Workout routine suggestions

[DasBoot]

I'm curious to see if anyone has good suggestions for mixing out my weights routine. I typically do 3 days of weights/week, focusing on 2 different body areas each day (e.g. - chest and back on Monday). This gets boring, though, and I've yet to find a suitable replacement.

I've tried circuit workouts and Crossfit, but I didn't really like either. I'm basically looking for a 3 day/week weight program that will target my entire body.

Suggestions, or even just links to sites with good advice, are appreciated.

[MentorX]

If you only workout three days a week, you should not be splitting body areas.

Option #1 - Mondays and Thursdays concentrate on arms/chest/legs. Tuesdays and Fridays back/shoulders. Abs should be done everyday but extra work for them on Wednesdays.

Option #2 - Whole body workouts Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursday devoted solely to stretching exercises. If you are trying to bulk up, avoid cardio for now. If not, cardio (jogging) after the stretching routines.
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I really should take my own advice. I loved being the lean mean machine, not the slab of flab I have turned into. The stretching routines I used to do helped me a lot, even if they seemed kind of gay. Both of the above routines worked for me with good results. *sigh, glory days.

[DasBoot]

If you only workout three days a week, you should not be splitting body areas.

Option #1 - Mondays and Thursdays concentrate on arms/chest/legs. Tuesdays and Fridays back/shoulders. Abs should be done everyday but extra work for them on Wednesdays.

Option #2 - Whole body workouts Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursday devoted solely to stretching exercises. If you are trying to bulk up, avoid cardio for now. If not, cardio (jogging) after the stretching routines.

I have tried something similar to option 2, and didn't like it. I should also mention that I do light cardio on the days I do weights, and heavier cardio 2 other days each week.

I'm curious as to why you say I shouldn't split body areas. Is it because each one of them wouldn't get enough work? I would think that allowing each of them enough time to recover is just as important. I've been doing it that way for years and it seems to be working fine. I just get bored with it.

Frankly, I don't know what I'm looking for. Maybe this was more of a rant that my workouts get boring.

[Rook]

Me:

Monday :
40 (2x20) reps of 45 lb ab crunches
20 (2x10) reps of 150 lb bench press
2 miles (running, 5.6 mph)

Tuesday:
40 (2x20) reps of 45 lb ab crunches
40 (2x20) leg press, 210 lbs + other leg exercises
2 miles (running, 5.6 mph)

Wednesday:
40 (2x20) reps of 45 lb ab crunches
20 (2x10) reps of 150 lb bench press
Curls (weight / amount of reps varies)
1 mile (running, 6.0 mph)

Thursday:
40 (2x20) reps of 45 lb ab crunches
40 (2x20) leg press, 210 lbs + other leg exercises
2 miles (running, 5.6 mph)

Friday:
40 (2x20) reps of 45 lb ab crunches
20 (2x10) reps of 150 lb bench press
Curls (weight / amount of reps varies)
1 mile (running, 6.0 mph)

[MentorX]

I'm curious as to why you say I shouldn't split body areas. Is it because each one of them wouldn't get enough work? I would think that allowing each of them enough time to recover is just as important. I've been doing it that way for years and it seems to be working fine. I just get bored with it.

Frankly, I don't know what I'm looking for. Maybe this was more of a rant that my workouts get boring.
Too much time to recover leads to wasted effort and less progress. It really depends on your goals. You have been doing the same routine for years and it gets boring? It may be time to take up another sport altogether.

[DasBoot]

Me:

Monday :
40 (2x20) reps of 45 lb ab crunches
20 (2x10) reps of 150 lb bench press
2 miles (running, 5.6 mph)

Tuesday:
40 (2x20) reps of 45 lb ab crunches
40 (2x20) leg press, 210 lbs + other leg exercises
2 miles (running, 5.6 mph)

Wednesday:
40 (2x20) reps of 45 lb ab crunches
20 (2x10) reps of 150 lb bench press
Curls (weight / amount of reps varies)
1 mile (running, 6.0 mph)

Thursday:
40 (2x20) reps of 45 lb ab crunches
40 (2x20) leg press, 210 lbs + other leg exercises
2 miles (running, 5.6 mph)

Friday:
40 (2x20) reps of 45 lb ab crunches
20 (2x10) reps of 150 lb bench press
Curls (weight / amount of reps varies)
1 mile (running, 6.0 mph)

Thanks for posting the routine.

This is interesting although I'd probably substitute a lesser cardio workout for the running, b/c I hate running. Do you do anything to work your back and/or shoulders? Also, how long does the lifting part of this take you each day, ballpark?

[Rook]

Thanks for posting the routine.

This is interesting although I'd probably substitute a lesser cardio workout for the running, b/c I hate running. Do you do anything to work your back and/or shoulders? Also, how long does the lifting part of this take you each day, ballpark?

Sorry if I gave you a bit of a runner's routine. I've always been in track and field, and that's essentially a workout that will give you a strong heart, good endurance, and solid abs; but no real huge muscle to speak of.

Here are some tips!

Shoulders : Try using the same bar you'd use to bench-press, and instead, stand up completely straight. Put the bar over your head, as if you were holding on to it. Bring it down slowly behind your head, and then push it back up to the air. Do this 15 - 20 times with around 50 lbs.

Back: I use a machine at the gym that makes you pull on a rope while sitting down with your legs out in front of you. The trick to this is to pull with your back, not with your arms. Grip firmly to the rope, and try to pull it back using your back as pivot. The top of your ass should be sore after this, as well as your entire back. If you can barely walk after you've done this, the workout has been effective. Do about 20 reps of 100 lbs.

Lifting: Every muscle needs time to recover, in order to get toned. This recovery time is crucial in the solidifying of muscle tissue and strengthening of the tendons. In other words, hardcore muscle building workouts should be kept brief, and sparsely performed (unless you want to become a body-builder, and have enormous shoulders).

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I do curls simply to keep my upper body balanced. A nice stomach and chest but flabby arms makes you look like a piece of shit.

There are two approaches to lifting weights:

APPROACH #1 : Heavy Weight
Do about 15 - 20 minutes of hard, painful lifting. I'm talking bench-pressing, pull-ups, curling, etc. Nothing under 50lbs. After this, ignore your arms completely. Let them rest.


APPROACH #2 : Light Weight
Do extremely light stuff (10-15 lbs) but work them a LOT. I sometimes get a lot more of a workout if I curl the 15 pound bells 60 times. You want to do this once per second (and NOT slow down).

[DasBoot]

Good stuff. Thanks.

[shellfish]

I suggest doing something other than staying in a gym lifting weights.
Rock climbing is very good at building muscle strength. Try that. It will fix that boredom issue :)

[Rook]

For the females that read this...

You could also try Rook climbing.