General Workout Routines and Questions

[Nato_777]

At age 47, I've finally managed to successfully get back into training without injuring myself. For the past 6 or 7 years every time I've tried to get back into lifting I've only managed a couple of weeks at best before seriously tearing something or blowing out a joint and then have to stop again for ages to recover.
I was able to get past the 2 week barrier and sufficiently build up enough strength to continue without injury by using a Time Under Tension method.
Using lighter weights than I normally would and training to 1 minute timed sets with continuous movement and constant tension on the muscle group I've been able to stay injury free. Bench press for example I started with 55kg (usually would use 80 to 90kg - 20 years ago I was doing 150kg) To begin with I come down to chest slowly - taking about 5 seconds to come down and then push back up explosively but not locking out the arms at the top and not pausing at all before slowly coming back down again. Not stopping at the top or bottom but keeping the muscles under load continuously throughout the set. This makes for approximately 6 second reps and gives about 10 reps per 1 minute set.
You really feel the burn by the end of the minute. Rest 1 minute and then repeat for a total of 3 sets. I always make sure I can do the full minute so if after one set I know I couldn't complete the next minute at that weight then I drop the weight slightly so that I can do the full minute.
Using this method I have built some serious muscle in a very short period and it put less strain on my joints etc, during the rebuilding phase. I'm now at a point where I can lift heavier again without fear of blowing something out.
I would definitely recommend this method for anyone struggling with injuries and as a way to mix things up and keep your muscles guessing.
Also did this while on a Keto diet, which is often not thought of as being much good for weight training as you are having barely any carbs.
I got down to 63kgs (from 72) after 3 weeks on Keto getting down to about 7% bodyfat, it's taken me 4 weeks to put 5kg back on in lean muscle mass so I'm now 68kg and want to get back to 72kg with more muscle mass and hopefully maintain 5-7% bodyfat.

 

[AerodyManiac]

Had my first gymnasium workout in my life around a fortnight ago, and I’m planning to return there tomorrow. However, the last time I went there, I wasn’t exactly sure if my posture was correct when using some of the equipment there (e.g. the chest press machine). Is there a credible website that has the correct posture for using the multiple equipment there which I can rely on as a reference? It is preferable that it comes with pictures because I’m terrible with positions based purely on words.
Also, which equipment would you guys suggest for a beginner like me who has just tried working out at the gym recently, is kinda skinny, but has the ambition of getting moderately muscular someday? Excluding the treadmill because I jog once every fortnight, but that’s not saying I won’t use the treadmill either. How many reps should I do as a beginner with the equipment there?

Edit: One more question: is it necessary to eat more than how much I usually eat to develop stronger and larger muscles?

 

[the_boy]

Had my first gymnasium workout in my life around a fortnight ago, and I’m planning to return there tomorrow. However, the last time I went there, I wasn’t exactly sure if my posture was correct when using some of the equipment there (e.g. the chest press machine). Is there a credible website that has the correct posture for using the multiple equipment there which I can rely on as a reference? It is preferable that it comes with pictures because I’m terrible with positions based purely on words.
Also, which equipment would you guys suggest for a beginner like me who has just tried working out at the gym recently, is kinda skinny, but has the ambition of getting moderately muscular someday? Excluding the treadmill because I jog once every fortnight, but that’s not saying I won’t use the treadmill either. How many reps should I do as a beginner with the equipment there?

Edit: One more question: is it necessary to eat more than how much I usually eat to develop stronger and larger muscles?

I would check Instagram for form and posture. Skinny people that want to build muscle should do little to no cardio. You have to start off with light weights, go heavy as soon as you can handle it (it don’t matter if you do it one time, since that one time is more than nothing). Don’t worry about eating, you WILL get hungry (especially when you go heavy).

 

[phillgt2002]

Been a bit since this thread was last active.

Its been a good year, maybe two since I've properly lifted weights. With that I've gained weight back, but I've lost some cutting.

I started gaining weight back during the past summers when visits home would be more frequent. I was eating well past my means and didn't go to the gym at all, and sugary drinks got back into my diet.

I also started to go to an overly crowded gym and I simply couldn't get used to it because my old one was quiet and had much more useful equipment.

I've cut weight since January and have been doing cardio, but what made the difference was just adjusting my diet and staying off of the cookies and other ********.

I'm about to start a new job, so hopefully I can get a routine in for a new gym.

I hope everyone who once posted here are doing well.

 

[kikie]

Been a bit since this thread was last active.

Its been a good year, maybe two since I've properly lifted weights. With that I've gained weight back, but I've lost some cutting.

I started gaining weight back during the past summers when visits home would be more frequent. I was eating well past my means and didn't go to the gym at all, and sugary drinks got back into my diet.

I also started to go to an overly crowded gym and I simply couldn't get used to it because my old one was quiet and had much more useful equipment.

I've cut weight since January and have been doing cardio, but what made the difference was just adjusting my diet and staying off of the cookies and other ********.

I'm about to start a new job, so hopefully I can get a routine in for a new gym.

I hope everyone who once posted here are doing well.

I'm not actually.

This is getting more like nagging than giving information but due to the antidepressants, I can't even look at weights without getting some kind of pain, injury.

 

[Brend]

I've been properly getting fit the past few months (shaved 16 lbs so far - down to 183 lbs) min preperation for my first running event in September. My routes tend to be incredibly hilly though and pretty strenuous on my legs.

I've finally paid the price last night when I seemingly twisted my knee, pulled my hamstring and tweaked my calf in one go. I'm incredibly disappointed in myself since I've now lost momentum.

However, it's also made me think about how much weight I should continue to lose - considering priority on weights now to build my strength as much as possible as I think getting skinnier might start to have a negative effect if I continue down this route.

 

[Liquid]

I started going to the gym in January. For the first time ever in my life I set some NYRs and I've actually bothered to stick to them.

I decided that I was going to go because I not only unhappy with my physique, even though I go cycling and play gaelic football and I'm one of the better players on the team, but also because I generally felt empty with little motivation to do anything. The motivation came at Christmas; I've never, ever eaten well due to reasons various and I decided to weigh myself after eating my Christmas dinner to see what my maximum ballooned weight was. It was 91kg (200lbs) and now I've got it down to about 87kg (192lbs) but in better shape that's still changing and not too bad considering it's all work and very little diet.

I've worked out a little routine that I like sticking to because of my compulsions but I think it works well. It's a reverse pyramid structure that was suggested to me recently by a friend. I'd previously just been doing one fixed weight at whatever difficulty I felt was appropriate. The reverse pyramid is starting with fewer reps at a high weight and increasing the number of reps with a decrease in weight:

Starting weight: 6 reps
-5kg: 8 reps
-5kg: 10 reps
-5kg: 12 reps
-5kg: 14 reps

You take a short pause between each of those and once you've got to 14 that's a complete set. The incremental drop in weight is dependent on what you're using. Mine is on machines as I don't really like using free weights due to a permanent finger injury I have.

So in practice after a treadmill warm-up it looks like this:

Abdominal crunch (75kg -> 55kg) (165lbs -> 121lbs)
Back stretch (75kg-55kg) (165lbs-121lbs)
Delty-shoulder pull (65kg-45kg) (143lbs-100lbs)
Bicep pull (65kg-45kg) (143lbs-100lbs)
Tricep pull (35kg-17.5kg - increments are different on the machine) (77lbs-38.5lbs)
Chest press (55kg-35kg) (121lbs-77lbs)

I'll usually end up doing the abdominal crunch twice before a final third time at the end after some goblet squats with a 24kg free weight. If I feel like it I'll use some of the same machines but the other ones that work the muscles in a slightly different way like the three chest press machines.

I could probably do all of these at slightly higher starting weights if I was really pushing myself but I don't work at super high intensity and I don't claim to do so. But I'm very happy working at the medium intensity that I do do it at and I do feel the 'good pain' the morning after. Results are steady but definitely happening; some people who don't see me regularly have commented positively, which is nice.

The thing that has surprised me the most is the effect it's had on my mental health too. It was one of the kind of secret reasons I decided to sign up too and it's been a pleasant surprise how good it feels to have that sense of achievement and not have as much negativity. I'd always known that it does have an effect but I was doubtful about how much. I mean, it's hardly a cure for x, y and z I might have going on but it's nice to have something tangible and physical to have to work through it and get rewards from.

Edit: Added lbs for dual reading.

 

[phillgt2002]

I started going to the gym in January. For the first time ever in my life I set some NYRs and I've actually bothered to stick to them.

Keep going at it. You may want to increase the resistance and intensity eventually if you want the results to keep coming.

I've been eating pretty bad lately with chips and cookies, but I haven't been eating large amounts of them. I'm able to meet enough calories to maintain my current weight, but I need to cut that junk out.

I'm not actually.

This is getting more like nagging than giving information but due to the antidepressants, I can't even look at weights without getting some kind of pain, injury.

I've only been on anti-depressants for a few months at a time. When taking them I felt good, but it was hard for me to even get in the gym.. Maybe it messed with my hormones because when I don't take them I'm a hothead and I get A LOT of energy.

My advice for anyone is to start light, and I mean very light. As long as your muscles see some resistance a few times a week, you'll be better off.

 

[phillgt2002]

Got on the scale and was down a considerable amount, but that was a dry weight after a long bike ride.

I've been watching calories more and more, but my running has stopped due to lack of motivation, though I've been using my bike as a means of transportation despite this city being terrible for bike riding.

With that, I need to simply slow down my cravings.

 

[the_boy]

Been hitting my legs every other day the last 2-3 weeks (a heavy box almost broke my right hand June 27th) and gained about 8 lbs, I am now 188 with the same14% body fat. I was on a roll before my hand injury, I was throwing up 205 lbs (sets of 15-20, 275 lbs sets of 8-10) on the flat bench, not bad for a 5’10 1/2”er.

 

[phillgt2002]

I'm down 10 lbs since that last post. I've been doing eating intervals and cardio. My diet is 'better', but there is still tons room for improvement.

 

[phillgt2002]

I'm down 10 lbs since that last post. I've been doing eating intervals and cardio. My diet is 'better', but there is still tons room for improvement.

Down another 10 lbs.

Still doing a little running, a decent amount of cycling, but I'm really doing well with eating intervals.

My body has adjusted to them completely and it now feels strange to eat outside of them. It's adjusted to working out during those intervals, so I'm burning through more than just calories.

I haven't been doing anything too crazy, no intentional calorie restrictions, no strict diet, just managing to get some workouts in and eating fresh and fulfilling food (not a lot of fast food) at the right times. I was eating tons of pastries and Liège waffles on vacation in Europe, lots of beer, snacks, Döner, but that didn't throw me off that much.

Mid October to November, I plan on going to the gym to start lifting weights again, as well as use the other machines.

I have muscle, but not enough for my size. Rebuilding my muscles should aid in keeping my weight of, as well as keeping me from fatiguing during my parcel job.

Feels good, but I'm not stopping until I have lost 50-70 lbs of fat.

 

[phillgt2002]

Down 6 lbs since the last post.

Checking my history, I weigh less than I did two years ago today.

I haven't been working out a lot, but I've been maintaining by doing light yoga, pushups, crunches and shadow boxing with weights.

Primarily my diet has been okay and has been a major catalyst to this. I cook my own meals and I've been doing 16-20 hour fasts a day for 4 months straight.

If I actually went to the gym as I said, I'd have reached my mark.

I'm gonna end my 42hr fast with eggs, marinated red potatoes, steeped oat porridge with berries and a nice homemade cinnamon roll in the morning.

 

[phillgt2002]

Down 10 lbs since last post.

I didn't eat too well during the holidays, but my primary goal is to bring down my weekly calories, so I'm doing well. I did have an off week with lots of fast food, but I've bounced back. My February goal is to not consume fast food or chips.

I finally found a proper gym very close to me, so I'm going to do a 7 day trial to get a feel for it.

Other than that, its just been an occasional treadmill mile here and there.

I'm trying to drop 30lbs by May, so let's see what I can do.

 

[phillgt2002]

First time in the gym in a long time.

I did a small strength test, getting an idea of what I am capable of.

I didn’t do bad, so I’m going to set myself up on a two week regiment doing 5/3/1 lifts. I’ll do incremental weight increases every two weeks.

Feels good knowing I’m still strong, but the bench press was embarrassing lol I need to get my balance back. 155lb reps should not be that shaky for me.

 

[phillgt2002]

 

[TB]

Finally decided I should start lifting again instead of doing just straight cardio. First day back at it was Sunday. Routine is as follows:

Sunday - Chest and abs
Monday - Back
Tuesday - Off/make up day
Wednesday - Shiulders and abs
Thursday - Legs
Friday - Arms and abs
Saturday - Off/make up day

In conjunction with this, and so I wouldn't have to remember how much I did the week before, I'm using FitNotes. You can copy a previous workout, quickly see how much you did for each set of each exercise and add anything that isn't already there. After you log enough, it will start giving you one rep max estimates, lifetime reps, etc. Pretty feature packed for a free app.

I've been chasing each session with 30 minutes on the elliptical. It must be working because I'm sore as hell.

 

[phillgt2002]

I gained 20lbs since Covid hit the states in February. Too many gas station snacks, junk food and late night meals.

The gym is closed, so I’ve picked up doing a morning mile and doing improvised full body workouts with a 70lb sandbag in the backyard.

I toss that sucker over my shoulder, and I pace back and forth with speed and step up a ledge. I also have a cinder block that I hold over my head and do pace sprints to that ledge.

Doing that raises my heart rate higher than the jog, and has built up my stability.

I’ve also purchased a dumbbell to do light 10 minute exercises to build tricep and shoulder confidence

Feeling good, but I need to lose this.

 

[Betty blue]

I have been struggling a lot in keeping my weight during the last couple of months. My metabolism is very low and I'm gaining weight little by little. It's depressing. Even though I'm maintaining a sensible eating habits. Any advices?

 

[Pako]

I have been struggling a lot in keeping my weight during the last couple of months. My metabolism is very low and I'm gaining weight little by little. It's depressing. Even though I'm maintaining a sensible eating habits. Any advices?

Can you better define "sensible" eating habits?

Sometimes all you have to do to increase your metabolism is to eat less more often. It's also possible that if you've been in a deficit for too long, that you are actually slowing your metabolism down where your resting caloric baseline is less than it was. So many variables and takes time to dial it all in.

 

[phillgt2002]

I’ve been eating horrifically the past two weeks and I’ve put 10 pounds back on. I’m sure a lot of that is water weight, but I’m disappointed.

I’m gonna boil it down to poor sleep quality and schedule.

I have no routine.

When I was at my lowest weight, I was going to bed at 9:30pm and getting up at 5:45am every day. I wasn’t even working out much, I was just getting great sleep.

My eating was well balanced and I craved less junk food.

I’m just so disappointed right now.

 

[Pako]

Oh man, I hear ya! Routine is so important for most of us. What is so frustrating for me is it can take months to meet a healthy goal but only takes a few weeks to undo it all. When people say being healthy is a lifestyle choice, it's no joke. It really is a lifestyle commitment.

 

[kikie]

I’ve been eating horrifically the past two weeks and I’ve put 10 pounds back on. I’m sure a lot of that is water weight, but I’m disappointed.

I’m gonna boil it down to poor sleep quality and schedule.

I have no routine.

When I was at my lowest weight, I was going to bed at 9:30pm and getting up at 5:45am every day. I wasn’t even working out much, I was just getting great sleep.

My eating was well balanced and I craved less junk food.

I’m just so disappointed right now.

First step is knowing that you are doing it wrong. Now you can change that and get back to the lowest-weight-guy with a good routine.

 

[phillgt2002]

Oh man, I hear ya! Routine is so important for most of us. What is so frustrating for me is it can take months to meet a healthy goal but only takes a few weeks to undo it all. When people say being healthy is a lifestyle choice, it's no joke. It really is a lifestyle commitment.

Absolutely. When I first lost 50lbs, I look back and realize how much time I spent to lose that weight and put on pounds of muscle. I was in the gym at 6am every other day for weeks at a time.

My body was torching calories.

So, I had to force myself out of the bed to complete a mile and quarter. I’ve been self conscious
and putting myself off, but I just had to get it done.

First step is knowing that you are doing it wrong. Now you can change that and get back to the lowest-weight-guy with a good routine.

That guy was so nice, relaxed and confident. Now he’s self conscious and kind of bitter.

Gotta fix that.

 

[Pako]

Well, finally making some progress. Changing my routine, my eating, in the past 3 months I have gone from 18% body fat down to 13.5% but have gained from 109.8 Skeletal muscle mass to 112.4 skeletal muscle mass. First time I've been able to loose fat AND gain muscle at the same time. Excited to see what the next couple months bring.

 

[Omnis]

Never do adductors as part of your first leg day in 2 years. Never.

 

[Pako]

Never do adductors as part of your first leg day in 2 years. Never.

[cowboy voice]You're lookin' a we bit worn there son, walkin' kind-a funny, like you've been in the saddle for weeks....[/cowboy voice]

 

[phillgt2002]

I really wish the gym was open. It was always nice to hop on the train to the gym when I finished work or had nothing else to do, or had a lot of energy that needed to be burned.

 

[Liquid]

It sucks not having so much more "free time" but the gym not being open. I had the good fortune to buy the last weights set in the sports shop a few months ago. It's not much, I can either have one 18kg (40lbs) dumbbell or two 9kg dumbbells (20lbs). There's far less to do at home and the motivation just is not the same; actually going to the gym is part of the enjoyment as well as using specialised equipment and floor space.

But I'm still doing a little something most days. It's better than nothing. Tuesday and Wednesday are the only days I never work out because they're my most difficult and tiring days at occupational work.

 

[Michael88]

I can either have one 18kg (40lbs) dumbbell or two 9kg dumbbells (20lbs). There's far less to do at home and the motivation just is not the same; actually going to the gym is part of the enjoyment as well as using specialised equipment and floor space

Don't buy fixed weight dumbbells, they are almost useless. You have to slowly and gradually increase the weights to get stronger and grow more muscle mass, you cant do that with fixed weights. Sure, you can increase the amount of repetitions but above ~12 reps / set its mostly endurance training.

Get bars and a bunch of weight plates. I only work out at home, never been in a Gym, for me the motivation is having a bunch of nice shiny weights sitting in my home. I can walk past them only so many times before I pick up stuff and it becomes a fully blown workout. ( which is 5-6 days / week)