Designing a workout routine
 

It was finally time to get off my lazy butt and get back to the gym. I have taken a 5 year break from taking proper care of myself due to raising a couple of children and a wife.

Now at age 40 and 40lbs later, I have been hitting the gym and cutting calories.

I have been working out a little over a month, dropped a few pounds but I want to really step it up.

I can make it to the gym about 5 days a week but only for a solid hour.

How would you fitness gurus design a weight loss / training program in the gym if you only had 5 hours a week?

The gym I belong to is nice and has most of the usual stuff including pool, running track, free weights, circuit training and of course all the electric machines. Some pretty hot babes as well, so motivation is not a problem.

5 day split?

Mon - Chest day for 20-30 minutes followed by Cardio for 30-40 minutes.

Tues - Back / Shoulders - 20/30 mins - Cardio 30-40 mins

Wed - Abs - 15/20 mins - Cardio 40-45 mins

Thurs - Legs 30-40 mins - skip cardio

Friday - Arms Bi/Tri's - 30 mins - 30 mins cardio


Always do Cardio after the weight training you'll burn more calories this way. Until you get your body fat down I would do Cardio 4 days a week and not less than 3 days a week once you hit target weight.

Diet is everything too monitor your calories / protein / Carb intake closely.

Oh and I will mix up my days and muscle groups.

I will some weeks do Back /Bi and Chest/Tri and Legs/shoulders I also like to do a Ab day once a week and totally destroy my abs.

I try to run every day, since I am in Florida its a little easier to get outside and do it but I prefer running to most other cardio, but if my knees act up I switch to biking.

Good routine there, and you could also split the cardio if you like, some before, some after.

I was taught to ALWAYS do all the cardio after the weight training because the weight training will get your metabolism going and move you into fat burning mode, then the running will burn more calories.

I do not know if this is totally true or not but it seems to work really well when I am trying to loose some weight, it seems to melt off.

Tons of different schools of thought, I had one trainer insist that cardio before is best, another after, and yet another split. Split is working for me right now.

Jim is correct. Always do cardio "after weight training" By weight training first, you deplete your body of glycogen, which will enable you to burn fat more efficiently. Sounds like a pretty good routine. I would focus on the "major" muscle groups like chest, back, legs. Spend a minimum amount of time on the small groups like biceps. Keep it simple and keep it consistent and you'll get results. Don't turn your workouts into an all or nothing experience. If you can only make it to the gym for 15 minutes and only hit one body part, its better than nothing and it keeps you in the habit of going on a regular basis. Just keep going and don't quit.

Gotta work on the guns. :D

Also know that for weight loss the BIGGEST difference you can make is cutting calories out of your diet. Exercise is secondary in weight loss to cutting calories. The average person only burns about 100 to 150 calories per mile whether you walk or run. The bigger you are the more calories you will burn. Cutting out a can of coke a day is equivalent to running 1.5 miles.

It sounds like you are trying to get healthy, not train for a specific event.

An important thing is to keep mixing it up, dont get into a routine. I'm in a rotation now where Legs/back/biceps M-W-F, chest/shoulders/biceps T-R-S/Su . I switch up the emphasis each day. For example, I did more legs last night, Wednesday I'll focus more on back. I try to change it up, but want to do a solid ~45 minutes of weights everyday.

I do start with a moderate 10-12 min on the eliptical to get loose and break a sweat. After weights I'll do 5-10 min of abs then 20-25 min of moderate-high intesity bike, eliptical, run/jog/walk, whatever I'm in the mood for.

For dropping lbs, your diet is key. Cut out sugars and refined grain and focus on veggies and lean protein. You will feel better, loose weight and feel satisfied.

My routine is simple and designed so that I will continue to do it for years - so far three years and going strong.

Walk and/or run four to six days a week. If you feel like running, run, if not at least walk for an hour.

Put a chin-up bar somewhere in your house that you pass several times a day - for me it is my closet door between my room and bathroom. When I started three years ago, I just did one-pull up every time I passed it, every other day.

Since I work at home, on some days I would do scores of pull ups every day, in sets of 1. Now I do 5 pull-ups every time I pass it - some days into the 100s. Every other day change the grip; palms out, palms in, hands apart, hands close in and once a week pull-up behind the neck. The behind the neck ones take some time so don't push yourself.

The days you don't do pull ups, do some crunches. I do three sets of 12 traditional crunches and three sets of 12 (actually 24 total - 12 to each knee) of bicycle crunches - do a Google for description.

That's it. Keep it very simple and not too structured. At least do the hour walks and run when you feel like it! My goal was sustainability. I wanted to have a level of fitness that was balanced and did not require a gym to maintain. Elaborate schedules and routines are not my deal and led me to quit in the past.

What I have found that diet is just as important as the exercise. Chris is right on regarding "Cut out sugars and refined grain and focus on veggies and lean protein. You will feel better, loose weight and feel satisfied." I also eat a lot of fruit too, as fruit's sugars are slow releasing and do not slam your body, but must be processed by your liver.

Keep it simple, not too strenuous and sustainable! Do not rush! The hour walks are good for the mind and the body, too! :)

Also, what works for me may not work for you, so YMMV.

FWIW.

Best,

Kurt

I started using the point system for food and hit the treadmill for 30 to 60 mins a day. I have lost 36 pounds to date and plan on a few more. I now use exercise bands two to three times a week and work on the core muscles. I am running outside up to 5 miles. I really enjoy it. I'm 49 btw. Bike season is here so that adds to it all. Calories in calories out, it's the only way.

Thanks for the tips so far.

Anyone care to discuss what they eat during a typical week. I am struggling coming up with ideas. Salads get real old real fast.

I eat a quick breakfast at home, lunch on the road, and dinner back at home.

My brother-in-law was a body builder and has been working out since he was young. He's 25 now and a rather large and lean. His advice to me was to eat smaller meals, five to six times a day to keep your metabolism surging. Calories are calories no matter what time of day you consume them.

Pullup bar was the first thing he said to do, and walk/run as much as possible. I told him that I am not interested in a gym and the pullup bar is his weapon of choice for home workout. His father was a professional cyclist and he still works out on a pullup bar daily and he's very very strong for a man who is so skinny.

I'll give you a few days of my meals:

Breakfast

egg white omelet
2 pieces of turkey bacon
Glass of orange juice

Lunch

Lean chicken breast
cup of brown rice

Dinner
Turkey Bratwurst X 3 (just the bratwurst)
baked beans

Breakfast
same

Lunch
Turkey sandwich on wheat
Baked potato chips

Dinner
Grilled Salmon
Wilde rice

There are also rotating snacks in there between each meal, crackers and peanut butter, apple slices, granola bars.

Pretty boring, I know, but after losing 100+ pounds I'm willing to sacrifice a few food items to stay feeling healthy.