Epic Exercise Routine

44-Year-Old Epic

Epic Exercise Routine
I'm not a gym rat (I actually work out mostly at home for only about two hours a week total) so I want to get the most gain for the least amount of time spent exercising. I've tried to find scientific studies and information to build a routine. But this is hard to do. Most studies suffer from the same basic flaws.

The studies take sedentary or moderately active people and then put them through an exercise program for 6-8 weeks. This is fine if you want to figure out the best routine for someone planning on working out for 6-8 weeks and quitting! There's no good reason to assume that what works for sedentary people at the beginning of a workout program will continue to be effective after that. The reality is that when you first start weight training it takes about two months to develop the neural pathways necessary to fully utilize your muscles. This can be done with any reasonable training program and during this time you will get about the same strength gains regardless. After that is when you find out if your program is effective. You see this all the time. Someone starts a program. Slings some weights around without any real plan or knowledge of what they are doing. They make great gains in the beginning, but then all of sudden they stop making any gains at all. Then they get discouraged and quit. Then there's the other extreme: They do advanced body building exercises. Peaking out a particular muscle so that it stands out on stage is pointless until you've already developed a substantial base of muscle. Plus my goal is strength, not size. The theory behind weight training is not that complicated, and routines don't need to be all that complicated either. Focus on working the major muscle groups and building overall strength.

Mountain biking is still my primary exercise. Mountain biking works the upper body more than people realize, but it's no match for weight training. And the older you get, the easier it is to lose your upper body strength. So, I have a simple off-the-bike strength routine: Bench press, leg press, curls, pull-ups, pushups, sit-ups, and handstand pushups. I can do these at home, although I do go the gym once a month or so for variety. I also use the occasional gym sessions to cross-train on exercises that I don't do at home. I use a combination of free weights and a Weider Cross Bow (It's called a Cross Bar now). I like the Cross Bow because the resistance is "live." This forces you to use your stabilizer muscles, giving you better overall functional strength than machines with fixed bars. Plus, I can take it with me in my travel trailer on long camping trips.

Disclaimer: YOU should always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program. If you aren't willing to take responsibility for your own actions, then don't follow this routine. In fact, I don't recommend this routine to anyone. It's just a description of what I do. If you haven't trained for a while, start out slow with LIGHT weights. Pick a weight that allows you to do 15-20 reps. Do this for at least two months to give your muscles, joints, and ligaments time to prepare for the real work. Besides, for the first 6-8 weeks you're just preparing your body for the real workout. You'll get about the same results during this time no matter what you do (within reason), so don't risk getting hurt. Don't sling the weights. Often you'll see people in the gym using body English to sling their weight instead of muscle. Besides the fact that this does little to work the desired muscles and thus will not give you good results, it greatly increases your risk of injury. And workout with a partner. It's safer and you're more likely to stick with it.

"If you can't afford a half hour three or four times a week taking care of the most priceless possession, your body, you've got to be sick. You're stupid." - Jack LaLanne
At age 70, he swam 1.5 miles while towing 70 boats with 70 people - and he was handcuffed and shackled.

This is my routine. It focuses on building strength, not bulk. It's not very exciting or fancy, but it gets the job done with a minimum of gym time. That leaves more time for riding!

Repetitions and Sets
How many reps should you do? There seem to be a lot of controversy about this. The following is the general consensus.

Whatever number of reps you choose to do, do them to complete failure. Basically keep going until you are unable to keep moving the bar (or pulling, whatever is appropriate for that exercise). Choose the weight so that you fail on the desired rep. Doing 1 set to complete failure will give you better results than doing 10 sets of going to half failure. This study shows the importance at working at > 80% of your 1 rep maximum. Study on working out to failure.

There are two primary things (that you can change) that determine your strength:

Low reps will increase the percentage of muscle that you can contract at once, while medium reps will develop muscle size (hypertrophy). High reps will increase size and endurance.

For upper body, I pick a weight that I can do a maximum of 6 repetitions. It's important to do as many reps as you can, going to absolute failure. You will need either a spotting partner or a bench with safety stops. When I can do 8 clean reps, I add enough weight (about 2-3%) to bring me back to 6 reps and start the process over. For lower-body exercises, I start with 8 reps and add weight when I can do 10. Most sources recommend 8-10 reps, but I find 6-8 works better for me. Most authorities say to do the concentric (contraction, i.e. the push on a bench press) stage for two seconds and the eccentric (i.e. the return on a bench press) for four seconds. It's hard to find any studies to support this, but it seems to be the accepted standard.

When you go to six reps, you should be able to do it clean. If not, remove some weight. Otherwise, you might find yourself stuck on six reps and you stop making progress.

Note: Studies show that the concentric speed at which you workout has an effect on the speed that you can use your muscle. For example, if you do your reps really slow, then your muscles will not be able to contract very quickly at full power. Super slow sets are a good occasional change of pace exercise, but they shouldn't be you primary style if you are trying to develop speed and power. (Strength is the amount of force you can exert, i.e. how much weight you can lift. Power is speed at which you can move that weight). See Speed Of Weight Training Exercises Improves Performances At Similar Speeds

Note: This Study shows the effects of small versus large increases in weight using this method.

Change is important!!! Your body responds to stress. Create stress by trying to make it do something that it can't. If you normally do 6-8 reps and find that you are no longer making progress, then change. Take some weight off and do 8-10 reps for a month. Likewise, if you do higher reps, add some weight and do lower reps for a while. Force you body to adapt to something different. This happened to me recently. I was just stuck at 6 reps on an exercise. I just couldn't make any progress. I took some weight off so that I was doing 8 reps. I did this until I could do 10 reps and added enough weight to go back to 8 reps. After a month, I switched back to 6 reps and was able to add 15 pounds to my previous 6-rep weight. Had I stubbornly stuck to 6 reps with the original weight, no telling how long I would have been stuck there. Another strategy is after switching the number of reps (e.g. switch from 6-8 to 8-10) and keep doing that until you get stuck again. Then switch it up again. Force your body to adapt to different things.

How Many Sets and Warm-up Sets: Research shows (although this is much debated) that, in terms of strength gains, there is not much difference between doing one set and three sets. Here's some studies (also 1, 2) on the results of doing different numbers of sets. If time is an issue, then do one set. If you have time and enjoy working out, do two. Note: This does not include your warm-up set. For a warm-up set, use about 80% of your the weight you intend to use on your work set and do 10-12 reps. You should NOT go to failure on the warm-up set.

Bodyweight Exercises
and exercises you can you do almost anywhere

Rest Between Sets
For strength training, rest five minutes between sets. This allows time for the stores of ATP and Creatine Phosphate in the muscles to replenish. I will do an upper body set, wait about 2 minutes, do a lower body set, wait two minutes, and the back to the upper body.

Rest Between Sessions
I do my routine every other day. Most people need about 48 hours to recover from a workout. Remember, the training tells the muscles they need to grow, but it's during the rest that they do the growing. Without proper rest, you will eventually reach a state of overtraining and progress will stop.

How Fast Should You Expect to Progress?
This depends on your condition when you start and everyone will be different. Everyone has a genetic limitation as to how strong they can get. The closer you are to that limit, the slower your progress will be. That's the bad news. The good news is few people ever get anywhere near their limit. Early on, you will find that you improve rapidly, but eventually you will plateau. Take my bench press for example: Early on, I was adding about 10 pounds to the bar every week. Then it dropped to 5 a week. After I reached a workout weight of 210 pounds, I was happy to add 5 pounds to the bar every two weeks. Now it's even slower.

Use your repetitions to
Estimate Your 1-Rep Maximum

Pull-ups

Pull-ups are a great core exercise. They use large muscle groups plus plenty of stabilizer muscles. I use the chinup bar that slips into your doorway without screws, bolts, glue, etc., so you can take it down when you need to. It has multiple hand positions so that you can do a variety of chinup styles plus you it can be used on the floor for pushups and sit-ups.

A less expensive alternative is the Folding Sit-Up Bar.
After a while, you will get to where doing pull-ups with both arms doesn't provide enough resistance, but you are not yet strong enough to do them one armed. You can either swap to a machine, use a weight belt, or do a cheater's one-arm pull-up. To do a cheater's one-arm pull-up, do it like you would a regular one-arm pull-up, but grab the exercising arm's wrist with your free hand to provide an assist.
See Bodyweight Exercises for another alternative that doesn't require any special equipment.

Bench Press

Nothing fancy, just a basic bench press with safety stops. The safety stops allow you to safely go to complete failure without the aide of a spotting partner. Two seconds up, four seconds down. I swap back and forth between the Cross Bow and free weights. See Bodyweight Exercises for an alternative that doesn't require any equipment. Compare your bench press to others.

Leg Press
Want to develop your upper body? Work your legs hard. It has been said that the upper body can built by using only leg exercises. While this is some what of an exaggeration, the basic principle is true. The legs contain the bulk of your body's muscles. Working them hard causes hormones to be released that are not only good for your overall health, but will enhance the results of your upper body workouts.

I guess the Cross Bow worked. I have the 440-pound option (note: due to the progressive resistance aspect of the Cross Bow, this isn't as hard as 440 pounds of free weight). It was enough resistance when I got it, but eventually I had to switch to working one leg at time, and then after a while, it wasn't even enough for that. I'm considering welding on some springs to increase the resistance. I now use a separate leg press machine from New York Barbells. I also like squats, but I've reached the point where I don't think it's safe without a spotter, especially if you're going to failure. I still do squats, but only with spotters or on a Smith machine. The Smith machine is a good way for someone starting out to learn how to do squats. See more leg press machines. See Wikipedia for a description of the proper form for leg press. See Bodyweight Exercises for an alternative that doesn't require any equipment. Compare your squat to pro athletes.

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Pushups

Use something to lift your hands off the floor so that you can dip down deep on each push-up. I use pushup bars for convenience, but a pair of solid blocks works good to. Forget the reps and just do as many as you can doing them nice and slow. I leave the bars laying around and just do them every so often.

Handstand Pushups
This is advanced and you may not want or be able to do it. Don't try it until you have been working out for a while. In the meantime, use a standard overhead press to build up your strength. This is what I do: Find a wall with PLENTY of floor space around it. Place a hard cushion on the floor and put your head on it. Do a three-point hands-and-head stand with your back to the wall and your feet against the wall for balance. Wear shoes - you WILL fall from time to time and you don't want to stub your toes. Use your arms to raise and lower yourself. As you get better, try to do it without your feet touching the wall. Don't forget, this is an ADVANCED exercise. You WILL fall from time to time. Make sure you have plenty of room and that your bones and joints are strong enough to withstand the fall before attempting these. Actually, now that I think about it, a standard overhead press is probably a better idea. I just enjoy doing these.

Hamstrings
Leg curls are great for the hamstrings, but require a machine. A good alternative is the stiff-legged deadlift, but these require proper form and caution to prevent injury. You should get proper instruction before attempting the deadlift.

Seated Rows
Another exercise that's easier on a machine, but bench rows work too.
See description.

Balance Ball
Good fun when you're watching TV. I use a cheap rubber basketball and simply try to stand on it. Make sure the coast is clear and you have something to grab on to because obviously you are going to fall a lot. You should be able to get fairly good at this in just a few weeks. It helps if it's not quite fully inflated. It's easier if your feet are close together, but you'll be amazed at how much it works your inner thighs when your feet are apart. Rubber is better than leather (and cheaper) because your shoes (wear shoes) don't slip as easily.

Performance Enhancing Drugs
The purpose of exercise is to improve your health, not wreck it. If you are determined to use drugs, be smart about it and do it under a doctor's (not just some guy in the gym's) supervision to ensure that you don't do permanent damage to your body. You're better off without them. And YOU CAN achieve good results without them.

Supplements
My personal opinion is that most supplements are junk. If it doesn't have solid peer-reviewed scientific research to support it, then it's probably junk. See Lessons from Cold Fusion -or- Beware of Science by Press Conference. Ingesting a particular chemical does not necessarily cause it to increase its amount in your body or muscles. There's a long complicated process between your stomach's digestive acids and your muscles. Many substances simply get broken down and excreted. Just my humble opinion. Stick to the basics. Exercise right, eat right, sleep right. Protein supplements can simplify your meals when trying to gain weight, but good food will do just as well. Eggs are a great source of protein. Eat just the whites if you are concerned about cholesterol. Here's an interesting article on cycling supplements. Two common supplements that appear to be safe and effective are Creatine Monohydrate and L-Glutamine.

Creatine Monohydrate (CM) has numerous studies showing that it enhances muscle-building gains by allowing the user to perform a more intense workout. However, if you are not working out at full intensity, then it's not likely to provide any long-term benefits.

The long term effects of CM use is not clear although it appears to be safe. CM also causes a weight gain due to water retention. This goes away a few weeks after use is discontinued. Another important thing about CM is that the body can only store a limited amount, making overdosing difficult. This also means that taking more than the recommended 5 grams/day is a waste of money and just more work for your kidneys, since you body will simply excrete it. Many people recommend a preloading phase, such as 20 grams/day for four days, but studies show that this is not necessary. It should be taken with carbohydrates, such a fruit juice or a sugared drink. Since it is stored by the body, it doesn't really matter if you take before, during, or after exercise. It is also recommended that its use is discontinued for one week of each month. The serum is NOT as effective as the powder.

Creatine and endurance athletes: CM does not provide significant benefit for endurance events, and because of the water weight gain associated with its use, is probably more of a detriment. However, it can be useful during the strength training phases to build muscle, but should be discontinued four weeks before an actual event to reduce the water weight gain.

L-Glutamine has been shown to help prevent muscles from being catabolized (consumed) in order to provide Glutamine for other cells in the body. This helps preserve the gains made by hard training sessions, which deplete Glutamine levels. It also has been shown to reduce the effects of immune system degradation as a result of overtraining. However, the benefit is small and somewhat disputed, but it is also fairly inexpensive. The recommended dose is generally about 10 grams per day 30 minutes after a workout or at bedtime on non-workout days.

Notes
This is not the best routine for a body builder, but I like it for building overall strength and minimizing exercise time. I'm primarily a cyclist, so my goal is to maximize strength while minimizing bulk. And I'm no doctor or sports physiologist. I've read numerous books and articles on the subject. Some recommend different exercises, some recommend more reps, others recommend less reps. Through trial and error, I've found what works for me. But, what's works for me may not be right for you. This omits a lot of the standard exercises. By occasionally doing the omitted exercises, such as incline press, to test my strength gains I can tell if those muscles are progressing or not. If they are not, then I adjust my routine. If you aren't adding reps or weight to your exercises few workouts, then try something different.

History
I used to stay in good shape through running and weight lifting. I was in pretty good shape when I got out of the service, but a few years working overtime behind a desk changed all that. One day I saw a picture of myself in a swim suit and said "Oh #&*%@, this has got to change!" I had broken 200 pounds. I only weighed 140 when I got out of the service. I bought a bike trainer to burn calories and borrowed a Soloflex from a friend to build muscle. I didn't really like the fact that it used a fixed bar, but it worked well and was a good starter machine - and I did gain strength with it. You can get them pretty cheap used. When my friend needed it back, I got the Cross Bow. At the time, I didn't have room for free weights. But since purchasing a house with a basement, I have added some. I'm now a fairly solid 165 pounds and regularly participate in ultra-distance (60-100 mile) mountain bike races. I've even made it to the podium a couple of times.

Weight Lifting and Cycling
Want to start an argument? Go to a group of cyclists and ask whether a cyclist should train with weights or not.
Lance Armstrong's coach recommends strength training in the winter, while many coaches recommend against it.
The confusion stems from the lack of properly done studies, the confusion between professional cyclists and weekend warriors, and strength training vs. bodybuilding. More>>

Bored with Indoor Training?
It's raining outside and you're suffering from exercise withdrawal. But you're considering giving the cat a bath in order to avoid riding on that trainer. Well, it doesn't have to be like that. More>>

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