Do you have any personal trainers at your facility? Sometimes it's the best way to get a routine going and staying focused. Let's face it, Exercise rooms are BORING. Mine is loaded up with TV's, the stereo is on, and folks are reading, listening to music, etc. while working out.
Going at it solo is very, very hard unless you are committed and disciplined. It's even harder as you get older or you've never had a workout program before. A double wammy!
I'm really impressed that you not only have the motivation to go into the gym, but your are sticking to it, trying new things, and even posting about it. I highly recommend you find a partner or better yet, get a good personal trainer to get you kicked off right.
Have a great weekend as well and keep us posted on your progress!
While it is a real gym - a country movie was even shot in it years ago - it is actually a rehab workout for our patients. They bought a bunch of new equipment a few years back - I'll give you the name of the equipment later as I can't remember. I work at a VA Medical Center. Employees are permitted to use during lunch and after regular duty hours. But alas, out of our 1500 employees there are usually no more than 10 people in there doing the whole hour using the equipment. Some are shooting basketballs.
But having said that, I am highly motivated to do the workout. But of course I don't want to work against myself or create an injurious situation. I can tell you my triceps were definitely hurting the first few days I did the pulldowns. One employee was a military boxer and I will sometimes ask him questions.
But finding a workout partner there is probably a little remote . . .
1. Super Leg Press
2. Shoulder Press *
3. Abductor
4. Arm Curl
5. Adductor
6. Lat Pulldown * (I restrict for Triceps)
7. Abdominal
8. Low Roll
9. Low Back
10. Lateral Raise
11. Leg Curl
12. Seated Pec-Dec Vertical (not sure I scribbled that right)
13. Leg Extension
14. Chest Press
15. Standing Calf
Hi Des, It is the greatest challenge to begin and maintain a workout program. I train people in their homes, most of which have minimal equipment only a couple with real home gyms. Initially the best thing you can do is decide how many days a week you can exercise, how many minutes you can tolerate each day and then be sure you are addressing all of the muscles in your body.
**The main key is to understand that you never want to work the same muscle group two days in a row. **
Even though triceps and shoulders are key, they are considered secondary muscles to the larger, core muscles of the body. So in order to get the maximum performance of these catalysts of great ball distance you must strengthen them with respect to the other, larger, primary muscles.
Your chest is the muscle that pulls your arm across your body and the tricep is it's secondary muscle. The Lat muscle is responsible for controlling the turn of the body and is the primary stabilizer for your hips.
If you want short but effective training, and if you are willing to be in the gym atleast four days I would suggest you create 20-30 minute workouts and split up the muscles you are working.
Example:
Monday and Thursday:
Chest Press withbarbell or dumbbells
Lat Pulldown or Chins
Pec Dec or dumbell butterfly's
Seated/Low Row
Biceps
Abdominals
Tuesday and Friday
Leg Extension
Leg Curl
Shoulder Press
Super Leg Press
Lateral Raises
Forward Raises
Rear Deltoid
Abductor
Triceps
10 minutes of stretching
I know this sounds like a lot but once you get your flow you can move through it very efficiently. Notice we are splitting the muscles up so that one group is resting while the other is working. This way you never have to stop between exercises and it makes your time very efficient.
As long as you alternate you can put the four days together Mon - Thurs and then take three days off of strength and focus on you other needs; cardio and flexibility
If you are unsure about the form hire a trainer for just a couple of sessions to get started confidently and then just show up for yourself.
Also, every now and then, when you just don't want to be in the gym or just to mix it up, do your workout at home with some light dumbbels that you can sit in your closet and do your pushups and your shoulder work at home
Also go to the library and look at some of the training books both general and golf specific. Arnold, the Gov, has a book that explains almost every exercise known to mankind both on machines and with dumbbells complete with some very intimidating pictures. It can be a great resource even if you don't need it in your personal library.
Great Question Des. I would start with one full set of each exercise listed, moving more slowly and deliberately through each exercise repetition, adding a second set of each exercise until your 30 minute time span is over. (The third set may or may not be necessary for all body parts, depending on your ultimate and changing goals. Right now balance in your body parts is more important.) Initially your goal is to raise your workload (4 days a week is very significant and will yield results quickly) without using up every spare moment you have. As you become more familiar with the schedule and each exercise you will become more efficient and move through it all in less time. You will be decidedly pleased with your progress and can make adjustments, going to less days for maintainance or splitting the body parts more and having even greater variability in your schedule. Begin with low to moderate weight, increasing resistence appropriately as your strength and schedule will allow.
I do all of my flexibility work at home as well as my abdominals. Atlease once every three or four workouts has to be rescheduled or modified to do at home. If you are consistent it will be easier to keep in a flow but don't get married to your schedule. Allow you family and work life to be an necessary interruption on occassion and just resume your regular schedule a.s.a.p. Remember: Your workout should serve your life not the other way around.
I just wanted to give you an update on my progress - as promised - to at least let you know I haven't fallen by the wayside!
I continue the program you established with the machines from work - there are a couple I have chosen not to do just because of time.
Yesterday I did the Triceps, Abductor, Shoulder Press, Leg Press and Lateral Raises. (There are a few there I've omitted - Leg Curl, Leg Extension, Forward Raises and Real Deltoid - not sure if we have a machine for those last 2).
Today I did the Chest Press, Pec Dec, Biceps, Lat Pull - I usually do the Seated Row and omit the Abs - again is this the Abductor?
So I do these 5 days a week, usually starting with the Triceps, etc on Sunday and then alternating.
The other thing I do and I don't know if this is good or not, but I believe I mentioned push-ups. I had started with ladies' - because I couldn't do mens' - but have moved up to 35 mens' push-ups, which to me is quite an accomplishment. I also do the weighted club execise (with weight added) - arms at side and just raising the club with the wrists.
I do these 2 exercises 7 days a week. A co-worker and friend, former Air Force guy, says I need to have some rest. My shoulders are a bit sore and he says they will continue so if I don't give them rest.
Your thots on rest, etc are appreciated.
And lets hope this translates into a few more yards with the clubs!!!
At least with my routine, I try to split things up so I work everything hard once a week. That means chest/tris, back/bis, and shoulders/legs. I do cardio on other days. This amounts to Mon/Wed/Fri lifting, and at least Tues/Thurs running.
I have found in my experience that sometimes it's even hard to train the same muscle group every few days depending on your routine. Mine is centered around the major compound lifts with only a little isolation thrown in. You will get the delayed onset soreness with something like squats, where your quads feel fine the next morning but are sore as can be two days later. That's why I try to do the 3-day split and only work everything once a week. Plus I just don't have that many blocks of free time where I can lift (at least during the hours where the gym isn't going to be a zoo) with the way my schedule is this spring.
As for those push-ups, they really aren't going to build muscle the same way weight training will. They are almost the equivalent of high reps/low weight workouts - good for muscle endurance but not really for strength.
You should at least be taking a day off every couple workout days. Seven days in a row is just going to take an unnecessary toll on your body. It will be mentally draining as well and not conducive to keeping yourself motivated in the long-term. Plus, it will lead to overtraining and diminished results.
Above all else, I have to stress the importance of nutrition in all of this. You can lift and lift and lift...and if you aren't getting the right nutrients and macros you're going to make some very slow progress. Your muscles need the right things to grow, and they grow outside the gym. Really watch your diet and make sure you are eating lean protein sources and don't cut out good carbs.
The only thing I can add is as you get older, the longer the recovery time for the same routine as someone younger. In addition, the gains are slower. So as we age, patience and discipline are the keys and the rewards are great!
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