Workout routine for guys over 40 who want to look 20
brtgl
Posts: 130 Member
After having hurt my shoulder two years ago, and only jogging since the injury, I'm back at LA Fitness and am looking to nail down a workout routine. I'm actually over 50, but feel like I'm still 40.
I've seen so many workout plans, but some only hit each muscle group once a week, which doesn't seem frequent enough. I'd like to be able to go into the gym and know exactly what machines to hit each day.
Instead of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc., I'd just go with Day 1, Day 2, and so forth. Here's sort of a start of what I'm trying to figure out, keeping in mind that I want to hit all muscles groups, but give just a little extra emphasis to the chest, which seems to have the most catching up to do, and the abs. I understand that abs start in the kitchen. I'm logging everything I eat and am targeting 1,500 calories per day, not eating after 7pm, etc.
Workout Routine Option #1
This approach is one that seems to hit each muscle group a little too infrequently (every nine days), but is one I'm still creating and considering:
Day 1: Chest and Triceps
Day 2:
20 minutes on elliptical or treadmill
Rest muscles
Day 3: Biceps and Back
Day 4:
20 minutes on elliptical or treadmill
Rest muscles
Day 5: Shoulders and Traps
Day 6:
20 minutes on elliptical or treadmill
Rest muscles
Day 7: Legs and Abs
Day 8:
20 minutes on elliptical or treadmill
Rest muscles
Repeat
Workout Routine Option #2
This approach hits every muscle group every seven days.
Day 1: Upper Body
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Legs
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Core
Day 6: Rest
Repeat
Workout Routine Option #3
This approach hits every muscle group every two or three days.
Day 1: Full body
Day 2: Rest
Repeat after Day 2 or maybe two days of rest.
Thanks for any suggestions.
I've seen so many workout plans, but some only hit each muscle group once a week, which doesn't seem frequent enough. I'd like to be able to go into the gym and know exactly what machines to hit each day.
Instead of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc., I'd just go with Day 1, Day 2, and so forth. Here's sort of a start of what I'm trying to figure out, keeping in mind that I want to hit all muscles groups, but give just a little extra emphasis to the chest, which seems to have the most catching up to do, and the abs. I understand that abs start in the kitchen. I'm logging everything I eat and am targeting 1,500 calories per day, not eating after 7pm, etc.
Workout Routine Option #1
This approach is one that seems to hit each muscle group a little too infrequently (every nine days), but is one I'm still creating and considering:
Day 1: Chest and Triceps
- 10 minutes on elliptical or treadmill
- Incline Press Startrac
- Nitro Vertical Chest
- Freemotion Chest
- Pectoral Fly
- Nautilus Lat Pulldown
- Hammer Strength ISO Lateral Incline Press
Day 2:
20 minutes on elliptical or treadmill
Rest muscles
Day 3: Biceps and Back
Day 4:
20 minutes on elliptical or treadmill
Rest muscles
Day 5: Shoulders and Traps
Day 6:
20 minutes on elliptical or treadmill
Rest muscles
Day 7: Legs and Abs
Day 8:
20 minutes on elliptical or treadmill
Rest muscles
Repeat
Workout Routine Option #2
This approach hits every muscle group every seven days.
Day 1: Upper Body
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: Legs
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Core
Day 6: Rest
Repeat
Workout Routine Option #3
This approach hits every muscle group every two or three days.
Day 1: Full body
Day 2: Rest
Repeat after Day 2 or maybe two days of rest.
Thanks for any suggestions.
2
Replies
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Follow a tried tested and true method. Look into starting strenght, stronglifts 5x5 for 3 times/week full body. consider also PHUL, you will hit each muscle group twice.
For your option 2 above... why on earth would you consider giving core its own day. You could say
Day 1, upper, day 2 lower, day 3 rest, day 4 upper, day 5 lower, day six rest. and do some core on each upper day.5 -
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I just installed the app and got to a page that says "Next". Then it lists three workouts:
Squat 5x5 45lb
Bench 5x5 45lb
Row 5x5 65lb
Is that it for one visit to the gym? If so, I've already been doing more for Bench. This was Sunday's workout (Copied and pasted from my spreadsheet):
Incline Press Startrac 60
Nitro Vertical Chest 65
Freemotion Chest 35
Pectoral Fly 55
Nautilus Lat Pulldown 90
Hammer Strength ISO Lateral Incline Press 90
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I just installed the app and got to a page that says "Next". Then it lists three workouts:
Squat 5x5 45lb
Bench 5x5 45lb
Row 5x5 65lb
Is that it for one visit to the gym? If so, I've already been doing more for Bench. This was Sunday's workout (Copied and pasted from my spreadsheet):
Incline Press Startrac 60
Nitro Vertical Chest 65
Freemotion Chest 35
Pectoral Fly 55
Nautilus Lat Pulldown 90
Hammer Strength ISO Lateral Incline Press 90
Yes, that's it. 5 sets plus warm up for each exercise. In addition, you will be adding 5 lbs to the weight you do every workout until you max out, so the weight increases fast!!
Remember you may have done more before once a week, but you will be benching 3 times/week in this program, so each day has less volume, though volume for the week is probably more than what you were doing
These exercises are also free weights, not machines, so your stabilizing muscles and core get worked too.
why were you doing 6 different exercises for chest in one workout before? how many sets of each did you do? this workout will have you do 25 working sets/week on bench
1 -
I did three sets of 10 for each exercise. I knew much of what I was doing was unnecessary and redundant, but was basically getting acclimated with the equipment.
1 -
Are we supposed to do these on consecutive days or should there be a day of rest in between. I can't seem to find that answer. Last night's exercise was easy. I was tempted to add weight, but thought I'd do exactly what the app instructed:
Squat 5x5 45lb
Bench 5x5 45lb
Row 5x5 65lb
1 -
Are we supposed to do these on consecutive days or should there be a day of rest in between. I can't seem to find that answer. Last night's exercise was easy. I was tempted to add weight, but thought I'd do exactly what the app instructed:
Squat 5x5 45lb
Bench 5x5 45lb
Row 5x5 65lb
Take a day off in between, never back to back days.
It starts light for a few reasons, one of which is allowing our joints and ligaments to adjust, as they are usually slower than muscles and could be where one becomes injury prone, follow the program as it. It will get tough soon enough.2 -
Are we supposed to do these on consecutive days or should there be a day of rest in between. I can't seem to find that answer. Last night's exercise was easy. I was tempted to add weight, but thought I'd do exactly what the app instructed:
Squat 5x5 45lb
Bench 5x5 45lb
Row 5x5 65lb
Take a day off in between, never back to back days.
It starts light for a few reasons, one of which is allowing our joints and ligaments to adjust, as they are usually slower than muscles and could be where one becomes injury prone, follow the program as it. It will get tough soon enough.
I'm chomping at the bit to see results, but I'll be patient. If I'm also gunning for abs, will this help accomplish that goal or should I supplement it with something else?0 -
You would be get better results with Starting Strength than SL. Especially over 50.
Another option would be...
Mon: Heavy Bench/Light OHP
Tues: Heavy Squat/Light DL
Thurs: Heavy OHP/Light Bench
Fri: Heavy DL/Light Squat
I'm nearing 50 and would hazard I have a better body than the majority of most 25 year olds. It's a simple process that takes dedication, nutrition, recovery, and patience.2 -
Are we supposed to do these on consecutive days or should there be a day of rest in between. I can't seem to find that answer. Last night's exercise was easy. I was tempted to add weight, but thought I'd do exactly what the app instructed:
Squat 5x5 45lb
Bench 5x5 45lb
Row 5x5 65lb
Take a day off in between, never back to back days.
It starts light for a few reasons, one of which is allowing our joints and ligaments to adjust, as they are usually slower than muscles and could be where one becomes injury prone, follow the program as it. It will get tough soon enough.
I'm chomping at the bit to see results, but I'll be patient. If I'm also gunning for abs, will this help accomplish that goal or should I supplement it with something else?
Aren't we all. Unfortunately, it doesn't really work like that.
Once you are on a good program, the only thing you need to "supplement" that programming with is the correct diet.1 -
exercise wont help uncover your abs, fat loss will. With this program you will get a lot of core activation, so no need to add extra in, unless it becomes your limiting factor when weight gets higher. Squats, Rows, Deadlifts, OH press will all work your core, as you have to stabilize yourself when performing the exercises.
If you do additional core exercise, your core may not have recovered enough to do this routine, so if you do add any core movements, do it on the same day, at the end of the SL routine.0 -
Are we supposed to do these on consecutive days or should there be a day of rest in between. I can't seem to find that answer. Last night's exercise was easy. I was tempted to add weight, but thought I'd do exactly what the app instructed:
Squat 5x5 45lb
Bench 5x5 45lb
Row 5x5 65lb
Take a day off in between, never back to back days.
It starts light for a few reasons, one of which is allowing our joints and ligaments to adjust, as they are usually slower than muscles and could be where one becomes injury prone, follow the program as it. It will get tough soon enough.
I'm chomping at the bit to see results, but I'll be patient. If I'm also gunning for abs, will this help accomplish that goal or should I supplement it with something else?
settle in- enjoy the grind- this process takes years.
also- abs are a function of body fat- which means - controlling your diet. You can exercise to you are literally blue in the face- but if you don't control your food- you won't get there.3 -
Are we supposed to do these on consecutive days or should there be a day of rest in between. I can't seem to find that answer. Last night's exercise was easy. I was tempted to add weight, but thought I'd do exactly what the app instructed:
Squat 5x5 45lb
Bench 5x5 45lb
Row 5x5 65lb
Take a day off in between, never back to back days.
It starts light for a few reasons, one of which is allowing our joints and ligaments to adjust, as they are usually slower than muscles and could be where one becomes injury prone, follow the program as it. It will get tough soon enough.
I'm chomping at the bit to see results, but I'll be patient. If I'm also gunning for abs, will this help accomplish that goal or should I supplement it with something else?
settle in- enjoy the grind- this process takes years.
also- abs are a function of body fat- which means - controlling your diet. You can exercise to you are literally blue in the face- but if you don't control your food- you won't get there.
Yes, I learned a few weeks back, when consulting with a trainer, that abs start in the kitchen. My diet right now is capped at 1,500 calories, which has caused me to have to make some adjustments. For example, I used to have a Noosa yogurt every morning (nothing else for breakfast), but have switched to Siggi's.
Sometimes my college kids will make a protein shake and ask if I want one (Body Fortress Isolate Protein with banana, peanut butter, and honey) and I'll have anywhere from half to a full serving. Hard to say no to that, because of the yum factor.
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lol 1500 seems low for you- not sure how tall you are- but I'm at 1800 as a woman and I'm SQUARELY in a deficit.
But yeah- protein shakes are probably fine- but bananas and peanut butter probably put it over the top.0 -
lol 1500 seems low for you- not sure how tall you are- but I'm at 1800 as a woman and I'm SQUARELY in a deficit.
But yeah- protein shakes are probably fine- but bananas and peanut butter probably put it over the top.
I wondered about the 1,500 calories myself. Some online tool calculated that for me. I'm 5' 11", 189 pounds and 23.4% body fat. I was 201 on December 10, 2017 and managed to not gain anything over Christmas. I thought 185 pounds was going to be my target weight, but I'm still seeing a little extra on me that I'd like to shave off.0 -
lol 1500 seems low for you- not sure how tall you are- but I'm at 1800 as a woman and I'm SQUARELY in a deficit.
But yeah- protein shakes are probably fine- but bananas and peanut butter probably put it over the top.
I wondered about the 1,500 calories myself. Some online tool calculated that for me. I'm 5' 11", 189 pounds and 23.4% body fat. I was 201 on December 10, 2017 and managed to not gain anything over Christmas. I thought 185 pounds was going to be my target weight, but I'm still seeing a little extra on me that I'd like to shave off.
Try Scooby's TDEE Calculator- comes up if you google it. that's WAY to low for you.0 -
There is a thread in the Gaining forum called Which Lifting Program is Right For You? Surprised no one has mentioned it, but I can't post the link right now.0
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I'm a big fan of SL 5x5 personally, it just works for me. If you have the time you can check out a 5-3-1 program but it involves a lot more sets. If all you care about is looks you don't need to do much else, it will mostly depend on your diet.
Personally I'm a pig so I have to work out a ton if I want to cut, the older I get the harder I find it is to eat on a deficit so I need to supplement with a lot of exercise.0 -
lol 1500 seems low for you- not sure how tall you are- but I'm at 1800 as a woman and I'm SQUARELY in a deficit.
But yeah- protein shakes are probably fine- but bananas and peanut butter probably put it over the top.
I wondered about the 1,500 calories myself. Some online tool calculated that for me. I'm 5' 11", 189 pounds and 23.4% body fat. I was 201 on December 10, 2017 and managed to not gain anything over Christmas. I thought 185 pounds was going to be my target weight, but I'm still seeing a little extra on me that I'd like to shave off.
I'm 5'10, 181. I work out six days a week (four olympic weightlifting, one 60-min HIIT session, and one 30 mile bike ride). My maintenance level is over 2600 calories per day. I'm losing over one pound per week at 2000. It depends how active you are, but 1500 seems pretty low.
Of course this all depends on how accurate you are at tracking calories.0 -
Roadie2000 wrote: »I'm a big fan of SL 5x5 personally, it just works for me. If you have the time you can check out a 5-3-1 program but it involves a lot more sets.
And math.
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I'll continue on with SL 5x5 even though it seems a little slow out of the gate. For food and diet, I did that Scooby's Calorie Calculator (thanks for the tip - http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/) and got the following:
Daily calories to maintain weight (TDEE): 2140
Daily calories based on goal in step 6: 1712
So, I'm not too far off with my 1,500 and will up it to 1,712. As far as my activity is concerned, I sit at my desk most of the work day, but I work from home and can have little fitness breaks whenever. I have a Garmin Vivo smart HR+ and target 10,000 steps per day, no matter what. It also calculates Intensity Minutes with a target of 150 and I always achieve that. I tripled it last week. My weight on 12/10/17 was 201. Now I'm at 188.8.0 -
if you are eating 1500 plus eating back your exercise caloreis, that sounds like a good level. If you are eating 1500 and not eating back those cals, then I would suggest upping them to the 1712ish as 200/day over the course of a week can make a difference with recovery and energy levels.2
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if you are eating 1500 plus eating back your exercise caloreis, that sounds like a good level. If you are eating 1500 and not eating back those cals, then I would suggest upping them to the 1712ish as 200/day over the course of a week can make a difference with recovery and energy levels.
Very good point. I forgot about that. I am eating back the calories. For example, in My Fitness Pal, I logged 1,656 calories yesterday, but after exercise, 162 calories were added back, totaling 1,662 allowed for yesterday, so I was six calories shy of my maximum allowable for yesterday.0 -
There is a thread in the Gaining forum called Which Lifting Program is Right For You? Surprised no one has mentioned it, but I can't post the link right now.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p11 -
There is a thread in the Gaining forum called Which Lifting Program is Right For You? Surprised no one has mentioned it, but I can't post the link right now.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
Thanks. I ended up going with StrongLifts 5×5 http://stronglifts.com/5x5/ a few days ago. Your link categorizes it as "beginner". That's interesting, but not surprising. SO far, it's been very, very easy, but I understand it gets more strenuous.0 -
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JerSchmare wrote: »I’m doing ppl/ppl/rest. I’m finishing week 3 and digging it. What I like about is it’s very flexible. You can do it 3, 4, 5, or 6 Days a week. I do 6 Days, but you don’t have to.
Also, don’t spend too much time obsessing over the perfect program. At the end of the day, all the good ones are the same, you push and pull. Deadlift, squat, bench press, and then other stuff to support those main heavy lifts. It’s pretty simple.
Can you elaborate on "ppl/ppl/rest"? I'd like to check it out.0
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