Newbie in need of help

kspiker · 11-07-2009, 12:17 PM

Hi, I'm a 44 yr old man that is really new to weight lifting and can use all the advice I can get. Just for some background info, I am very limited on time for my workouts. I work 65-70hours a week as a truck driver and started lifting for the very first time on August 1st of this year. I was at the time 241 lbs and 5'9" in that time I have lost about 30 lbs on a low carb diet, but have seen minimal muscle growth or strength increase. Believe me when I say there really was not much muscle to begin with either. I am trying to find a workout to gain muscle mass and strength. I am trying to do as much of my exercising as I can over the weekend as I usually leave for work around 4:00 am and don't get home until about 7:00pm. Some nights I don't even get home. I was going to a gym for the month of August but the extra time was totally out of the question, so I bought a gym from Weider it is a free weight and pulley system, kind of a rack built around an unattached bench it's called the Weider club c720. So, I can do quite a lot with it.
My routine for these couple of months or so has been:

Friday-Sunday-Tuesday
1. close grip machine pull-downs- 3 sets 15,12,10 reps
2. upright machine rows- 3 sets 12,11,10 reps
3.military press- 3 sets 12,11,10 reps
4. bench press- 3sets 12,11,10 reps
5. seated machine butterfly's- 3 sets 14,12,10 reps
6. preacher curls- 3sets 12,11,10 reps
7. tricep cable push-downs- 3 sets 12,11,10 reps

Saturday-Monday
1. leg extensions- 3 sets 16,15,14 reps
2. leg curls- 3 sets 16,14,12 reps
3. standing calf raise- 3 sets 20,15,15 reps

I begin every workout w/ 10 mins on stationary bike for warm up, and end every workout w/ 3 sets of crunches to failure. And am still on a low-carb diet.

As you can see I try to pack as much as possible into the weekend as my fri,sun,tues routine takes an hour and a half or more to complete. Any and all help will be appreciated.

**Built** · 11-07-2009, 12:40 PM

Hey there - good job on the fat loss! You're doing the right thing of course, low carb to keep appetite down so you can drop weight easily, lots of protein and some lifting to retain muscle mass. This is so important, and most folks do it wrong so you're to be commended for getting this part so right.

Now - a few questions.

How do you feel about going to a lower rep-range, but with heavier weights?

Is there any possibility of going to a gym - even at a community centre - once a week to do some heavy free-weights?

Alternatively, would you be able to get a little more equipment to use at home?

In terms of suggestions, I'd recommend that you dropped the ten minutes of preworkout cardio and instead try a dynamic warmup. Also, abs to failure isn't as effective as a few sets of weighted crunches or some other ab work done in the same rep range as your other work.

And just to comfort you a bit - you're not going to put on any appreciable amoung of muscle while you continue to drop weight. Your focus right now is rightly on maintaining what you have while you drop bodyfat. Once you've got that part down to a dull roar it'll be time to look at doing some strategic little bulks.

How's that for starters?

kspiker · 11-07-2009, 01:04 PM

Hey Built, thanks for the reply I will try the warm up you suggest. I'm sure I can get other equipment, could you let me know what you suggest. As far as going to a gym that probably isn't something I'm going to be able to do anytime soon.
I would be interested in doing more weight and less reps, I believe that should build mass quicker but I could be wrong there. As far as my routine, do you think I'm alright there. Some people have said I am training to many times per week on each body part, and say each body part 1 time per week 2 at the most. Thanks again

**Built** · 11-07-2009, 01:43 PM

If you have room for it, I'd recommend getting a power cage or at least a squat rack, a barbell and some plates. If you have budget/room for more, I'd toss in some dumbbells - adjustable, or perhaps in ten pound increments and some plate-mates (they're magnets) for the finer increments.

Regarding your workouts, yes, you've got plenty of room for improvement there. Read the link in my sig on getting started for info you might find helpful. And again, remember you are not going to put on any appreciable amounts of muscle while dropping fat. Your primary goal at this time is continued fat-losses while retaining as much lean mass as possible. Do this for now, worry about muscle-gains later.

kspiker · 11-07-2009, 02:35 PM

Built, this is the gym I just bought 2 months agomy gym.jpg
I also have curling bar and olympic bar as well as standard dumbbells.

**Built** · 11-07-2009, 02:37 PM

Oooh, so you can do squats, barbell bench press and deadlifts! Excellent!

Do the full body workout in the link I just sent you. A abandon your current workout.

Start tracking your intake on fitday or some other platform so when you stop losing you'll be able to ask for advise there.

kspiker · 11-07-2009, 03:06 PM

Built, thanks again for all your advice. One last question the only thing I didn't see in the workout was how often to do it, is it a 3 day a week routine? I'm gonna be starting it tomorrow and expect to do it fri, sun, tues. Thanks again you have been super helpful.

**Built** · 11-07-2009, 03:25 PM

Three days a week will be splendid.

Do that for a few weeks, work your squat form and make sure you feel comfortable with some weight on the bar - then pop back and I'll give you some suggestions on how to work your way into a bit more of a split.

Meanwhile, I'll urge you to ditch a few of the movements you've been doing - namely upright rows and seated leg extensions. They're both lousy movements from a mechanical standpoint - far more potential for injury than any gains they might afford you.

Also, when you do chins or lat pulldowns, keep your grip at shoulder width or narrower and never behind the neck.

And finally, I'll offer this: do as much of your work as possible with free weights, do as much of it standing (as opposed to seated) as possible, and do unilateral work often.

gtbmed · 11-08-2009, 08:04 AM

My advice to you is to be careful and really pay attention to proper form. It seems like you have little to no experience squatting/deadlifting heavier weights, so you're best-suited to drill your form from the beggining with these movements. Make videos of your form and post them if you can. Work on your flexibility, especially in your glutes, hamstrings, and hip flexors. Work on movement patterns as well.

Mastering the form with these lifts will take a while, but if you start off with the correct movement patterns, you'll be better-off than many others who squatted incorrectly for years.

kspiker · 11-08-2009, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtbmed

My advice to you is to be careful and really pay attention to proper form. It seems like you have little to no experience squatting/deadlifting heavier weights, so you're best-suited to drill your form from the beggining with these movements. Make videos of your form and post them if you can. Work on your flexibility, especially in your glutes, hamstrings, and hip flexors. Work on movement patterns as well.

Mastering the form with these lifts will take a while, but if you start off with the correct movement patterns, you'll be better-off than many others who squatted incorrectly for years.

You are certainly right, I have no experiece when doing any of the routines. I am really learning as I go. I do appreciate all the advice I can get. I am really just trying to get into some sort of shape after all the years of not caring for myself.

kspiker · 11-08-2009, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Built

Three days a week will be splendid.

Do that for a few weeks, work your squat form and make sure you feel comfortable with some weight on the bar - then pop back and I'll give you some suggestions on how to work your way into a bit more of a split.

Meanwhile, I'll urge you to ditch a few of the movements you've been doing - namely upright rows and seated leg extensions. They're both lousy movements from a mechanical standpoint - far more potential for injury than any gains they might afford you.

Also, when you do chins or lat pulldowns, keep your grip at shoulder width or narrower and never behind the neck.

And finally, I'll offer this: do as much of your work as possible with free weights, do as much of it standing (as opposed to seated) as possible, and do unilateral work often.

Hey Built thanks again. I will be back after I try this out for a few weeks.

11-07-2009, 12:17 PM	#1
kspiker Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 6	Newbie in need of help Hi, I'm a 44 yr old man that is really new to weight lifting and can use all the advice I can get. Just for some background info, I am very limited on time for my workouts. I work 65-70hours a week as a truck driver and started lifting for the very first time on August 1st of this year. I was at the time 241 lbs and 5'9" in that time I have lost about 30 lbs on a low carb diet, but have seen minimal muscle growth or strength increase. Believe me when I say there really was not much muscle to begin with either. I am trying to find a workout to gain muscle mass and strength. I am trying to do as much of my exercising as I can over the weekend as I usually leave for work around 4:00 am and don't get home until about 7:00pm. Some nights I don't even get home. I was going to a gym for the month of August but the extra time was totally out of the question, so I bought a gym from Weider it is a free weight and pulley system, kind of a rack built around an unattached bench it's called the Weider club c720. So, I can do quite a lot with it. My routine for these couple of months or so has been: Friday-Sunday-Tuesday 1. close grip machine pull-downs- 3 sets 15,12,10 reps 2. upright machine rows- 3 sets 12,11,10 reps 3.military press- 3 sets 12,11,10 reps 4. bench press- 3sets 12,11,10 reps 5. seated machine butterfly's- 3 sets 14,12,10 reps 6. preacher curls- 3sets 12,11,10 reps 7. tricep cable push-downs- 3 sets 12,11,10 reps Saturday-Monday 1. leg extensions- 3 sets 16,15,14 reps 2. leg curls- 3 sets 16,14,12 reps 3. standing calf raise- 3 sets 20,15,15 reps I begin every workout w/ 10 mins on stationary bike for warm up, and end every workout w/ 3 sets of crunches to failure. And am still on a low-carb diet. As you can see I try to pack as much as possible into the weekend as my fri,sun,tues routine takes an hour and a half or more to complete. Any and all help will be appreciated.

11-07-2009, 12:40 PM	#2
Built Bioidentical Bodybuilder Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: . Posts: 6,121	Hey there - good job on the fat loss! You're doing the right thing of course, low carb to keep appetite down so you can drop weight easily, lots of protein and some lifting to retain muscle mass. This is so important, and most folks do it wrong so you're to be commended for getting this part so right. Now - a few questions. How do you feel about going to a lower rep-range, but with heavier weights? Is there any possibility of going to a gym - even at a community centre - once a week to do some heavy free-weights? Alternatively, would you be able to get a little more equipment to use at home? In terms of suggestions, I'd recommend that you dropped the ten minutes of preworkout cardio and instead try a dynamic warmup. Also, abs to failure isn't as effective as a few sets of weighted crunches or some other ab work done in the same rep range as your other work. And just to comfort you a bit - you're not going to put on any appreciable amoung of muscle while you continue to drop weight. Your focus right now is rightly on maintaining what you have while you drop bodyfat. Once you've got that part down to a dull roar it'll be time to look at doing some strategic little bulks. How's that for starters? Wondering where to start? Confused? This will get you started. Daredevils are Shredded Find out why... (Now you can find out why... in Hebrew!) UD2.Built - My UD2.0 setup.

11-07-2009, 01:43 PM	#4
Built Bioidentical Bodybuilder Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: . Posts: 6,121	If you have room for it, I'd recommend getting a power cage or at least a squat rack, a barbell and some plates. If you have budget/room for more, I'd toss in some dumbbells - adjustable, or perhaps in ten pound increments and some plate-mates (they're magnets) for the finer increments. Regarding your workouts, yes, you've got plenty of room for improvement there. Read the link in my sig on getting started for info you might find helpful. And again, remember you are not going to put on any appreciable amounts of muscle while dropping fat. Your primary goal at this time is continued fat-losses while retaining as much lean mass as possible. Do this for now, worry about muscle-gains later. Wondering where to start? Confused? This will get you started. Daredevils are Shredded Find out why... (Now you can find out why... in Hebrew!) UD2.Built - My UD2.0 setup.

11-07-2009, 02:37 PM	#6
Built Bioidentical Bodybuilder Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: . Posts: 6,121	Oooh, so you can do squats, barbell bench press and deadlifts! Excellent! Do the full body workout in the link I just sent you. A abandon your current workout. Start tracking your intake on fitday or some other platform so when you stop losing you'll be able to ask for advise there. Wondering where to start? Confused? This will get you started. Daredevils are Shredded Find out why... (Now you can find out why... in Hebrew!) UD2.Built - My UD2.0 setup.

11-07-2009, 03:25 PM	#8
Built Bioidentical Bodybuilder Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: . Posts: 6,121	Three days a week will be splendid. Do that for a few weeks, work your squat form and make sure you feel comfortable with some weight on the bar - then pop back and I'll give you some suggestions on how to work your way into a bit more of a split. Meanwhile, I'll urge you to ditch a few of the movements you've been doing - namely upright rows and seated leg extensions. They're both lousy movements from a mechanical standpoint - far more potential for injury than any gains they might afford you. Also, when you do chins or lat pulldowns, keep your grip at shoulder width or narrower and never behind the neck. And finally, I'll offer this: do as much of your work as possible with free weights, do as much of it standing (as opposed to seated) as possible, and do unilateral work often. Wondering where to start? Confused? This will get you started. Daredevils are Shredded Find out why... (Now you can find out why... in Hebrew!) UD2.Built - My UD2.0 setup.

11-07-2009, 01:04 PM	#3
kspiker Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 6	Hey Built, thanks for the reply I will try the warm up you suggest. I'm sure I can get other equipment, could you let me know what you suggest. As far as going to a gym that probably isn't something I'm going to be able to do anytime soon. I would be interested in doing more weight and less reps, I believe that should build mass quicker but I could be wrong there. As far as my routine, do you think I'm alright there. Some people have said I am training to many times per week on each body part, and say each body part 1 time per week 2 at the most. Thanks again

11-07-2009, 02:35 PM	#5
kspiker Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 6	Built, this is the gym I just bought 2 months agomy gym.jpg I also have curling bar and olympic bar as well as standard dumbbells.

11-07-2009, 03:06 PM	#7
kspiker Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 6	Built, thanks again for all your advice. One last question the only thing I didn't see in the workout was how often to do it, is it a 3 day a week routine? I'm gonna be starting it tomorrow and expect to do it fri, sun, tues. Thanks again you have been super helpful.

11-08-2009, 08:04 AM	#9
gtbmed Greg Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Atlanta Posts: 372	My advice to you is to be careful and really pay attention to proper form. It seems like you have little to no experience squatting/deadlifting heavier weights, so you're best-suited to drill your form from the beggining with these movements. Make videos of your form and post them if you can. Work on your flexibility, especially in your glutes, hamstrings, and hip flexors. Work on movement patterns as well. Mastering the form with these lifts will take a while, but if you start off with the correct movement patterns, you'll be better-off than many others who squatted incorrectly for years. gtbmed's strength journal

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