Need info on workout routine re: weight machines

[Rowdyboy]

Okay, At 52 I started an my first-ever exercise program 2 months ago- 6 days a week I do one hour cardio (treadmill/bike), followed by 15-30 minutes on weight machines like those shown below...

I've read that serious body builders need to exercise a muscle group only every other day to allow it time to rebuild (I'm correct right?). Well, I'm just starting, and not sure if its necessary in my case. I'm doing maybe 30 reps per set per machine, using weight from 40lb-80 lb on most of the machines. I'm seeing some development that I like.

My question...At this level, do I need to observe the "every other day" idea of working my arms and torso on one day and my legs and thighs on the next?

Many thanks for any suggestion you might have....

[WCGreen]

1. When I was lifting....

I would do upper body one day...

The rest the next...

Alternate....

[Longhorn]

2. Hi, Rowdyboy!

You might check out the Exercise and Fitness Group where there are several folks who know a lot about this stuff.

Good luck! :hi:

[Rowdyboy]

4. I plan to....I wanted to make sure I'd stick with it before I joined.....

Two months tells me I'm serious.

[Longhorn]

14. It looks like several of our experts found you!

:D

You don't have to be a seasoned trainer to join us -- I'm certainly not! :hi:

[Rowdyboy]

17. I wanted to wait until I was sure I'd stick it out....I've never done

exercise/diet change before and I really wasn't certain I would hang it. It would have been embarrassing to join the group, then just slip away a couple of weeks later. Well, now I know I'm serious so I'll be seeing you guys.

[Longhorn]

18. I understand but

keep in mind that we probably need each other more in the beginning than later. And I haven't found anyone in the group to be particularly judgmental as we've all been beginners -- some of us more than once! :)

[Blue Belle]

3. Well... when I was working out with weights...

I would alternate muscle groups by doing the following:

Day One: Chest & Back
Day Two: Legs
Day Three: Arms and Shoulders

20 minutes each. Do a 10 minutes warm up then do your weights before your cardio... if you do your cardio first your muscles will be tired and you're at greater risk of injuring yourself.

[Rowdyboy]

5. That is exactly the kind of info I need, and it verifies my experience....

I'd noticed when I did the weight machines first I could do more reps than when I used them after cardio. Its logical, but I'm very uneducated about the subject and it helps to have things like that pointed out. Thats why I love DU

Thanks! :thumbsup:

[Blue Belle]

9. Also... make sure to do slower reps.

If you do your reps super fast, you aren't doing the work so much as riding the momentum. Be sure to watch your form and make sure you are just as slow on the muscle retraction as you are on the contraction (for example, if you are doing bench press, make sure you are just as slow on the bring the bar to your chest as you are pushing the bar away).

I hope this helps!

[Rowdyboy]

12. It certainly helps because it verifies my own experience....

I started out fast but, in watching other people on the machines, I noticed them taking their time and resting between using the different machines. I started copying that behavior and I think its working for me. This is really alien to me-I've never been into any of this before but I'm really into it now....

[MadMaddie]

6. There are different routines for different body builders...

but what you have noted seems to be the most popular.....

if the the every other day is working for you I would stick with...You definitely need to be careful about over working muscle groups during consecutive days....

If there is a bodybuilding gym near you I would suggest dropping in and chatting with the owners....they may have some helpful tips...

Congratulations...it's tough to get started and it sounds like you are doing great!!

:yourock:

[mike_c]

7. the answer is-- it depends....

It depends on your objectives. If you want to bodybuild, i.e. build as much muscle mass as you can, you MUST avoid overtraining muscles. Remember, muscles grow during the recovery phase, not during the workout. So yes, if your objective is an Ahnuld-like physique you should alternate stress on muscle groups, and even watch out for indirect stress, e.g. lat pull-downs also stress the biceps, so lat pulls should be done on the same day as biceps curls, etc.

If your objective is general toning, weight loss, cardiovascular fitness, etc, it doesn't matter nearly as much. For those objectives "overtraining" is defined a bit differently. You still need recovery time to realize many of the benefits, but just listening to your body is probably sufficient. If you're feeling tired and flat, take a day off or substitute a different workout. Otherwise, do whatever feels right. It's FAR better than couch surfing!

[AX10]

8. I agree.

[Rowdyboy]

10. Thanks.....I'm definitely not looking to be a body builder....

My objective is tonig/weight loss/fitness. That gets to the core of my question-is it necessary for my purposes and I think you've answered my question.

Thanks.

[flvegan]

11. My simple observations (and yeah, I'm a trainer)

First, your workout is sorta switched. Weights first, then cardio. Just a good rule to follow.

Your entire second paragraph should be enshrined for those that do things incorrectly. Each muscle group, depending on which specific muscle group, would benefit from a 1x or 2x workout each week. 30 reps...no. If you can do 30 reps, and you're not drop-setting or otherwise utilizing another shock technique, then simply, you aren't using enough weight. 8-12 reps, max. Max, meaning that after your last rep, be it 8 or 12, should be a "struggle" and you're working to failure.

I'd say this..."at your level" means what? Do you want to be a serious bodybuilder? Maybe you just want to be in shape...or, maybe you want to be ripped, shredded at a responsible level.

Here's a VERY basic example of the whole "how do I break out my workout?" question, based on a 5 day per week workout:

Day 1: Arms (biceps, triceps, forearms)
Day 2: Shoulders/delts
Day 3: Calves/back/lats
Day 4: Chest/quads and hams
Day 5: Abs/arms/calves

[Rowdyboy]

15. Much useful information that I appreciate....Thanks....

The weight before cardio message is received, processed and accepted. Trust me, I'm not aiming to be a body-builder. At 52, I want to lose weight, gain definition and live a little longer. Basically, I just want to make sure that what I'm doing isn't hurting and see if learn from the suggestions you guys make.

[DancingBear]

13. Here is a one day workout - for me

Chest

bench press 4 sets 8-10 reps each (increasing weight each set)
incline bench press 3 sets " "
shallow angle flyes 2 sets 10 reps each (same weight)

Shoulders

seated db press 3 sets 10 reps each (increasing weight)
seated db lat raises 3 sets '' "
behind/back bb raise 2 sets " "



The above is done on Mondays - Wednesday is legs/triceps, Friday is biceps/back.


I'm 52 years old, and not a big guy by any stretch.

All my equipment is pretty near "gym grade", but I have it at home. If you'd like, PM me and I'll tell you more about it. Since I work out alone, I do not have a conventional bench press configuration, since it's tough to get that weight off your chest if you can't make the final rep. :)

Instead, I use a Powertec Leverage machine, which allows for safe one person operation. Not the same as a "pure" bench press, but close enough.

Hope this helps.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

16. Hope this isn't a duplicate

It sounds like you're not using enough weight -- with so light a weight you'll hit a plateau fairly quickly.

You should put on more weight until the most you can do in a single set is about 10-12 reps, with the 12th rep being almost too difficult to make. Shoot for three sets of each exercise, without about a 1-2 minute rest in between sets.

Now, if you do this, then you should do the one-day on, one-day off bit and exercise different body parts on alternate days.