Advice on Returning to the Weights

[ghostrider]

Hey all. After focusing on distance and trail running and BWEs (bodyweight exercises) for the past few years, I have decided to return to the weight room. Where I live, East Bay, CA, has a a community weight room open M,W,F. As such,these are the days I plan to begin to lift (starting this evening -- I'm psyched!)

Can anyone recommend exercises and/or bodyparts to focus on these days -- in other words, a workout schedule?

My goals are to get a good foundation of strength and have my muscle growth be functional muscle growth.

Thanks for any thoughts, and thanks to Marty and the others who have put this site together. It rocks.

-GRider

[Lobo]

After looking over the site...post what you think would be a good routine. This will be within the limitations of your ability and the equipment you have at your disposal. As well as your level of motivation. You will probably get a lot more responses and critiques. There are a myriad of routines that you could follow.

Best of luck! and welcome to the forum. There are a lot of good people here to help, but it's your path to create.

[ghostrider]

You're right, Lobo. Thanks for the feedback.
Here's what I did yesterday for my first day out:

Flat Bench 3x10
Medium Grip Pullups (no weight) 15, 12, 12
DB Shoulder Press 2x8
Dips (no weight) 2x12
DB Hammer Curl 2x10
Hanging leg raises (bent knee) 2x20
Crunch 1x75

The reason there was no legs in here is because I'm still reeling from a recent track workout. I do intend to bring legs into the picture. Also, I'd like to bring in some power movements -- such as cleans.

One specific question I have is how to split up my workouts or to split them at all. That is, if I'm lifiting 3 times per week, should I hit the whole body each time, or perhaps split it up? Next workout is Monday. I'd like to bring legs into the picture.

What do you all you think about alternating two workouts through M,W,F cycle? For example,
Legs Shoulders Back on Monday
Chest Arms on Wed
Legs Shoulders Back on Friday
Chest Arms on Monday (following week)
Etc

Any thoughts are appreciated.
Grider

[ms_irreverent]

Hrm.

Marty gave me a two-day split of legs/shoulders/biceps and chest/triceps/back. I've since been able to squeeze in one more (short) morning, so I took the legs out of the shoulders day and made them Day 3. I have this vague recollection that working the chest and back on the same day is connected to muscle groups. What I can tell you with certainty is that I've seen more gains by splitting the upper body this way than I'd managed when I was doing it all in one day. YMMV.

What weight dumbbells are you using? Just curious.

[ghostrider]

That split makes sense to me. I'll shoot for the two-day. Gracias. What about more power-type moves though, such as hang cleans, deadlifts, etc. Where would they fit in such a split, as they use multiple muscle groups?
As for your db weights inquiry, the answer is, quite simply, absolutely massive. For the DB presses I was thrustin those 35 pounders towards the heavens, and for the hammer curls I was crankin those jaw-dropping 30 pounders like Hulk Hogan himself.

Seriously, though, I think I could have gone higher, but I knew I had a day of interior painting ahead of me today and needed to be able to lift my arms. Hence, I took it lighter than I perhaps could have. I actually wasn't too sore today (at least before I was painting).

[Tom]

A pretty typical 3-day split is:
Monday: squat and assistance exercises

Wednesday: bench and assistance exercises

Friday: deadlift and assistance exercises

Or you could just alternate, say, bench press and squat workouts, like they do in "Body for Life". That is, you have an upper-body workout and a lower body workout, and you just switch between them each time you go to the gym -- over a 2 week period, you get 3 of each workout in.

You might try asking Marty on the Tuesday noon chat -- he reads the forums from time to time, but the chat's the best way to get hold of him.

[Bobcat]

What about more power-type moves though, such as hang cleans, deadlifts, etc. Where would they fit in such a split, as they use multiple muscle groups?
As for your db weights inquiry, the answer is, quite simply, absolutely massive. For the DB presses I was thrustin those 35 pounders towards the heavens, and for the hammer curls I was crankin those jaw-dropping 30 pounders like Hulk Hogan himself.

O.K.; let me confess my perplexity. :? If you want a good foundation of all around strength, it's hard to go wrong with deadlifts and squats. :D (I'm biased; I love squats. My Jolly Roger is atop the flagpole; shoot if you wish.) The progress of this thread leads me to this question: what particular function or functions do you want your muscle growth to serve? The answer to this question should determine the rest of what you do in the weight room.

Don't worry about the pounds at the very beginning; when I decided I wanted to get serious about squats, I started with 50 pounds.

[Lorrie]

I was crankin those jaw-dropping 30 pounders like Hulk Hogan himself.

That's the attitude! I often channel Hulk Hogan in the weight room. But I do it very quietly to not draw attention.

[ghostrider]

Here's the thing, Bobcat.

I'm a small guy 5'8" currently about 140/150 lbs. In the past, when I've lifted consistently, I am able to put on muscle relatively quickly. The problem is that I quickly begin to feel stiff and muscle-bound. I know that muscle-bound stuff is a myth (I'm pretty stiff and uncoordinated as it is), but I like to play sports and be able to run around without feeling like I am lumbering around.

Granted, I realize this is heavy feeling is largely psychological, as I am no He-man (In fact, I'm more like Skeletor). I guess that's what I mean by functional strength -- which is why I moved more towards bodyweight exercises and running in past years. I just need a change and want to get back into the gym. Do you think that power moves that focus on the core muscles would help me in this direction?

How would you split up three workouts, generally speaking, if that's what you had to do a week? Also, would you consider deadlifts primarily an upperbody or lowerbody exercise?

Thanks.

[Bobcat]

I'm wondering which sports. One particular reason for the question is that I've seen articles in Milo over the past few years that address weight training for a few particular sports. I've also seen one that touts the incline bench press as a movement that's useful as conditioning for several sports. Another reason: if you take up the question with Marty on Tuesday, I wouldn't be surprised if he asked you which sports.

As for deadlifts, they're kind of all-over exercises: from your neck & traps to your legs. A lot of people consider them back exercises first and foremost and include them as the foundation of "back day". Conventional deadlifts can also give your abdomen quite a workout.

As for how I'd do a three-day split, I'd do squat plus squat assistance on one day, bench plus bench assistance on another day, and deadlift plus deadlift assistance on a third day, as Tom suggested. But my goals are different from yours. (I'm 5'4", 181 lbs. and into powerlifting.) If I were coming back to the weight room after a few years away, and wanted general strengthening without lots of mass, I'd probably try Pavel Tsatsouline's Power to the People program (based on the deadlift and the side press).

[vinay]

i used to love watching he-man!

[paperboy]

Ghostrider, welcome to the Forum! I hope we've been helpful so far!

[onecoolmama]

i used to love watching he-man!

LOL!! I remember him and She - ra!! I "secretly" watched becuase my brother use to make fun of me for watching "baby" shows. But, heck I was 7-8. He was cool.

[Bobcat]

I remember him and She - ra!!

My stepdaughter, now 21, used to love She-ra.

[onecoolmama]

I remember him and She - ra!!

My stepdaughter, now 21, used to love She-ra.

LOL! I bet she liked My little ponys too!!! And Jem.

[Lobo]

Hey Ghostrider,

Maybe you could think through your goals and what exactly you want to accomplish? It may be easier to give more specific direction then. After looking over your initial post it occured to me that just about any workout could help accomplish that i.e. powerlifting type, bodybuilding type or even kettlebells. What's your flavor?

If just returning I would advise 2dy/wk split. Upper on one day lower another. Follow for about 4wks then re-evaluate and possibly change it up.
Day one: Bench, pull-ups, dips, power-cleans
Day two: Squat or Dead lift, leg curl, standing or seated calf raises.
But...that's more my flavor :D

[Bobcat]

LOL! I bet she liked My little ponys too!!! And Jem.

I think she did like My Little Pony. She wasn't really into Jem. Her other favorite (i.e., other than She-ra) was Lady Lovelylocks.

Now she can squat, bench press and deadlift! After all, She-ra was Princess of Power.

[ghostrider]

Per your split suggestion, that's the direction I'm headed toward, Lobo.

I lifted this evening:

Bench 135x10, 145x8, 145x6 (got tired fast!)
DB Incline Press 40x8x, 40x8, 40x8
Pullups 15, 12, 12
DB Rows 40x10, 40x10, 40x10
Dips 15, 15
Overhead DB tri extension 35x10, 35x10
Abs (hanging leg raises 20, 20, 16; 75 crunches)

The only thing I didn't do was hang cleans, which I will add.

In response to your other comment about goals. Hmmm. I guess that I haven't really formulated them yet. And I need to think about this.

One more thing. You mentioned doing *either* squats or deadlift for the main course of my lower body workout. Are these exercises interchangeable at this stage? Do recommend alternating on different workout days or sticking with one or the other?

Thanks for your input.

"I [will] Have the POWER!" (insert massive echo)
--He-man.

[Lobo]

One more thing. You mentioned doing *either* squats or deadlift for the main course of my lower body workout. Are these exercises interchangeable at this stage? Do recommend alternating on different workout days or sticking with one or the other?

Thanks for your input.


At this point I would suggest alternating. How long did the above workout take? If pressed for time...scrap the tri ext and get the power cleans in. And for abs look over Marty's past streams one discusses the incline situp and how to do it correctly. This will be more effective than all the crunches.

Good work!