AM I OVER DOING IT?

ive been lifting alittle over a year and a half... gained some muscle , and fat . i eat mostly junk , lifelong bad habit.
stats are 5'11-6feet
  started at 145lbs - now 180lbs
 b.f - unknown ,  have love handles which is the main problem. but im not a fat guy.. alittle bulky at best.
 
problem areas are shoulders , i have none! , so ive been working em really hard this routine , but  they are also always getting hurt they pop and always feel like im doing a movement wrong....... actually my biggest frustation in lifting from the start has been when i work out something  i always seem to injure a muscle im not working , even to this day people say my form is great but if i do machine fly's.or bench.  my shoulders burn so bad , people say stop using ur shoulders so much use ur chest , so stupid i use my chest i focus on it ... they also say lower the weight , i do... and when i find a weight thats still heavy but not to heavy( just right)  i still feel that problem.. and if i go any lighter its pointless... so what am i doing wrong? i feel like my body is so wacked , since starting lifting.... im always sore whether its a good sore , or usually a bad one.   i mean seriously , i do seated rows , use back machines , do bent over rows , and i dont feel a burn in my lats  , they get weaker so i guess through the work out  so ig uess they get worked but my shoulders hurt , my shoulder hurt when i do everything! , especially triceps.... pushdowns , dips dont matter , and the most frustrating thing is i actually do focus on form!.. how do i fix this problem!???!?!?!??
 
 
anyway sorry to blab , here is my current routine ive been doing almost 6 weeks.
 
monday chest - flat bench with DBS 70lbs , which is heavy for me , i do 3 sets  i get 10 on the first then about 6-8 on the next two.. and i superset those with machine flys with 100lbs 10 reps... and i drop the weight if i cant get to ten.
 
then i pyramid decline , i use 35's DB's first  12-15 , then 45's 8-10 , then 55's 6-8. then back down for a total of 5 sets  ,
 
 then incline db flies with 20lbs , they hurt my shoulder but people say flies rock the chest so i focus of form. do 4 sets . to like 12 if i can
 
 
 then triceps.  pushdown with the "V" bar and superset with OH extentisons with the rope.
3 sets try to get to ten if i cant i lower the weight
 
 then i do decline skullcrushers 4 sets 10-12
 
tuesday abs... i usually try to superset 4 ex's without rest 4 times .
 
wed- back , pyramid seated row  5 sets 12-15 , 8-10 , 6-8 , increasing the weight each set. and going back down
 then wide grip lat pull down , light weight 4 sets 15 reps.
 
 then bent over rows on smith machine 3 sets 8-10 reps.
 
biceps... 3 sets  heavy dbs 35's for me , 8-10 reps and lower if needed curl twist...( when start at hammer curl and twist to plams up)
 
then 3 sets of preachers with inner grip on ez bar superset with wide grip cable curls.
 
then 4 sets of these curls hammer grip curl up to opposite shoulder.
 
 
thursday i take off but when i switch my routine ill be doing legs again.
 
friday . shoulders , db military press superset with lateral db raise while seated , 5 sets heavier for the first 3 then lower...
 then bent over lat raises while seated supersetted with back flies 3 sets
 
then 4 sets of db front raises
 
NOW MY FRIEND SAYS I DO TO MUCH BUT I HAVE NO SHOULDERS AT ALL AND WAS TOLD TO SUPERSET AND OVERLOAD THEN , ONLY PROBLEM IS THERE ALWAYS INJURED , FROM TRIS , OR BACK  AND BASCIALLY I JUST FEEL HOPELESS... MY BODY JSUT CANT SEEM TO DO THINGS RIGHT , IF I DO SOMETHING FOR MY OBLIQUES I FEEL IM HURTING MY BACK AND NOT EVEN FEEL IT IN THE ABS.... I MEAN I COULD WHINE ALL DAY TO U GUYS , NOTHING EVER SEEMS TO WORK THE MUSCLES I JUST HURT ONES THAT SHOULDNT BE HIT ,...... this routine i thought would make me huge but so far ive lost weight i blame my diet , but overall how is the routine ,
 
i dont wanna try 3 day fullbody  because i fear ill lose size when i wanna gain alot. , my tris are  losing size i think they look flatter..  i already have stretch marks from lifting and lovehandles , after working out almost two years and not looking like a person  that works out .. only people that notice qare those who know i do it..  im about to just give up ,  if im not  sexy by spring ill either take steroids and croak or quit... cuz my friend all make progress , they eat just as bad and no alot , and they stay leaner and gain only muscle... im gunna stack a gainer ,creatine glutamine a multi and fish oil on my next routine and was gunna keep my routine just as intense as thisone to  with supsets and negative cuz i wanna be atleast 20 pounds heavier with 6% b.f,,,,, im sorry i ramble!!!!! hellp!!!!
 
problems :
shoulders : i have none , want big ones bad

and i seem to get weaker! lift heavy one day then 1 week later to the day i cant get as many reps on the same ex's as the week before and so on.. thats why i think i may be over training

Maybe if you post your diet people can look at that too? Reading you last paragraph on the first post was frightfully depressing, ; probably because it reminds me of my own struggle for years. 

''If one is after quick results one never learns an art.''

Erich Fromm

ss396


i eat mostly junk , lifelong bad habit.

NOW MY FRIEND SAYS I DO TO MUCH BUT I HAVE NO SHOULDERS AT ALL ..............................

i dont wanna try 3 day fullbody  because i fear ill lose size when i wanna gain alot. .......

... im gunna stack a gainer ,creatine glutamine a multi and fish oil .........................

problems :
shoulders : i have none , want big ones bad

I highlighted what I see are your problems.

1]  You admit to eating mostly junk.  You aren't gonna gain **** if you aren't eating right.  You could eat right and never pick up a weight and get good muscle gains.  I would say this is your #1 problem.

2]  I agree with your friend.  Your routine was hard to understand, but I don't recall seeing squats.  You need to squat!!!

3]  If you don't want to do a 3 day full body, I would not expect you to gain much.  You are doing too many iso's in my opinion.  I don't expect to see you start making good gains until you start eating everything in sight, and not just crap food, and lifting big freaking heavy compound lifts.

4]  All the supplements in the world aren't gonna do **** for you either.  The multi and fish oil, absolutely.  The gainer, probably if it's one you are making using whole milk, bananas, whey, peanut butter, and flax oil. 

how does the three day full body work better?... the diet i can get in check ( hopefully someone can send me the link again for gaining mass) but the 3 day stuff , makes me think me arms will get smaller. without doing any iso's.... i know u work em when u do pull ups  bench ect , but doesnt seem like enuf to make them huge and i want huge arms!?.  i dont see how im overdoing it tho?... 3-4 exercises  per muscle , its what most articles say and most of the 3 day things just seem to be about legs :S , if i start to use the 3 day body thing should i be sticking to it forever... or alternating every few months between that and the 5 day split?

You have only been lifting a year and a half.  You are still a novice lifter.  Novice lifters should be doing heavy compound lifts.

Bis and tris are some of the smaller muscles that get worked.  Blasting your arms with a crapload of isos will get you nowhere.  Your arms get PLENTY of work doing deadlifts, chins (bis) and pull-ups (tris), dips (tris).  PLENTY.

Squat, deadlift, O/H barbell press, flat barbell bench, dips, chins, bent-over rows, power cleans.  That, and enough food, is all you need to get huge.  Otherwise, you are wasting valuable eating and resting time.

And, I'll emphasize again: HEAVY compound lifts.  No funky pyramid sets, no supersets, etc.  Freackin heavy compounds, 3 days a week, and add weight to each lift each workout.  Lift xxx# on Monday, add 5# on Wednesday, add 5# Friday, rinse and repeat.

im going to give this 3 day thing six month and monitor my progress with proper diet... on the other hand i have not worked out my legs in a very long time , u say go fricken heavy.. my lower back is weak my abs are weak ... and doing things like sqauts and lunges are just so hard for me , i  cant even use alot of weight cuz i have like zero range of motion.   thats why ive only used machines ...  when i do squats my knees like point in or move and i end up using one leg more thent he other , even with low weight , i was thinking about just doing  a new routine for two months to get my legs ready to jump into the three day thing.

Dude
Whatever you do...Focus on proper lifting form...BEFORE, trying to go heavy on anything....Goig heavy justy for the sake of going heavy helps no one. If you just concentrate on proper form, you'll gradually increase your lifts. Take one step at a time.

Current Stack: HDROL,Celltech,Superpump 250, Glutamine,Beta alanine,Whey protein.

you grow when you rest lifting is just means to stimulate a muscle to grow but without proper nutirition and rest how will your muscles grow bigger and stronger

YOU GOTTA EAT BIG, TO BE BIG!!

NASM certified trainer
NFPT certified trainer

Winter Bulk goal:245-250 by dec 31
Current weight: 235

when reading about the 3 day full body routines... they all have dead lifts , stiff legged dealifts squats and lunges.... all these exercises are  incredibly hard for me , while im in good shape , except my legs.... im trying form right now with no weight and no bar and i still fall over.. i have no balance , and with lunges i dont know how far to go forward or how much to bring my leg back i just fall over ,  also all these exercises seem to put strain on my groin area and hips... plus squats they say to go below parallel which im lucky if i can get parallel( thighs to floor)  these are "compounds " right  meaning they work a few muscles at a time.. so using a squat machine or leg press machine is useless to replace these exercises? because ill isolate the leg muscles in my 3 day routine... so  i actually wont be hitting my back or bis tris ect?.... how do i correct this?

Just a suggestion - Practice them for a few months using light weight? I had the same problem when I started squatting, it was just that my knees weren't used to the pressure but over time the muscles have built up around the quads and it's no problem now.

''If one is after quick results one never learns an art.''

Erich Fromm

Try this:

workout A

squat - 3 x 5
OH press - 3 x 5
deadlift - 1 x 5
chinups - 2 x 10
abs.

workout B:

squat - 3 x 5
bench - 3 x 5
power clean - 5 x 3
pull-ups - 2 x 10
abs

Lift 3 days a week alternating between A and B.  Add weight to the bar every single workout.  Always warm-up too.

And "squat" means FULL squat - below parallel.

"True genius, in many fields of human endeavor, is often revealed in elegant simplicity."

- A smart man

Journal: http://www.wannabebigforums.com/showthread.php?t=117358

ss396, you sound almost in the exact same spot my training partner was a couple years ago.  He mainly only used machines and bench pressed.  it has taken him several months to get his squat and deadlift in good form, but he has gotten there.  you just have to do it and take your time to do it right.  and all of a sudden, since he's been squatting and deadlifting, his bench has gone up 15lbs from where it was before doing them.

youtube mark rippetoe and squating and deadlift to try and learn proper form on those two lifts.  and start with the bar!  don't be in a huge hurry to add weight.  get the form down then start adding.  the only routine you need to get your legs prepared is the routine brihead posted.

oh and for your shoulders, doing standing over head presses is all you need right now. 

I skipped talking about nutrition since that had already been covered for the most part.

No the leg press is not the same as doing squats.