Do you even lift, BRO?

walter

walter

Fourth Party
Paging current gym goers. I've been noodling around the gym inconsistently for about 2 months now, mostly 2-3 days a week. I've pretty much been doing 2 or so exercises per body part per visit. I'm in no need to get huge, just would like to get tone and some definition going in my 41 year old body. I did a Tough Mudder event this past summer, and while my leg and lungs had plenty of juice to get me through the course, I kinda bonked in the upper body strength department (specifically the back to back 8 foot walls we had to scale), so I'd like to build some upper body strength and endurance as well. Been using mostly mid weight range with higher reps.

I'm looking to do 3-4 visits M-F and save weekends for riding. Not looking for an ab day per say, as my oldest daughter and myself have been doing the P90x ab workout a few days a week. My question is, whats a good way to split up a routine. Is it still Back and Bi's, chest and tri's, shoulders/legs type of thing? I know there are a ton of workouts on the webs and every body is different, but what/how do you folks like to split up your gym visits?

For added info- 41 y/o. A hair over 6 feet, currently at 205 with 22% bf. On workout days, I use a pre-workout drink, a post drink and then whey protein. Multi and fish oil included in the daily mix.

I think that's it for now. Thanks for the guidance!
 
@mattybfat nailed that one. also, if you get bored of cranking out reps, slow those exercises down. 4 sec down, 4 sec up. vomit and repeat.

To be honest, I really like the p90x videos. even when time is short the 30 min p90x3 videos are good.
 
I think you got it right, higher reps with mid weight. The form is more important anyway, and also not injuring yourself. Some days I'll do one of each muscle group, some are as you listed. You do super sets? I think the most important thing is to limit the time between sets, like one minute, unless you're trying to get huge. And super sets are no break So it's like cardio weights.
 
If you really want to lift, 3 days a week of total body workout. If you are clueless, get a trainer or help, it is priceless.

Just don't get too big.
 
Against my better judgement I am going to reply. Mostly because Walter is super dreamy. Feel free to just skip my post all together if you so desire, I'm used to my health advice being ignored :rolleyes:.

Anyway, I don't want to get big (I was about that lyf once upon a time), I just want to have a strong well balanced body.

2-3 days a week, 1 excercise per body part, 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps. Since my goal is a short total body workout, I prefer dumbells and compound exercises. You want to concentrate on form and controlling the weight through the full range of motion for both positive and negative resistance. None of that throw it up and let if fall garbage with weights just flailing about. Also, I always do the exercises in the same order and since I'm seated on the same bench for 3-5 I can superset if I so desire. I can do this and be out of the gym in 40 minutes.

Exercises sometimes very, but most times it looks like this:

1. 3 sets of squats (one is really just a warmup set though). (dead lifts are good too if you want to mix it up)
2. 3 sets bench press. I alternate days of flat and incline
3. 2 sets of shoulder presses (seated)
4. 2 sets of overhead tricep presses (seated)
5. 3 sets of bicep curls (seated)
6. 2 sets of dumbell rows (or bent over barbell rows/pull ups/ lat pull downs, or any other compund back).

Godspeed young padawan.
 
Lots of good advice already. Could you do the angled monkey bars over water at the mudder? I didn't make it the whole way the first time, for the second one I built monkey bars in my basement and practiced - cleaned them the 2nd time.

Don't forget abs - 2 sets of planks facing down and then each side. Keep increasing the time as they get easier.
 
Forgot to mention, I do situps and pushups to wake up after I stretch in the morning so I don't bother with abs at the gym.
 
rick81721 said:
Lots of good advice already. Could you do the angled monkey bars over water at the mudder? I didn't make it the whole way the first time, for the second one I built monkey bars in my basement and practiced - cleaned them the 2nd time.

Don't forget abs - 2 sets of planks facing down and then each side. Keep increasing the time as they get easier.
Click to expand...

only thing i didn't make - cyclist arms!
 
nah, it is a monkey bar set up that goes up and down.

toughmudder_funky_monkey.jpg
 
Hey Walt,
200 reps and out...
Hit legs 2x week (weights mid week) ride w/e or weights again.
Upper just stick with the push or pull days.
Chest tris, back bis, shoulders abs...
At our age you're not going to get huge without sups and proper diet.
Again get a total of 200 reps and call it quits.
 
soulchild said:
Against my better judgement I am going to reply. Mostly because Walter is super dreamy. Feel free to just skip my post all together if you so desire, I'm used to my health advice being ignored :rolleyes:.

Anyway, I don't want to get big (I was about that lyf once upon a time), I just want to have a strong well balanced body.

2-3 days a week, 1 excercise per body part, 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps. Since my goal is a short total body workout, I prefer dumbells and compound exercises. You want to concentrate on form and controlling the weight through the full range of motion for both positive and negative resistance. None of that throw it up and let if fall garbage with weights just flailing about. Also, I always do the exercises in the same order and since I'm seated on the same bench for 3-5 I can superset if I so desire. I can do this and be out of the gym in 40 minutes.

Exercises sometimes very, but most times it looks like this:

1. 3 sets of squats (one is really just a warmup set though). (dead lifts are good too if you want to mix it up)
2. 3 sets bench press. I alternate days of flat and incline
3. 2 sets of shoulder presses (seated)
4. 2 sets of overhead tricep presses (seated)
5. 3 sets of bicep curls (seated)
6. 2 sets of dumbell rows (or bent over barbell rows/pull ups/ lat pull downs, or any other compund back).

Godspeed young padawan.
Click to expand...
I like this because I don't wanna get big either. Do you do anything for core, or is there anything you'd recommend? That's probably the thing I'd like to improve the most for biking.
 
walter said:
@rick81721 is this what you're referring to?

This was done with ease. But it was also at the beginning of the race.

Ps, that's me
Click to expand...

The one Pat posted (tho the bars we did were alot higher than that). Here's me with my posse

full


Being a cold-weather weenie, the challenge I feared the most was the dumpster filled with water and ice that you had to jump in, swim under a barrier, and come up on the other side. Wasn't as bad as I thought tho.
This was one of the hardest challenges at the poconos mudder - had to carry that wood about a 1/4 mile

full
 
1sh0t1b33r said:
I like this because I don't wanna get big either. Do you do anything for core, or is there anything you'd recommend? That's probably the thing I'd like to improve the most for biking.
Click to expand...

Instead of the regular, boring gym, find an indoor rock climbing gym.
 
so much bad advice in this thread.
this is the post internet world, we have figured out how to do this properly
the answer is stronglifts 5x5 or something similar (ice cream fitness)
if you don't want to get big, keep the reps low and the intensity high. like no more than 5 reps. this also keeps your time at the gym low.
for real world gains, whole body workouts. like squats and deadlifts. really need to make sure you are doing them right. like have someone to work out with, post vids weekly for form check, it's real easy to fuck these up because they are so intense. but that's the point.
i'm cringing at the toughmudder pictures. god dammit walter, are you listening to disturbed while doing this too? ugh.
 
k2-_b04c7313-bb7a-45ed-8ba9-b091582a03ec.v1.jpg-97951aeb7256b62b35190f1fbc7742e6fa613b73-webp-450x450.webp
I have one of these . You really don't need anything else. Push-ups. I do 5 different types of push-ups, dips, pull-ups, chin-ups, leg-lifts. The only thing with one of these is you have to be real careful with your shoulders. I found out the older you get , the easier you can tear stuff ! I started out with a milk crate and did kinda fake dips and pull-ups for awhile . I worked my way up carefully to being able to do unassisted ones. I still do the milk crate if I don't consistently work out. Getting old sucks .
 
gtluke said:
really need to make sure you are doing them right. like have someone to work out with, post vids weekly for form check, it's real easy to fuck these up because they are so intense. but that's the point.
Click to expand...
I think this is a huge part of doing this stuff, which I realize when doing some PT. So easy to mess things up and do damage when you think you are doing good.
 
stb222 said:
I think this is a huge part of doing this stuff, which I realize when doing some PT. So easy to mess things up and do damage when you think you are doing good.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and the cumulative effects of improper form can be worse than the acute ones. After years and years of lifting where I basically did everything that any trainer worth his salt today would never let you do, I have had bouts of tendinitis in almost every joint I've got (and some of those - particularly my elbows - still flares up now and then.) Also, no matter what you do, incorporate flexibility and functional movement exercises into your routine - yoga, foam rolling, plyo-exercises - all that stuff. Your knees and joints will thank you later.
 
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