Wanna get back into weights - advice please

[abpanther]

Hi all,

I've been reading through many threads on this forum and have already learnt quite a few things, just wanna get a little more advice.

I used to do weights training around 6-7 years ago but stopped due to moving, family and personal reasons.

Anyway I'm now keen to get back into it, I'm 6'2" and currently close to 100kgs, keen to get down to around 93kg but also to put on some muscle and tone.

I'm able to go to the gym 3 days a week.

In the past my workout looked something like this

Day 1: Chest/Triceps
Day 2: Back/Biceps
Day 3: Shoulders/Legs

How does that look?

I also have realised since reading this forum that I didn't do many compound exercises, I did do dips and pull ups, but no squats or deadlifts. What are the key compound exercises that I should incorporate into my workout?

I did do lots of isolation stuff (specific deltoid raises, bicep curls, etc).

I used to do 4 reps for each exercise, generally aiming to fail at 12-10-8-6. Is that still a viable routine to gain some size and tone?

Also, in the past I never took protein shakes, just used to eat well and try to have a high protein meal after the gym. Just wondering whether I should consider the protein shakes to help the process?

Any other advise would be much appreciated.

 

[Cliffhanger]

I recommend the StrongLift program. You're lifting 3 days a week and it's very effective.

http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

 

[abpanther]

Have you used it before Cliffy?

 

[Cliffhanger]

Yep, 2 months later I was benching above my body weight. It's a really good training program. I only quit it because lifting heavy weights isn't great for climbing.

 

[abpanther]

Did you notice a difference in your appearance?

 

[Cliffhanger]

Gained a little more tone, but because I had being doing high rep moderate weight lifting and other resistance training I already had good muscle tone and definition and because I didn't have a calorie surplus I didn't put on bulk.

Nutrition is far more important when it comes to influencing appearance. The stronglift eating plan, plus the Strong Lifts program will help you lose fat and gain muscle. The Strong Lift diet is very good eating plan. Most of Mehdi's articles are quality. I recommend stronglifts because it's not too time consuming and it's very straight forward.


If you're willing to read over 300 pages I have an e Book called Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle, it's by Tom Venuto and it is a really quality read. I can email it to you if you like.

 

[abpanther]

The StrongLift program certainly seems like not a whole lot of exercises, I was expecting to spend 1-1.5 hours per workout, seems kinda small. Can I throw in some other exercises around those core compound exercises?

I'd like to get back into doing dips, pull ups, etc.

I also really enjoyed some of the isolation stuff (tricep pull downs, chest cable crossovers, etc) but maybe they're not necessary.

 

[Cliffhanger]

It's half an hour of resistance, and up to 45 minutes of running, 3 times a week.

I did it with other work outs and it worked out fine, but if you eat right it will still work even if it's all you do.

I'd do core stuff on days I didn't do the lifts and Push Ups, Dips and Pull ups on the days I did.

If you want to do body weight stuff, then get a copy of You Are Your Own Gym by Mark Lauren. It's all bodyweight stuff and there's good programs in that too.

 

[dogslife]

If you're just getting back into it, I'd start off by doing mostly compound exercises. The most important ones in my opinion are squats, bench press, shoulder press, pull ups, dips and rows. I don't usually bother with dead lifts, just my opinion, many others would disagree. After a month or so I'd start incorporating more isolation exercises in. If I only had time to go to the gym 3 times a week, I would go

Day 1: Chest/Biceps
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Back/Triceps

Again many will disagree with me, but I don't like to overtrain a particular muscle on any one given day. Also try and leave at least a day in between each gym day for recovery, or better still use it to do a good cardio workout at home if possible. If you're trying to trim down a bit cardio is just as important

 

[adamkungl]

I used to go
day 1 chest tris shoulders
day 2 back biceps
day 3 legs abs

almost exclusively free weight compound exercises (bench, mili press, squats, lunges, deadlifts, rows, chinups, dips), except for a few exceptions. Change things up with incline/decline benching, using bars and dumbells on alternate weeks, etc.

I now do similar over 4 days, shoudlers has its own day, even if I dont fit it all into a week whatever.

 

[abpanther]

It's half an hour of resistance, and up to 45 minutes of running, 3 times a week.

I did it with other work outs and it worked out fine, but if you eat right it will still work even if it's all you do.

I'd do core stuff on days I didn't do the lifts and Push Ups, Dips and Pull ups on the days I did.

If you want to do body weight stuff, then get a copy of You Are Your Own Gym by Mark Lauren. It's all bodyweight stuff and there's good programs in that too.

So are you saying that the StrongLife program also requires 45mins running combined with the weights training?

I don't get what you mean about doing core stuff when lifting and other stuff when not, please elaborate

 

[abpanther]

If you're just getting back into it, I'd start off by doing mostly compound exercises. The most important ones in my opinion are squats, bench press, shoulder press, pull ups, dips and rows. I don't usually bother with dead lifts, just my opinion, many others would disagree. After a month or so I'd start incorporating more isolation exercises in. If I only had time to go to the gym 3 times a week, I would go

Day 1: Chest/Biceps
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Back/Triceps

Again many will disagree with me, but I don't like to overtrain a particular muscle on any one given day. Also try and leave at least a day in between each gym day for recovery, or better still use it to do a good cardio workout at home if possible. If you're trying to trim down a bit cardio is just as important

So where do you squeeze in shoulders?

I was always told to pair like muscles together, but not sure if that was right.

So do you do those compound exsercises and then just sprinkle in some isolated stuff that you like?

What isolated stuff do you like in particular?

 

[abpanther]

I used to go
day 1 chest tris shoulders
day 2 back biceps
day 3 legs abs

almost exclusively free weight compound exercises (bench, mili press, squats, lunges, deadlifts, rows, chinups, dips), except for a few exceptions. Change things up with incline/decline benching, using bars and dumbells on alternate weeks, etc.

I now do similar over 4 days, shoudlers has its own day, even if I dont fit it all into a week whatever.

Gee isn't chest, triceps, shoulders a huge workout? I used to find shoulders is a big workout.

Yeah I used to alternate between bar and free weights also for chest, I used to do flat, incline and decline every week, do you think that's a bit of overkill?

 

[adamkungl]

Gee isn't chest, triceps, shoulders a huge workout? I used to find shoulders is a big workout.

I was compromising on the number of exercises for each. It was during footy season, with training twice a week and a game on top of gym, something has to give.

Yeah I used to alternate between bar and free weights also for chest, I used to do flat, incline and decline every week, do you think that's a bit of overkill?

Nah, I usually do flat and incline on one day, and throw in a decline on another day.

 

[abpanther]

I've never owned a weights belt, should I get one for these compound exercises?

 

[dogslife]

So where do you squeeze in shoulders?

I do a 4 day split so shoulders get their own day, but for a 3 day split I reckon you'll work them enough on the other days. There's no way I chuck shoulders in on legs day as I find leg exercises take it out of me the most. If you stick to bench press, shoulder press, dips etc your shoulders will get bigger in no time.

I was always told to pair like muscles together, but not sure if that was right

Matter of opinion really, check this site out, you'll find a lot of guys do it my way aswell

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=805703&page=1

So do you do those compound exsercises and then just sprinkle in some isolated stuff that you like?

What isolated stuff do you like in particular?

When I first started out it was pretty much all compound exercises, and then when I felt like I was progressing I started doing a lot of isolation exercises too. At the moment I'm about half and half. Some of the isolation exercises I use

Chest: Cable crossover, dumbell chest fly
Bicep: Curls/Preacher curls
Tricep: Rope pulldowns
Shoulders: Side lateral raises
Legs: Calf raises, leg extension

 

[Cliffhanger]

So are you saying that the StrongLife program also requires 45mins running combined with the weights training?

I don't get what you mean ab out doing core stuff when lifting and other stuff when not, please elaborate

I did core on days I didn't lift. I train core on its own. It gets three days a week to itself because it is such a vital part of climbing. However my core muscles get trained with a couple of the workouts I do on other days.

I wouldn't recommend training like me.
At the moment my training is
Monday - Each workout is done by doing 15 reps in a set and five sets per workout. I allow myself one minute per set. Push resistance training, close grip leg elevated pushups, dive bombers, military press, basketball pushups, psuedo planche push ups, incline bench press, decline bench press, normal bench press and thusts, dips. I also do HIIT burpees (1 minutes train, 30 second rest and repeat ten times) and I climb for a few hours.

Tuesday - Core - same set makeup as Monday, hanging leg raisers, flutter kicks, hanging oblique crunches, crunches, bicycle crunch, v crunch, jack knives, plank, S & M pushups (these are in no way like pushups apart from you starting in the classic pushup position.
1 hours run
Tabatas - Russian twists, lying leg raisers, and leg lifts. I also climb for a 2 hours.

Wednesday, pull resistance training - same set set out except I only do 5 pull ups per set because I suck a them) pull ups, inverted rows, let me ins, core rows, tricep extensions, wrist curls, towel curls, reverse grip inverted rows, )

Thurseday is the same as Tuesday,

Friday is Legs - same set out except with One legged RDLs 5 reps per leg, Squats, back lunges, side lunges, squats, bulgarian split squats, one legged squats, explosive squats, and Toyotas. Climbing and Stappers (I do 6 inverted rows, 12 side lunges and 8 pushups and repeat it as many times as possible for 20 minutes without resting.

Saturdays is same Tues and Thurs except no tabatas and 2 hour run in the morning and I usually climb outdoors.

Sunday is a rest day so only a recovery run.

The only workouts I do using weight are all the bench press ones, thrusts, core rows, tricep extensions and wrist curls.

 

[abpanther]

Protein shakes necessary?

 

[Dragon]

A good read

http://www.leangains.com/2011/09/f**karounditis.html

 

[dogslife]

I've never owned a weights belt, should I get one for these compound exercises?

Not necessary imo. I don't see too many people wearing them at the gym. If you've got chronic back or spinal issues it might be worth looking into, but if you're not lifting super heavy weights, it's a bit of a waste of money

Protein shakes necessary?

Not necessary, but they do help. Saves me cooking meals before and after a workout. You need about 1.5-2g of protein per kg of bodyweight a day if you're lifting, so you just have to weigh up whether the added convenience is worth the cost for yourself