps x 3 sets
  3. Dumbell rows 8 reps x 4 sets
  4. Standing Barbell Bicep curls 10 reps x 3 sets
  5. skull crushers or dips 10 reps x 3 sets

Wednesday (rest)

Thursday (Compound workout day)

  1. Flat Bench presses 8 reps x 4 sets (I usually do extras)
  2. Smith machine squats 10 reps x 4 sets
  3. repeat 1
  4. repeat 2
  5. Deadlift 8 reps x 4 sets
  6. Standing Barbell Bicep curls 10 reps x 3 sets

Friday (leg day)

  1. Leg curls 8 reps x 4 sets
  2. Leg press 10 reps x 3 sets
  3. Leg curls 10 reps x 3 sets
  4. Standing calf raises 10 reps x 3 sets
  5. Seated Calf Raises 10 reps x 3 sets

Routine 2

Monday (Upperbody day)

  1. Flat Bench presses 8 reps x 4 sets (I usually do extras)
  2. Incline bench press 8 reps x 4 sets
  3. Smith machine shoulder press 10 reps x 3 sets
  4. Dumbell rows 8 reps x 4 sets
  5. Standing Barbell Bicep curls 10 reps x 3 sets
  6. skull crushers or dips 10 reps x 3 sets
  7. Dips 10 reps x 3 sets

Tuesday (leg day)

  1. Smith machine squats 8 reps x 4 sets
  2. Leg curls 8 reps x 4 sets
  3. Leg press 10 reps x 3 sets
  4. Leg curls 10 reps x 3 sets
  5. Standing calf raises 10 reps x 3 sets
  6. Seated Calf Raises 10 reps x 3 sets
  7. Deadlift 8 reps x 4 sets

Wednesday (Rest)

Thursday (Upperbody day)

  1. Flat Bench presses 8 reps x 4 sets (I usually do extras)
  2. Incline bench press 8 reps x 4 sets
  3. Smith machine shoulder press 10 reps x 3 sets
  4. Dumbell rows 8 reps x 4 sets
  5. Standing Barbell Bicep curls 10 reps x 3 sets
  6. skull crushers or dips 10 reps x 3 sets
  7. Dips 10 reps x 3 sets

Friday (leg day)

  1. Smith machine squats 8 reps x 4 sets
  2. Leg curls 8 reps x 4 sets
  3. Leg press 10 reps x 3 sets
  4. Leg curls 10 reps x 3 sets
  5. Standing calf raises 10 reps x 3 sets
  6. Seated Calf Raises 10 reps x 3 sets
  7. Deadlift 8 reps x 4 sets
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    Both routines provide a large volume of work. In my opinion, it's too much work and you should cut back to no more than three exercises per body part. As it is now, you run the risk of over training.
    – rrirower
    Commented Mar 30, 2015 at 12:38
  • Speaking of bodypart, do you mean specific body parts like bicep, chest and shoulder or overall bodyparts like upper and lower?
    – Jason Marsh
    Commented Mar 30, 2015 at 13:41
  • Yes, specific body parts. You're doing a lot of direct and indirect work.
    – rrirower
    Commented Mar 30, 2015 at 13:44

3 Answers 3

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Honestly, cut the machines out of your routine, and add in the free weights (barbell/ olympic lifts). I suggest getting on a strength training program such as StrongLifts, Ripetoes Starting Strength, Candito, etc. I personally use StrongLifts as my current program. A strength training/powerlifting program is going to shred any unwanted fat, give you the strength you need, and the muscle mass you want. Machines are self guided, and won't condition your nervous system to be able to handle tasks outside of the gym. Search up some of those programs. I promise, they will change your life.

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  • agree strongly with the free weights > machines. This is partly because it trains stabilizer muscles as well. Though I disagree that powerlifting will shred fat, diet is the only thing that shreds fat, cardio helps a little, strength training helps even less for fat loss.
    – Aequitas
    Commented Oct 26, 2015 at 3:30
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Given what you have said - that you are a relative beginner and you are working to not be skinny fat - I don't think either routine is particularly good. Because of the overlap in the routines (the repeats and things like flat bench/incline bench and squats/leg press) and the number of reps, this looks like a routine for somebody who is interested in muscle mass/aesthetics. There's nothing wrong with that as a goal, but that doesn't sound like you (and even if that was your goal, these programs are intermediate ones). I'm also not a fan of the smith machine for the listed lifts; you will get more benefit out of learning the motions with free weights.

If you are looking for a program suggestion, both stronglifts 5x5 and starting strength are both good programs for people who want to start strength training.

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NOTE: This is an incomplete answer. There are so many things wrong with this routine. I am in the process of creating a couple of routine assessment apps to assemble the data necessary to explain further.

This routine needs a lot of work. The major problems are the over training of many muscles, it does not allow sufficient rest between workout days, and the set rep schemes are substandard. The evidence statements point to why this is true. It is too much work to knock out an answer in minutes.

I have a list of exercises that target specific muscle groups. I hesitate to give the link because of its inappropriate and misleading title. A more appropriate title would be Targeted Muscle Group Exercises. Please excuse the page layout, most of my pages were created in 1995 made to render on Netscape 1.0. This site was abandoned years ago.

single muscle group exercises

Update

This link was where I was converting a fitness web app created in 1998, did not like how it worked out and it was abandoned. I made it somewhat functional today just for demo purposes. You will be able to see how a plan should be constructed. You can also see the differences between the various combination of Intensity and Volume.

Demo Workout Plan Generator

End of Update

I have a Windows app that would help. I am converting it a web app but has a lower priority that some of the other work I am currently doing.

To give you an idea where I am headed see this link: Routine Generator

For example here is some crudely formatted data on the number of times a muscle is worked just in the first two days. 

[Triceps Brachii, Medial Head] => 4
[Gluteus Maximus] => 4
[Quadriceps, Vastus Medialis] => 4
[Triceps Brachii, Long Head] => 4
[Quadriceps, Vastus Lateralis] => 4
[Deltoideus, Anterior Part] => 4
[Quadriceps, Vastus Intermedius] => 3
[Triceps Brachii, Lateral Head] => 3
[Quadriceps Rectus Femoris] => 3
[Teres Major] => 2
[Rhomboid Minor] => 2
[Trapezius, Anterior Head] => 2
[Trapezius, Middle Part] => 2
[Deltoideus, Posterior Part] => 2
[Brachialis] => 2
[Biceps Brachii] => 2
[Anconeus] => 2
[Trapezius, Inferior Part] => 2
[Rhomboid Major] => 2
[Latissimus Dorsi] => 2
[Pectoralis Major, Clavicular Head] => 2
[Pectoralis Major, Sternocostal Head] => 2

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends the following for increasing muscle hypertrophy in novices and intermediate trainees:

Moderate loading be used (70–85% of 1 RM) for 8–12 repetitions per set for one to three sets per exercise

...

Single- and multiple-joint free-weight and machine exercises be included in [a resistance training] program in novice, intermediate, and advanced individuals

...

1 to 2 min rest periods be used

...

a frequency of 2–3 day/week be used...when training the total body each workout

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    Merely linking to (the same) ACSM position stand for every answer is not great, especially when the answers lack context or quote formatting.
    – Dave Liepmann
    Commented Apr 19, 2015 at 22:01
  • I prefer to cite credible sources that dispels the misconception otherwise offered on this forum. One person's opinion holds no credibility. The ACSM Position Stands are a peer reviewed and condensed source of thousand of research papers. I expected much resistance to my posts and knew I would have to back up my comments with real evidence. Apparently these efforts are unwanted and I will cease and desist.
    – Misunderstood
    Commented Apr 19, 2015 at 22:29
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    ... when the answers lack context or quote formatting.
    – Dave Liepmann
    Commented Apr 19, 2015 at 22:32
  • @Misunderstood - Other than the "misconception offered on the forum" stance, I (and Dave Leipmann I'm sure) like the quality. However, merely linking/cut & pasting without interpretation shows parroting ability, not understanding. The health private beta has this problem as was pointed out by a system mod.
    – JohnP ♦
    Commented Apr 19, 2015 at 22:58
  • @JohnP The rational for listing an ACSM Evidence Statements is because it is a very concise statement that is very difficult to improve upon. All I could do is reword the statement but I also do not want to take credit for the work of others. Whether or not the works of others reside in a yellow box, I think it was very obvious it was not my work. I have only been on this forum a few days and I am still in the learning curve for proper format. When a comment is left I will edit my post attempting to clarify the issue. I look at a my posts as works in progress.
    – Misunderstood
    Commented Apr 19, 2015 at 23:40

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