Program for a re-starter

redheadmommy

I like strength training, always have, and did some lifting on and off over the years, but usually ad hoc not following any particular program or structure. Except P90X home workout 2 .5 yrs ago, but I haven't finished that one. In the past 6 years my life have changed completely and I had countless hormone therapies, 2 babies, who breastfeed them over 3 yrs combined. In the process I lost over 15 lb muscle mass, and gained 40 lb of fat. , yikes.
Anyway, I have weaned my last baby , and we have done having kids, so it is time to reverse this nasty body change I went through. I want to lift heavy now.

I started P90X3 6 weeks ago, but I am not really impressed with the results. It is a 30 minutes homeworkout program, and it has 2-3 strength training days a week, but not really compound movements. I experienced some strength gains in the past 6 weeks, but not a lot. Plus the program only uses dumbbells, and I already hit my max dumbbell limits on multiple moves and i am only half way through the program. I feel like without able to increase the weights , i won't improve, right? I am thinking to join a gym across the street to get access to higher weights.

First I wanted to finish this program over there, but having doubt. If join the gym anyway, what is the point of following a routine, which designed for limited equipments? Maybe I should utilize the gym full arsenals like barbells and stuff and do what brings the most result. I have read about strong lifts 5x5 and the new rules of women strength training, but I do not know what to choose.

How long these programs? Which leads to the more result? I am not really a beginner, but not advanced either, plus I have a lot of fat. My upper body is weak, especially the triceps, but but I have very strong lower body, I think.

Any suggesions?

goodc0re

When I was training regularly for about 1 year, 4 days a week weights, 3 days AM cardio pre-breakfast, I was always doing a 4 day split where I would do Chest / Triceps Mondays, Back and Biceps on Tuesdays, Legs and Abs on Thursdays and Back / Biceps+Triceps Superset on Fridays. I would aim for 4 sets , I warm-up set, and then 3 x 12 making sure to select a weight that would be heavy enough as to JUST manage to do the 12 reps. Sometimes when using a heavier weight I would only mange 10 - 11 reps with maximum effort, then I would use the same weight again the next week until I managed the full 12 reps, then I would use a higher weight the next week, and so on.

From your post, I would for sure join that gym if I were you, especially if its so close to home, you should love it! Get a new routine, log each week how much weight you are using at every exercise so that you can use a bit more next week or whenever you just manage to do the amount of reps you are doing.

(I am not familiar with the particular programs/routines you mentioned.)