So I haven't touched a weight since my senior season of track. I was a 1998 grad... So if you do the math, it's been a long time since I have lifted. I was browsing craigslist and came across a couple pretty sweet deals on Olympic weight sets. I am going to pick one up. Now for a few questions to those of you who lift. We used charts for our workouts in football and track, but I cannot remember at all what they were... It broke everything down... Weight, reps etc.. I need a schedule or something to get me started again. Any advice would be great as well. If it matters for reference, I am 6' 170-175#.
I dont know where to find charts that breaks it all down but im glad to here you take the plunge. It certainly has its benefits and helps keep one from getting injury's as easy. Keep in mind that Diet and rest are as much important as the lifting. If your going for size keep the reps in the 8-10 range and heavier weights, for just getting in better shape and more defined stay in the 12-15 rep range and lighter weights. Start out easy and work your way up and by all means get a good warm up before you start each time. I do chest and triceps on Monday, Back and biceps on Tuesday,,,rest Wednesday, Shoulders and Abs on Thursday and Legs on Friday. Rest on Sat and Sun. Im guilty of not doing enough cardio But like being on the heavier side anyway. I just try and eat some what sensable and drink alot of water. Muscle will burn calories for you. Im 207 right now and have been down to 179,,,just was not comfortable at that weight. You can find alot of info on routines on the net. Just learn alot of different exercises for certain muscles, learn what each muscle does for that body part. Switch those workouts out alot so you dont platau out to. Good luck Bucko
Are you looking for a workout routine to get you started? Or, a quick description of how to break it all down or a training log? Crick gave a quick description which covers the basics. Right now, your primary goal is to get used to training, being consistent and building a good base of connective tissue strength. A quick basic routine to get started would be something like this: 10 minute cardio (jog, bike, stairs, etc) Ab crunch leg raise Bench press Pull ups or Bent over rows Deadlift barbell curl Close grip bench press or triangle pushups All are done in 3 sets of 10 reps and for now at a weight you can lift and still have enough strength to perform 2-3 more reps. Reason being is you need to familiarize yourself with the weights again while building connective tissue strength. One of the big issues in getting a routine together is available equipment, space and a lifter's knowledge. You mentioned picking up an Olympic weight set. What about a bench, squat rack, dumbbells, etc?
A bench and bar are only the beginning,you will also want a curl bar and you'll need quality dumbells in a range of weights. They have nice adjstable types now like these.. I can help you out alot...just depends which direction you are heading with this, I mean if it;s just to "get in shape" quite honestly, go buy some of "The Biggest Loser" workout CD's and follow the routines. I do them 5X week. There are some great workouts on those, combining muscle developement and strength (Muscle) building. My current favorite is "The Last Chance Work-out. I've been a Gym Rat esecially in my late 20's and early 30's I can dispell a lot of myths and tell ya what works and what doesn't. If you are into getting big, or toned, or the Holy Grail "all of the above"..it takes different levels of dedication in working out eating and supplementation. The Shake weight guy didn't get that bod in 4 minutes a day
Buckeye, you should be happy to get an Olympic barbell set. You will be able to achieve all of your short term/mid range goals with that set up. No need to get fancy with anything at this stage of the game. I would lift only 3 times a week for the first month to six weeks then I would switch over to maybe 4 times a week. I would do that for about 3-4 months and then reassess my goals. Keep your sets at around 3-4 and your reps in the 8-12 range. Pick 4-5 different movements per workout and just have fun. Do not stress or get overly strict about anything. Do not do anything heavy until you get a good base. BEST of luck!
Thanks for the direction guys... What I am picking up is a Olympic weight set with a bench , a curl bar and some misc free weights. I have no aspirations of getting big.... I just want to increase my strength, metabolism, energy level and stay healthy (not getting any younger!). I do get a good workout at work, but its just not the same as targeting specific areas as a workout program. I have plenty of room 2000+ sq ft basement with virtually nothing in it. I do not at this time envision purchasing a squat rack though. I did some googling earlier before I made this thread and came up with nothing, I have been out of the game for so long I need a refresher for sure. Any of you guys want to draw something up, or point me to a webpage to help out a second time around newb I would appreciate it.
I'm thinking about trying p90-x, I have heard alot of great things about it! All you need is a set of dumbbells, mat.
Scott, I would SLOWLY ease into any weightlifting routine. You are like me in that I began running again last year after 5+ years of no running. It took me about two months of running before I did anything worth a darn. Like I said in my first post, I would only lift three days a week for the first 4-6 weeks. And I would make those full body workouts. No need to specialize on any specific muscle group when you are just getting back into working out. Just make all your workouts full body workouts until you establish a good base. At your age and current fitness levels (which are good because you work hard at work) it should only take you about 4-6 weeks to get a good base. After that base is set you can start to lift maybe 4 days a week, doing different combos of bodyparts or continue on with the full body workouts. Here is something I would recommend for the first month or so... http://www.thepumpingstation.com/beginner.html
You are 100% correct. Our winters are crap here and I guess I just do not have to motivation to do cardio inside the house.... I do have around 60 hours of shed hunting in since the beginning of Jan though. Heading out here in a few for an all day-er. Driving 2 hours each way so I need to really take advantage of the time away.
I've been lifting pretty regularly for the last 7 years or so, but I do it all on my own with really no outside help, so take this advice as it is (an amateur's :D). I currently am on a 6 day workout routine to maintain tone, and possibly even make a few small gains in bulk. I like keeping my BF % low, and that's more what my workouts are geared toward. For reference, this is what my week looks like now: Monday:Cardio (winter time it's alternated between the elliptical and treadmill)-Interval Training for ~30min Tuesday: Back/Shoulders Wednesday: Cardio (Same as above) Thursday: Chest/Back Friday: Off Saturday: Legs/Cardio Sunday: Bi's/Tri's Most are 8-10 reps/3 sets each, except my heavy exercises (bench for instance) where I do a 5x5, or max rep 5th set. Workouts: Tuesday: Revers Dumbbell Fly Incline Pull-ups Pull-ups Lat Pull Downs Barbell Shrugs Thursday: Bench Dumbbell Fly Decline Bench Standing Chest Lift (Barbell) Forward Pull Downs Saturday: Used to do a combination of Squats, Lunges, Calf Raises, Leg Extensions, and Leg Curls, but due to a mild herniated/bulging disc, I know do high resistance on the elliptical. I don't bulk using this exercise, but it keeps the muscles toned. I usually do about 25 minutes of very high resistance (my elliptical has a 20lb flywheel so the resistance can get good and heavy). Sunday; Barbell Curls Tricep Pull Downs Cable-Style Curls (Dumbbells) Skull Crushers Dips
At my age and with my family life/work responsibilities I use a very flexible/instinctive workout program. I workout 4-5 days a week doing cardio, calisthenics and some weightlifting. I push hard but do not keep myself on a rigid schedule. I respond to how my body is feeling that day and it seems to keep my mind and body fresh to fulfill my life responsibilities and workout goals, plus I am not getting injured which is great.
You will get a hundred different responses on a question like this. First question should always be...what are your goals, or reason for lifting? People lift weights for a variety of reasons, and their programs can/will vary greatly.
I would say my workouts started for same reasons you are - increase energy, gain a little strength, avoid injury. -Slow and good form = better results than jerking big weights around -when space/time/equip are limited, don't under-estimate the basics: Pushups (full body workout with good form), Pullups/chinups (again harder than most think if done properly), and situps/crunches. These go a long way for core & upper body tone/strength -Cardio: I've been going to more cardio lately than weights - treadmill & stairmill. Mostly because these seem to have biggest impact on increased energy & health for me (heart & lung health boost the whole body) Good Luck!
Again, thanks for all of the advice you guys are taking the time to give me. This was a respose I posted earlier.... I have no aspirations of getting big.... I just want to increase my strength, metabolism, energy level and stay healthy (not getting any younger!).
Huh, I guess it helps to read the whole thread. Then I would focus on workouts that get your heart rate up, and keep it there. Circuit training is good for that. Pick a series of exercises with high reps (12-15) or do as many reps as you can in a certain time frame. I would pick somewhere in the 30-60 second time range, with a short rest between exercises. Anywhere from 15-75 seconds, depending on what exercises you are doing and your current level of fitness. The circuits should be full body workouts. Lower body and core exercises will do a lot to speed up metabolism because they take the longest to recover. Longer muscle recovery = more calories your body is burning while doing nothing. I have a handful of good circuit training workouts if you are interested. One more thing, how and when you eat will do a lot for your metabolism too.
buckeye, if you still want the tables i can send them to you. just what we have in the weight room. you can google them to. just go to max by reps, or %'s a few will pop up. presuming you want the ones that say if you lift X amount of weight for Y number of reps = your max... cant go wrong with olympic weights, good ole fashion! dont think you really need a squat rack either. do you have any backgroung in olympic lifts???? you can always clean the weight on the bar and do front squats (my fav) and really have no worries about "bottoming out" just push the weight forward. or just hold the dumb bells at your shoulders and squat. generally the front squat is less than your back squat and the lower weight makes it more managable helping your form. plus if you are just in your basement you aint gotta worry about putting a lil' xtra on that bar so the guy next to you will look over (ok i'm guilty) i would suggest some rubber flooring to save on your weights/the floor/and sound. dont think the lil' ones want to hear your plates "singing" off the floor during nap-time =-) pretty cheap, comes in squares that fit together like legos and you dont need a ton of squares... plus if you sweat on them they are not as slipperly as a reg floor and not messing up your carpet. i luv these posts! love working out and seeing others "testing" themselves. i fail every day in the weight room/cardio. either i dont hit my goals and have to try harder next time or i attain a goal and bump it up to make it harder. dont think we learn anyhting about ourselfs till we fail....
