What's your average workout like (gym)?

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jaciejaciexoxo
jaciejaciexoxo Posts: 49 Member
I'm a 19 year old beginner bodybuilder (female) trying to figure out how other peoples workouts tend to be structured; I have a few very general questions for anyone who works out but ideally people who go to the gym, weight-lift/ want to gain muscle weight/size all over or specific areas...if you could include gender it would be nice but that's up to you...*my goal is to gain 15-20 lbs and training mainly lower body in the gym...

1. How long do your sessions usually last per day?

2. How many different exercises do you tend to do per session/day?

3. How many reps/sets you do & why/ body goals?

4. How often do you do the same workout routine per week?/How often does it change?

5. What do you eat before the gym if anything? What after?

6. For those that have anemia if anyone, what you do/use to overcome low energy & light headedness?

Thank you! :)
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Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited May 2018
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    I'm a 19 year old beginner bodybuilder (female) trying to figure out how other peoples workouts tend to be structured; I have a few very general questions for anyone who works out but ideally people who go to the gym, weight-lift/ want to gain muscle weight/size all over or specific areas...if you could include gender it would be nice but that's up to you...

    1. How long do your sessions usually last per day? - About 2 hours, give or take, depending on the current volume of my program. That's not counting any cardio.

    2. How many different exercises do you tend to do per session/day? - Eight-ish. Usually the big 3, plus accessories.

    3. How many reps/sets you do & why/ body goals? - However many my program calls for that day.

    4. How often do you do the same workout routine per week?/How often does it change? - My coach sets my program. I just do as I'm told.

    5. What do you eat before the gym if anything? What after? I eat when I'm hungry. Never before, because I'm in the gym at 4:30 a.m. and cannot eat that early. My first meal is usually about 9:30 or 10:00.

    7. For those that have anemia if anyone, what you do/use to overcome low energy & light headedness? N/A

    Thank you! :)

    Answers above. I'm a 43 year old female powerlifter.

    If you're going to bodybuild, you need a coach. Believe me. At the very least, you need a structured program. There are some really good programs in this thread.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
  • jaciejaciexoxo
    jaciejaciexoxo Posts: 49 Member
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    Thank you so much :smiley:

    I'm currently working on my business so unfortunately I won't be putting money towards trainers. My sister is getting her certification soon though & I will be beginning my courses. I'm not looking to copy the structure of anyone who answers bc I know everyone's needs, preferences, and experiences are different.

    I was just curious to gauge what other people do in their workouts lol
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,216 Member
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    47, male.

    1. Usually about 1.5 hours... sometimes a bit longer dependent on rest periods.
    2. 6 - 8 lifts. Usually only two or three of those are accessory.
    3. 3-4 sets. rep range is 5-10. 5 reps on power days and 8-10 on hypertrophy days.
    4. I've been doing the same workout for over a year now. I have no plans on changing it anytime soon. I do turn rebel sometimes and change some accessories around.
    5. I don't eat immediately prior to the gym. I do, however, drink a super strong cup of instant coffee.
    6. No anemia. I have the opposite problem and have to donate blood twice a year.

    Your welcome! :)
  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
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    Hey, hey! Everyone is different. So, what you need to kill it might be totally different from what someone else needs. Just a very general comment there.

    So, female....there are three different paths you can take, right? Which one are you going to pursue? That will determine what you will need to do. Different paths have different focuses. That is why there are three different paths! :-)

    Once you share that then we might be able to better help. The best answer - get a coach who can help you and who has experience with that path! Lots and lots of potential coaches that I could recommend.....but your desired path would be a great piece of information for us to help you.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
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    I usually lift 2-3x wk. My workouts take about 30 min. I focus on bench, squat, OHP, rows or pullups, glute bridge or hip thrusts, deadlifts. I am working through prirformis syndrome and a sore shoulder, so it has changed my training on OHP/rows and deads a bit, so I'm trying some different exercises like pullups, split lunges, good morning, RDLs. I rotate strength/hypertrophy with power on my bench and squats, more hypertrophy range on everything else. I need to gain a few lbs.
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
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    I'm a 36yo female, bulking on 2800 cals/day.

    1. How long do your sessions usually last per day? About an hour

    2. How many different exercises do you tend to do per session/day? I usually do two sessions a day, about seven different lifts plus a MetCon

    3. How many reps/sets you do & why/ body goals? Sets are anywhere between three and nine per lift, anything between one and ten reps

    4. How often do you do the same workout routine per week?/How often does it change? Lifting five days a week, each day is different, but same week to week... legs and back M/W/F and chest, shoulders, and arms T/Th

    5. What do you eat before the gym if anything? What after? Before, I have a high carb protein bar and some preworkout, after, Ihave a protein shake and breakfast

    6. For those that have anemia if anyone, what you do/use to overcome low energy & light headedness? During TOM Itake extra iron supps

  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    edited May 2018
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    I'm a 19 year old beginner bodybuilder (female) trying to figure out how other peoples workouts tend to be structured; I have a few very general questions for anyone who works out but ideally people who go to the gym, weight-lift/ want to gain muscle weight/size all over or specific areas...if you could include gender it would be nice but that's up to you...*my goal is to gain 15-20 lbs and training mainly lower body in the gym...

    Female, 37 yrs old.

    1. How long do your sessions usually last per day?
    ~34 minutes/ 3x per week ideally
    realistically, quite a few of those are 25 minutes or 2x per week.


    2. How many different exercises do you tend to do per session/day?

    ~8ish. the main ones are bolded

    Generally:
    Superset1 (3 sets): Leg (squats or deadlifts), Pull (bent over rows or lat pulldowns), Abs (leg raises or sit-ups or planks)-time fill
    Superset2 (3 sets): Push (overhead press or bench press), back extensions (glutes), hip abd/add machines/0-wt lunges/squats - time fill
    Superset3 (1 set): arm iso. (tricep pushdowns or bicep curls).

    (the last items in the first 2 supersets are mainly there to kill an extra minute of rest time without wasting it completely)
    (1 & 2 drop to 2 sets if extra low on time)
    (items 3 in superset 2 are 1 set each)


    3. How many reps/sets you do & why/ body goals?

    see above on sets. (started on 5x5, needed to reduce time down - went to 4 sets of 6 then to 3 sets of 6-8ish). reps: on the main arm items: 6-10 (drop to 6 if upping to a new weight, then up reps before upping weight-harder to add fractional weight to dumbells - I mostly use dumbbells rather than barbell for arm stuff because no added set-up time. Legs- 6 reps (I have a pair of 1.25 lb plates).

    4. How often do you do the same workout routine per week?/How often does it change?
    alternates A/B.

    5. What do you eat before the gym if anything? What after?

    before: food bar usually (160-200 calories) on my way out the door.
    after: A greek yogurt at my desk (100-140 calories) after. If extra ravenous, an extra 1/2 food bar or cottage cheese (~80 calories).


    6. For those that have anemia if anyone, what you do/use to overcome low energy & light headedness?
    N/A


    ETA: to fix quote tag
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    42 years old
    male
    recomping
    1. 30-45 minutes, not including warm-ups, stretching, etc etc
    2. 4
    3. main lift is 5/3/1 style, secondary lift is 5x10, accessory lifts are 3 sets of whatever I can handle, usually 6-12 reps
    4. every time, never (at least not until my goals change)
    5. nothing specifically workout related. Sometimes a pre-workout depending on how I'm feeling. I usually have a protein shake afterwards (personal preference)
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    edited May 2018
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    I am a 34 year old female, I don't compete but goal is muscle building, lower body (glute) focus. I've run several bulk/cut cycles, right now I am about 24lbs heavier than my initial start weight.

    1. My sessions are about 75min per day, 4-5x per week
    2. Usually about 5-7 exercises, not including glute activation and finishers. On a full body day..one glute focus, quad focus, hamstring/hip focus, a push, a pull, and glute accessories
    3. I do a variety of rep ranges, but mostly three sets in the 8-12 range especially when I'm bulking. Higher rep for accessories.
    4. My routine is three full body days per week (lower focus), one lower only day (glute focus) plus one upper day.
    5. One hour before a snack of carbs and protein, then right before an espresso and candy/dried fruit while I warm-up and between sets. After I have a high protein meal.

    Are you thinking about competing? Or just bodybuilding for fun, that is what I do.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    I lift, but I'm not a bodybuilder...I mostly lift for cross training for my cycling.

    I have friends that are both competitive bodybuilders and recreational. They typically spend 1.5 - 2 hours per day 5 days per week in the gym. At minimum, you're going to need to follow a well structured hypertrophy program and eat. If you're looking at getting on stage and competing, you're going to need a coach.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    edited May 2018
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    47 yr Male - goal is primarily strength and endurance. My focus is triathlons/adventure racing.

    1. How long do your sessions usually last per day?

    ~1-2 hrs/day including lifting and cardio

    2. How many different exercises do you tend to do per session/day?

    3-4 / day

    3. How many reps/sets you do & why/ body goals?

    4-8 lifting sets - reps vary depending on strength/building goal. For strength I follow Stronglifts

    4. How often do you do the same workout routine per week?/How often does it change?

    I've been in the same routine for about 2 years now. I may change up from time to time and do cable work vs. free weights, but it's generally the same.

    5. What do you eat before the gym if anything? What after?

    I don't really time meals around the gym, but just make sure I have enough fuel in the tank, but not too much that inhibits workout.

    6. For those that have anemia if anyone, what you do/use to overcome low energy & light headedness?

    No anemia, but sans thyroid. I use caffeine (coffee) usually or candy for a quick boost and make sure I am well hydrated.



  • Riff1970
    Riff1970 Posts: 136 Member
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    47 male. Main goal is to build muscle.

    1. 1.5 hours
    2. 2-6 exercises per muscle group (2 for easy gain muscle, 6 for hard gain muscle)
    3. 3 sets per exercise. 6-20 reps (I usually start light then add weight and reduce reps each set) (I feel I get more out of higher rep sets like 10-20 reps)
    4. I try to hit the same muscle group every 4 or 5 days. I change it after 6-10 times. I’m usually bored with it by then.
    5. I like fruit and a protein shake before the gym. Grapes, bananas and satsumas. After is whatever I’m having for lunch.
    6. I have thalassemia but my energy is through the roof already. I still like a little caffeine pre before the gym though.
  • jaciejaciexoxo
    jaciejaciexoxo Posts: 49 Member
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    I am a 34 year old female, I don't compete but goal is muscle building, lower body (glute) focus. I've run several bulk/cut cycles, right now I am about 24lbs heavier than my initial start weight.

    1. My sessions are about 75min per day, 4-5x per week
    2. Usually about 5-7 exercises, not including glute activation and finishers. On a full body day..one glute focus, quad focus, hamstring/hip focus, a push, a pull, and glute accessories
    3. I do a variety of rep ranges, but mostly three sets in the 8-12 range especially when I'm bulking. Higher rep for accessories.
    4. My routine is three full body days per week (lower focus), one lower only day (glute focus) plus one upper day.
    5. One hour before a snack of carbs and protein, then right before an espresso and candy/dried fruit while I warm-up and between sets. After I have a high protein meal.

    Are you thinking about competing? Or just bodybuilding for fun, that is what I do.

    No competing just to gain weight really & it IS fun to do lol
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,970 Member
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    I'm not a body builder or power lifter, I mostly lift to build overall strength and to help me with my sport where, as I get faster, strength becomes more and more of an issue being a female especially.

    So, to answer your questions:
    1. How long do your sessions usually last per day? 2 hours, first hour is warm-up and my martial arts training, second hour is weight lifting with 15ish minutes of stretching at the end.

    2. How many different exercises do you tend to do per session/day? ST: ~6 exercises/day

    3. How many reps/sets you do & why/ body goals? , ~3 sets, ~6 reps. I'm still rebuilding atrophy in my leg(s) and upper body comes into play a lot on the bike at higher speeds, and core supports it all, so it's pretty full body for me.

    4. How often do you do the same workout routine per week?/How often does it change? I do a 5 day split, so I don't repeat the exact same exercises each week, although muscle groups may be hit in different ways on different days.

    5. What do you eat before the gym if anything? What after? I workout first thing in the AM, and can't eat when i get up, so I just throw some BCAA in my gym water to help me through the workout. When I get home I have my protein shake with a banana.

    6. For those that have anemia if anyone, what you do/use to overcome low energy & light headedness? N/A
  • DDW1989
    DDW1989 Posts: 10 Member
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    I'm a 29yo female currently bulking at about 2500 calories per day. I would say that I follow a pretty typical bodybuilding training and diet program prepared for me by my coach.

    1. How long do your sessions usually last per day? 1.5-2 hours depending on what I am training.

    2. How many different exercises do you tend to do per session/day? It ranges from 4 - 6 depending on what I am training that day.

    3. How many reps/sets you do & why/ body goals? I generally do 3-5 sets per exercise with 6-20 reps. Again, it depends on what I am training and whether I am doing a heavy day or high-volume day. My body goals are to gain size for the purpose of competing.

    4. How often do you do the same workout routine per week?/How often does it change? I do a 5 day split with an additional day of cardio/abs/extra delts but each week my exercises for each muscle group may change depending on what's available at the gym or what I feel like.

    5. What do you eat before the gym if anything? What after? I train in the evening so I eat dinner about an hour before I workout and then I eat a meal after that includes protein and carbs.

    6. For those that have anemia if anyone, what you do/use to overcome low energy & light headedness? I have always been anemic and I have low blood pressure so I tend to get lightheaded a lot. I take iron supplements but otherwise I just rest between sets and mostly ignore it. It hasn't had an adverse effect on my training!
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
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    I'm a 24 y/o male training for mostly strength but hypertrophy is never frowned upon.


    Typical workout is about 1-2 hours depending on the percentages and intensities of my lifts.

    My typical day consists of 3-5 exercises

    With generally 4-8 working sets consisting of 1-4 reps for main movements then 4-10 for accessories

    I don't do a body part split but rather my week is focussed around the main lifts. I have 2 days that consist of squat/bench. Then 2 days that are deadlift/bench. With the 5th being a low intensity deadlift accessory and the same for bench.

    Accessory movements being presses, pulls, extensions, and abs. My week to week changes drastically, it rarely mirrors the week previous to it.

    I rarely eat before the gym. Purely because I workout after waking up and I can't keep food down in the morning. For post workout. Generally red meat and a high carb grain source. Like a burger or pizza :smiley:

  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
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    jessef593 wrote: »
    I'm a 24 y/o male training for mostly strength but hypertrophy is never frowned upon.


    Typical workout is about 1-2 hours depending on the percentages and intensities of my lifts.

    My typical day consists of 3-5 exercises

    With generally 4-8 working sets consisting of 1-4 reps for main movements then 4-10 for accessories

    I don't do a body part split but rather my week is focussed around the main lifts. I have 2 days that consist of squat/bench. Then 2 days that are deadlift/bench. With the 5th being a low intensity deadlift accessory and the same for bench.

    Accessory movements being presses, pulls, extensions, and abs. My week to week changes drastically, it rarely mirrors the week previous to it.

    I rarely eat before the gym. Purely because I workout after waking up and I can't keep food down in the morning. For post workout. Generally red meat and a high carb grain source. Like a burger or pizza :smiley:

    Mmmm... burgers are my favorite <3
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
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    jessef593 wrote: »
    I'm a 24 y/o male training for mostly strength but hypertrophy is never frowned upon.


    Typical workout is about 1-2 hours depending on the percentages and intensities of my lifts.

    My typical day consists of 3-5 exercises

    With generally 4-8 working sets consisting of 1-4 reps for main movements then 4-10 for accessories

    I don't do a body part split but rather my week is focussed around the main lifts. I have 2 days that consist of squat/bench. Then 2 days that are deadlift/bench. With the 5th being a low intensity deadlift accessory and the same for bench.

    Accessory movements being presses, pulls, extensions, and abs. My week to week changes drastically, it rarely mirrors the week previous to it.

    I rarely eat before the gym. Purely because I workout after waking up and I can't keep food down in the morning. For post workout. Generally red meat and a high carb grain source. Like a burger or pizza :smiley:

    Mmmm... burgers are my favorite <3

    Oyaaaaa. I had a bison burger with blue berries, goat cheese, and onion compote not long ago. Hot damn so good
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
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    jessef593 wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    I'm a 24 y/o male training for mostly strength but hypertrophy is never frowned upon.


    Typical workout is about 1-2 hours depending on the percentages and intensities of my lifts.

    My typical day consists of 3-5 exercises

    With generally 4-8 working sets consisting of 1-4 reps for main movements then 4-10 for accessories

    I don't do a body part split but rather my week is focussed around the main lifts. I have 2 days that consist of squat/bench. Then 2 days that are deadlift/bench. With the 5th being a low intensity deadlift accessory and the same for bench.

    Accessory movements being presses, pulls, extensions, and abs. My week to week changes drastically, it rarely mirrors the week previous to it.

    I rarely eat before the gym. Purely because I workout after waking up and I can't keep food down in the morning. For post workout. Generally red meat and a high carb grain source. Like a burger or pizza :smiley:

    Mmmm... burgers are my favorite <3

    Oyaaaaa. I had a bison burger with blue berries, goat cheese, and onion compote not long ago. Hot damn so good

    WTF? Sounds crazy and amazing. Must try!