Work out Plans

[Circa89]

Can anyone reccomend a replacement for squats? My knees are shot and I am waiting for another surgery. I won't be able to do a squat for about a year at least but I want to try the 5x5 workout...

I can't even do machine assisted sitting down leg press squats.

[CaptainCrunch]

I've had some pretty decent success so far, and I've lost a bunch of weight, but am working on more,

I work out in 8 week cycles, usually with 5 days rest and maintenance between cycles and to recharge my batteries.

I usually work out 4 days a week.

Every day has a 30 minute cardio component, mostly bike because my knees don't take shock very well any more. I pick between 5 and 8 excercises for each targeted area, and to be honest I push some pretty significant weight, because I enjoy the pain.
At the end of each days workout, I finish with at least 1 to 2 different types of ab workouts.

Sunday I work on chest. ( so to give an example)
Cardio 30 minutes
Bench press 3 sets of 10, no more then 40 seconds between each rep.
flat chest flys 3 sets of 10
Decline Bench Press
Incline Bench Press
Incline Flys
Ab
Ab

Monday Bicept and Triceps
30 minutes cardio
3 sets of 10 preacher curls
3 sets of 10 lying tricep curls
3 sets of 10 single arm curls
3 sets of 10 push downs
3 sets of 10 two handed hammer curls using cables
3 sets of 10 pull down tricept curls using cables
Ab
Ab

Tuesday off day

Wed back and shoulders
30 minutes cardio
3 sets of 10 Barbell rows or cable rows
3 sets of 10 reverse flys
3 sets of 10 back extentiosn
3 sets of 10 either pulldowns or pull ups
3 sets of 10 military bench
3 sets of 10 side shoulder raises
3 sets of 10 front shoulder raises
abs

Thursday
Legs
cardio 20 minutes
3 sets of 10 leg extensions
3 sets of 10 quad curls
3 sets of 10 lying leg press
3 sets of 10 squats
3 sets of 10 calf extensions
Abs

Friday off
Saturday light cardo walk

After 8 weeks I take my break and redesign the excercises that I work with.

I could probably do more ab work, but I fricken hate ab stuff because it hurts like a son of a bitch.

But I try to spend no less then an hour and no more then an hour and a half at the gym.

[shane_c]

Here's mine that I've been doing for a month or two now. My goal is to lose weight and tone up. I've lost about 5 lbs so far (haven't really been watching me eating though) but feel much more toned and healthier.

Sun - bike 10 km
Mon - weights (target all muscle groups)
Tues - boot camp DVD (30 minutes of pain)
Wed - weights (target all groups)
Thurs - 1 hr of yoga
Fri - weights (target all groups)
Sat - bike 10 km

Depending on what I have going on I may move things around. Also, every morning I get the dogs out for a 45 minute walk, and try to walk at lunch as well.

[TylerSVT]

Originally Posted by shane_c

Here's mine that I've been doing for a month or two now. My goal is to lose weight and tone up. I've lost about 5 lbs so far (haven't really been watching me eating though) but feel much more toned and healthier.

Sun - bike 10 km
Mon - weights (target all muscle groups)
Tues - boot camp DVD (30 minutes of pain)
Wed - weights (target all groups)
Thurs - 1 hr of yoga
Fri - weights (target all groups)
Sat - bike 10 km

Depending on what I have going on I may move things around. Also, every morning I get the dogs out for a 45 minute walk, and try to walk at lunch as well.

You are doing WAYYYY too much. The bicycle is a fine workout, you really shouldnt be working out 7 days a week however. Your body needs time to recover from the workouts. If your working out every muscle every 2nd day than your body is in contant repair mode and you will never gain muscle. You're actually hurting yourself right now.

Do not target all groups of muscles in your workout (for reason above) Work one group (back/Shoulders, Biceps/Triceps, Chest/Abs) a day and work it good.

Honestly tone down your workout and you will probably see better results and feel better. Running yourself down is VERY hard on your body.

[shane_c]

Originally Posted by TylerSVT

You are doing WAYYYY too much. The bicycle is a fine workout, you really shouldnt be working out 7 days a week however. Your body needs time to recover from the workouts. If your working out every muscle every 2nd day than your body is in contant repair mode and you will never gain muscle. You're actually hurting yourself right now.

Do not target all groups of muscles in your workout (for reason above) Work one group (back/Shoulders, Biceps/Triceps, Chest/Abs) a day and work it good.

Honestly tone down your workout and you will probably see better results and feel better. Running yourself down is VERY hard on your body.

Thanks for the reply. I'm not at all sore though so I don't feel as though I'm over doing it. I don't go super heavy with the weights and my workout usually lasts 20-30 minutes.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by TylerSVT

Do not target all groups of muscles in your workout (for reason above) Work one group (back/Shoulders, Biceps/Triceps, Chest/Abs) a day and work it good.

It's better to workout three times a week doing compound exercises that will work all your muscle groups than wasting time with isolation exercises on things like arms or abs.

[TylerSVT]

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

It's better to workout three times a week doing compound exercises that will work all your muscle groups than wasting time with isolation exercises on things like arms or abs.

Except he is probably not doing compound excersizes and instead doing isolation workouts on every muscle which is what a lot of beginners do.

Doing the same workout 3 times a week is WAYYYY too much on your body.

You should ideally be doing one muscle group for 30-45 mins a week.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

It's better to workout three times a week doing compound exercises that will work all your muscle groups than wasting time with isolation exercises on things like arms or abs.

That's what I've been doing. Thanks to the OP for the thread.

I recently started working out again after about a 3 year hiatus. The last time I worked out I was doing the isolated areas (ie chest one day, then arms another, then legs, etc.)

Since I'm back on the 'wagon' my workout looks like this (over a 2 week span)

Week 1

fri - weights (all muscle groups/ compound exercises), 15 min light cardio (usually rowing machine)
sat - 25 mins interval cardio / weights (core)
sun - weights (all muscle groups/ compound exercises), 15 min light cardio
mon - 25 mins interval cardio / weights (core)
tues - weights (all muscle groups/ compound exercises), 15 min light cardio
wed - 25 mins interval cardio
thurs - rest

Week 2 consists of 2 weight lifting days (compound exercises), and 3 cardio days, or 3 days of outdoor activity (skating, hiking, biking, skiing, etc.)

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

I've found myself losing more fat and gaining more muscle that way than I ever did doing the isolated muscle groups in the past.

Also, take a look at getting a caliper/body fat measurement done if you want quantifiable results. I just had my first today and plan on going back every 3 months. A good use of $15, IMO.

[J epworth]

Originally Posted by TylerSVT

Except he is probably not doing compound excersizes and instead doing isolation workouts on every muscle which is what a lot of beginners do.

Doing the same workout 3 times a week is WAYYYY too much on your body.

You should ideally be doing one muscle group for 30-45 mins a week.

Actually, for beginners it's much more advantageous for beginners than isolation exercises. It allows them to build up their strength properly and learn how to have good form.

here's two sites that have very good information on how beginners can get stronger. One thing you should remember, 90% of the people going to the gym are still beginners, because they have never really learned how to work out properly.

http://www.reddit.com/help/faqs/Fitness#Exercise
http://stronglifts.com/how-to-build-muscle-mass-guide/

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by TylerSVT

Except he is probably not doing compound excersizes and instead doing isolation workouts on every muscle which is what a lot of beginners do.

Doing the same workout 3 times a week is WAYYYY too much on your body.

Maybe if you're a frail old man.

Doing three compound exercises three times a week is not too much unless you're too lazy to put the work in.

[TheSutterDynasty]

Originally Posted by TylerSVT

Except he is probably not doing compound excersizes and instead doing isolation workouts on every muscle which is what a lot of beginners do.

Doing the same workout 3 times a week is WAYYYY too much on your body.

You should ideally be doing one muscle group for 30-45 mins a week.

Wow you really underestimate human's physiological capabilities.

I resistance train (volume; 8-12RM) every day for an average of 80 minutes a day, and 15 minutes of warm-up/stretching each time. While ACSM recommends having a rest day from resistance training at least once every 5 days, right now at my peak age I would rather have two light days than a rest day and a heavy day.

On top of my resistance training, I have interval training on non-consecutive days (and different modes to rest up from the impact of running), play hockey twice a week (which replaces the interval training on those days), and do yoga at least once a week.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

Maybe if you're a frail old man.

Doing three compound exercises three times a week is not too much unless you're too lazy to put the work in.

Depends on which coumpounds. Not a chance I could do the same compound three times a week. Not enough time to repair.

Squats I can do at most once every 4-5 days. Bench press, dead lifts, and overhead press at most once every 3-4 days.

I've never done the olympic lifting, but intend to get training in it soon. However, I don't see myself doing an olympic lift more than once every 4 days.

[TheSutterDynasty]

Originally Posted by BEANZ

As someone who is in a sports related industry and has always been heavily involved in sports I am a bit embarrased, but I have no clue about the gym. Please help!!

FTW I am in decent shape now but want to really push to be in the greatest shape of my life. Other than a few times for rehab/physio, gyms are a place I have avoided til now. Recently I have become a member of a fitness centre close to work and plan to work out 3-4 times per week. But I am left with alot of questions about how to get started.

Is 3-4 times a week enough to notice a difference?

Is it worth getting a personal trainer?

What type of weight and reps do you start with??

Are there certain movements that I should focus on? If so what?

Can anyone share a website or any other ideas of what a weeks worth of work outs should consist of?

Is 40-50 minutes enough time to do some cardio and strength training?


Thanks in advance and if additional info is required just let me know.

-b
.

First off, everyone is going to be shoving high intensity training down your throat. There is a gross misconception that eating more calories = more muscle, and these are the chubby meatheads who never do cardio, and only do their 1-4RMs of bench, deadlift, t-bar rows, and squats.

1-4RM is the training to do for maximum strength, no doubt. And compound lifts like bench press and squats are the best bang for your buck. The problem is the body fat, lack of cardio, the experience it takes, the risk for injury, and the lack of appeal for the regular gym goer.

Cardio gives you the best health benefits. Cardio is what raises your HDL to prevent atherosclerosis and therefore heart disease and stroke.

Also, if you want hypertrophy, the rep range is 8-12RM, or in other words if you're doing 3 sets; 6-10 reps.

[-TC-]

just a suggestion...

rather than focusing on some outdated ideas around isolation training (lifting weights), look into functional strength training.

I lifted weights for over 20 years, it gets pretty boring and unless you are genetically blessed you pretty much top out in terms of performance in a few years.

Functional strength training gets you doing compound movements that work muscle groups together in ways that wil make you fast, flexible and build mass, but not excessively so that it hinders your athletic performance.

I am almost as strong isolation wise as some of the gym rats whose solely lift weights, but I am faster, more flexible and have way more endurance. Sports-wise I can out do them all, easily.

weights will give you t-shirt muscles, functional strength will make you an athlete.

Just my opinion of course but it works for me and I've tried a lot of different stuff.