Hey everyone I'm new here, and I'd just like to start by asking for some advice on my workout planning skills.

This is what I have so far, could you tell me if it is any good or if I am wasting my time.

Workout

Pushups-15 reps
Arnold Press (I hear this is good)-15 reps
Upright Dumbell Row-15 reps
Dumbell squats-15 reps
Bicep Curls-15 reps
Tricep Extension (the one were you hold your arm up over your head)-15 reps
Abdominal curl (while holding a dumbell with arms stretched out above head)-15 reps

Do all of that in order 2 or 3 times. OR I am not sure whether I should do it in sets rather than a cycle, because it feels more intense when I do it in sets, but I heard from someone that a cycle is better.

Cardio

30 mins on stationary bike, average resistance setting, at roughly 85-95 RPM (heart rate at about 100-120)

Weekly Schedule

Monday-Workout
Tuesday-Cardio
Wednesday-Rest
Thursday-Workout
Friday-Cardio
Saturday-Rest
Sunday-Rest

(I know I probably shouldn't have so many rest days, but it is a work in progress)

Anyway that is what I have so far. I have done a practice run of all the exercises and I am pretty sure I can do them (both as a cycle and in sets).

Oh and all the dumbell exercises are done with 28lb dumbells. I am pretty sure that is heavy enough, because I can only manage about 18-19 reps before my form starts to go all over the place.

You might want to know a little about me:

Height-175 cm or 5 feet 7
Weight-11.5 stone or 73 kg
BMI-20


As far as my goals are concerned, I am going to University in one month's time, and my minimum goal would be to lose 4 pounds of body fat in that time (I wanna see my abs).

My ultimate goal would be to get ripped, and look like this Chris Evans (no not that ginger guy with the glasses from British TV, this guy ).

So I hope I gave you enough info, and I'll be really grateful if someone could lend me a hand with this routine (There has to be something wrong in there, I'm only a beginner so...be gentle).

Thanks

What you are trying to do here is try and gain as much muscle mass while in a deficit, lean out, and gain the body listed below.

I am assuming you only have dumbbells and bodyweight movements to work with correct?

You need to make your movements bigger compounds, knock out the isolations. Bigger is better, especially is limited to outside resistance.

Check out the stickys on program design, etc. I think you would be best served right now working with a pre-made program until you start to really grasp the concept of designing your own program. Regardless though if its your own or if you use a pre-made the key take home point is...

Big Compound Movements.

As for your aerobic training...

Get that heart rate up, hit the intensity hard!

Every workout you should achieve a new level, go further, harder or heavier than before, that is how you are going to get there, well that and a killer diet so make sure that is in place.

Good Luck.

I can only agree with theleip here, read up on it here or on bodybuilding.com, that program won't get you anywhere. Fewer reps, compound exercises, and when you can handle it start on a split program.

And remember the workout is only 20%. It's an essential 20%, but diet and rest will account for 80% of your results.

Compound exercises, got it. I don't know about my diet, I start every day with a bowl of bran flakes, then one of my meals is tuna fish, another would be soup (either chicken or vegetable), then I might have another bowl of bran flakes, I eat apples and carrot sticks as snacks, and the last meal of the day is prepared by mother (yes I still live with my parents) so I can never predict what it will be.

How many different exercises should I be doing, I had a look at some pre-made routines and they contain a lot of exercises.

I'd like to ask what do you think are the best compound exercises (you know for what I am trying to do)?

Thanks for replying by the way.

Can I just ask, is my routine completely useless, is there any part of it that can be changed to fix it, or is it all no good.

If my routine is fixed, would this be okay for weekly schedule:

Mon-Workout
Tues-Cardio
Wed-Workout
Thurs-Cardio
Fri-Workout
Sat-Cardio
Sun-Rest

No, it's not useless and it is certainly better than sitting around the telly watching Benny Hill and eating fish and chips. The point is that you could be getting more results out of the same time/energy expended.

For example, "cardio" on the stationary bike that elevates your heart rate to 100 - 120 is not enough. It might be okay for a retiree, but not a 20year-old like yourself. Using the rough numbers of 220 - your age (assume 20) = 200 x 70 - 80% = a target heart range of approximately 140 - 160. You are well under that.

It's not as much about WHAT you eat, but more how many proteins and calories you're getting. Once you get the amounts right, there's something to be gained, but eating the "healthiest" foods in the wrong amounts and ratios won't work.

You need to go to some of the suggested sites above and read up on exercise programs and cutting (and maybe bulking afterwards?) if you want to change your body.

Once you've learned the basics, I'm sure there are a lot of people here who are willing to help you out with specifics and questions, but what you need to know right now needs several pages of explanation. You'll get that from articles on places like bodybuilding.com or t-nation.com.