Help me make a routine

fruitloop2

I have read many posts about asking for routines and what to do but I suck at making my own routine and need someone who knows what the hell they're doing to help me make 1. Currently I do cardio on my treadmill, Nike training app, and various JM videos. I want to get more into weights to really get rid of this last bit of fat on my body and have a nice athletic looking body. My husband has now decided to join me with the weights so I will have a workout partner which I'm really excited about. We have some used equipment and recently just purchased another used machine and bench w/free weights (roughly 100lb of free weights). I'm going to post a picture of all of our equipment (it's all used aside from the treadmill so it's old equipment) and hope someone can give me some ideas, advice, a routine on exactly what to do with all of it. I would like to do weight training 3X week (M/W/F) and do my cario on Tues/Thurs. We're rearranging our basement today to make it into a weight/exercise room with everything in 1 spot and I want to get started on my new routine Monday. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

So this is what we have....

Not posting a pic of the treadmill...it's just a basic treadmill with incline feature but the rest I will post (the pics are the machine ads).





A big thanks in advance!!

fruitloop2

Anyone? I know it's old and probably crappy equipment but it's the best we can do right now in terms of weight equipment...lol

fruitloop2

*sigh*...no takers huh...all right, guess I'll figure it out on my own :frown:

schmenge55

Not an expert but I will weigh in, no pun intended, when I am not mobile .

schmenge55

First my disclaimer: I am not a trainer and do not play one on TV.  That said here is my two cents (and looks like good equipment to me!)

Before you start any of your strength training or cardio make sure to loosen up first. I assume you know how to do that, but wanted to put that in as a pre req. I also think you should start your strength training days with some core work first. I’ll give you a couple ideas but would also suggest you Google or YouTube exercises so that you can vary the core work with other ideas and there are lots of them

I am also going to make the assumption you are looking at general fitness. The reps you do are a bit different if you want to build muscle versus general fitness. I am also a fan of circuit training meaning that you will do three exercises in a row and do 3 sets (I am assuming you know reps and sets, but let me know if that is a bad assumption). In all cases you want a weight that makes your last couple reps a challenge without losing form and make sure your tempo is slow so you are using your muscles not momentum

Core work (need only do one set of the core exercises)
Double leg lifts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_7-z8tES0Q Work your way up to being able to do 45. Once you can do 45 you can make it more challenging by putting something (i.e. swiss ball) between your ankles
Crunches
Plank
Clamshells http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP6NqiJ5hqM You can make this more challenging by putting a free weight on your top leg or using an exercise band around your knees
Bird Dogs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL0YEtJulBs

Looking at your exercise equipment you can do chest presses, flies, leg curls, leg extensions, lat pull downs. Probably many more as well (if there is a brand name on the equipment you might Google to see what else you can do). It also looks like you have an adjustable bench so you should also change your angles now and then. For example you might do the check press one day with your back parallel to the ground and the next time you angle the back rest up so you are at more of an angle
Since you have a day of rest in between you can if you want do upper and lower body every time. In all cases I am going to suggest you do 15 reps, move to the next exercise, 15 reps, move to the next exercise, 15 reps and then repeat all three two more times (3 sets of 15 reps)

First Circuit
Chest Presses
Leg extensions
Single leg Roman Dead lifts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoH2Kutrfw0

Second Circuit
Lat pull downs
Flies
Leg curls

fruitloop2

Thank you! Yes, I know all about reps and sets and love circuit style workouts. I also love core workouts...planks especially. For the core work, are you meaning to do all exercises you listed in 1 set circuit and then move on the the weight circuits? My plan is to still do my JM (right now doing RI30 and Shred w/weights back to back) or Nike training strength app during the day for a total of 45- 1 hour and then in the evening work on the equipment with my husband. Is this to much strength training in 1 day?

schmenge55

Yes, I would so one set of all the core exercises and then the two circuits. That does sound like a lot of strength work. You can let your body be your guide. If you are not recovering you are doing too much

fruitloop2

bumping this in case anyone else has some routines they'd like to suggest...

_SASX_

Check out the book "New Rules for Lifting for Women" (Men can use it, too) it's a great way to get started! If I had all the equipment and space you do, that's what I'd be working on. For me, I have to wait until fairer weather so I can use my deck and paint cans for weights. (only have small weight dumbbells right now)

good luck!

I've also heard good things about the Lifting 5X5 program, and you can check out Jamie Eason on bodybuilding.com - not just for body builders!