The Mature thread

[Donny]

I did 4 sets an exercise for delt and arms. The only unusual thing for me is that I pyramided  but kept the reps the same. So for an exercise I might have did 4 sets of 8 reps but every set I upped the weight.

I'm becoming convinced that doing a lot of sets for an exercise isn't for me.  I just can't stand repeating an exercise too many times. I want to do a set or two to failure and be done. Doing 4 sets of an exercise seems like I'm spinning my wheels doing to many sub maximal sets. It also takes a lot of time unless you are rushing through your sets with light weight.  

interesting is you are on one side a runner with endurance and with your weight training not so. It could be that you expend too much energy on your running.

[wild willie]

leg work:


lying leg curls   4 sets

unilateral leg curls  4 sets

squats  3 sets

leg presses  3 sets

leg extensions  3 sets

[wild willie]

I do what i feel like on the Day. I maybe mid workout swap an exercise because it feels right at the time. i used to write stuff down but i stopped because i never stuck to it. IŽll stick with my "meats and Bones" exercises but i might throw in extra sets/fewer sets...an extra exercise if i feel like it. Maybe on the Day BB Benches donŽt feel right..so iŽll  superset Push ups and DB flyes. maybe Dips. 

I feel the exact same way......following your instincts is the way to go!!

[oldtimer1]

interesting is you are on one side a runner with endurance and with your weight training not so. It could be that you expend too much energy on your running.

Absolutely possible. I would never call myself a bodybuilder. I'm into being in shape and being an athlete. Yes, my running is for endurance and the weights are for strength. No, I haven't got it all figured out after lifting for decades. 

[oldtimer1]

yeah...I tried that what ur saying example warmed and did not count fb press 50/60 then jumped right to 80's instead building to it and foe a few chest workouts I pressed them easier amd mor ereps and then go up 85/90 max then I get hurt and back to struggling with 80's

I just find it better when I do flat dumbbell bench presses to do one warm up set of 8 reps with 45 pounds. Then two real work sets of 8 reps with 70 to 90 pounds. If I do 4 or 5 sets I feel like I'm just wasting time doing sub maximal sets. Since I'm 55 with a lot of joint issues I know it's only a matter of time before I become a true volume guy where I use the same weight for every set and through exhaustion the last set of 4 or 5 sets becomes failure. I'm still on a quest to find the optimal way for me to work out. Today my bad shoulder made grinding noises through my sets. My one elbow screamed with every lock out. My left Achilles was sore. I never had knee issues in my life but surprise now I have one. Decades upon decade of lifting heavy is catching up with me. Ask any dedicated  trainer who is a life time lifter if they have major joint issues in their 50's. If they say they don't they never trained heavy.

[Donny]

Absolutely possible. I would never call myself a bodybuilder. I'm into being in shape and being an athlete. Yes, my running is for endurance and the weights are for strength. No, I haven't got it all figured out after lifting for decades. 

the wise ones from us are still learning. Always willing to learn  a new trick .

[oldtimer1]

Went to a roof top bar on the beach with a great dj. So many girls dancing in their bikinis it looked like a rapper video on MTV. I did get a compliment. A twenty something girl with a 230 lb juiced to the gills bodybuilder told my wife kudos on your husband. My wife told me after. Maybe my little 180lbs is working for me. LOL.

Going to tone down the cardio for two weeks. Donny made a suggestion that maybe I was over doing it. Going to let my running injuries heal up a bit. I'll hit the weights hard for two weeks then I'm going on vacation to South Carolina. I know I'm nuts in that I live by a beach and I'm driving 600 miles to another beach but change is good for the soul.

[wild willie]

delts and bis:

hammer presses   4 sets

cable side laterals  4 sets

reverse pec deck   4 sets

hammer shrugs   4 sets

standing ez bar curls  5 sets

db preacher curls  5 sets

[njflex]

Went to a roof top bar on the beach with a great dj. So many girls dancing in their bikinis it looked like a rapper video on MTV. I did get a compliment. A twenty something girl with a 230 lb juiced to the gills bodybuilder told my wife kudos on your husband. My wife told me after. Maybe my little 180lbs is working for me. LOL.

Going to tone down the cardio for two weeks. Donny made a suggestion that maybe I was over doing it. Going to let my running injuries heal up a bit. I'll hit the weights hard for two weeks then I'm going on vacation to South Carolina. I know I'm nuts in that I live by a beach and I'm driving 600 miles to another beach but change is good for the soul.

[njflex]

leg day..

hack squat,,warmed 2 plates per side x15,then did 3/4/5/6 ..last set 6 plates for 8 was like weight of world on my shoulders..
lying leg sled 200/240/260 sets 10
walking lunges 80lbs on back x2
extensions 220/235/250 sets 12

hams
lying leg curls 140/150/160
seated leg curl 180/195/210

calves
leg press x3
seated calf raises x3

[Donny]

Went to a roof top bar on the beach with a great dj. So many girls dancing in their bikinis it looked like a rapper video on MTV. I did get a compliment. A twenty something girl with a 230 lb juiced to the gills bodybuilder told my wife kudos on your husband. My wife told me after. Maybe my little 180lbs is working for me. LOL.

Going to tone down the cardio for two weeks. Donny made a suggestion that maybe I was over doing it. Going to let my running injuries heal up a bit. I'll hit the weights hard for two weeks then I'm going on vacation to South Carolina. I know I'm nuts in that I live by a beach and I'm driving 600 miles to another beach but change is good for the soul.

Those South Carolina Babes look great to me 

[Donny]

Tonight Chest..

Flat DB press 3-4 sets
machine flyes 3-4 sets
Incline BB press3-4 sets
Incline DB flyes 3-4 sets

push ups 1-2 max reps

Abs: machine crunches  cardio: cross trainer 30-45 mins.

[oldtimer1]

Those South Carolina Babes look great to me 

A friend of mine is a big fan of the South Carolina cocks football team. I know some of you are from England and Scotland. The Cock refers to fighting male chickens.  It's there mascot. My friend is always talking about the cocks. I really try not to burst out laughing.

[Donny]

A friend of mine is a big fan of the South Carolina cocks football team. I know some of you are from England and Scotland. The Cock refers to fighting male chickens.  It's there mascot. My friend is always talking about the cocks. I really try not to burst out laughing.

yeah..sorry man but i could not resist posting it...

[oldtimer1]

Trained entire body again. Just going to run a short two miles tomorrow on my off day. Really felt broken down last week. Way to much running when combined with lifting left me feeling horrible. Just going to see how 2 miles feels on my off day. I should take a complete break for a week but I'm too nuts to do that.

[njflex]

chest/tri/abs @home..
warmed then went right to work sets like oldtimer..
chest press seated wide grip x2 sets 10

inner side grip x2x10

inc db press x2 x10

db flye flat supeset with db pullover x2

fdb press turn hands in at palms face supeset decline pushups x2

tris
pushdowns x3

superset incline close grip skull cushers with close grip press

kick backs x2

old school bench feet propped up dips x3

abs
floor crunches superset with lying leg raises x3

[Donny]

Trained entire body again. Just going to run a short two miles tomorrow on my off day. Really felt broken down last week. Way to much running when combined with lifting left me feeling horrible. Just going to see how 2 miles feels on my off day. I should take a complete break for a week but I'm too nuts to do that.

i like to throw in some cycling too with running.  really works the muscles around the knee. I think it helps prevent joint pain. well it helps me. so tonight i will do legs..

i think i will try a stevo Giant set tonight as i will be working out fairly late before we close so will need to work fast. training Antagonistic muscles.

Squats
Seated Leg Curls
Leg Press
stiff legged Dead lifts

Calves i will do time permitting and the Giant set might also include leg extensions. sets at least 3 if time permits 4-5 per exercise.

This type of Giant set is not so intense as training a single muscle group but i like working opposite muscles together at times. Legs, arms, chest/back perfect.

[oldtimer1]

chest/tri/abs @home..
warmed then went right to work sets like oldtimer..
chest press seated wide grip x2 sets 10

inner side grip x2x10

inc db press x2 x10

db flye flat supeset with db pullover x2

fdb press turn hands in at palms face supeset decline pushups x2

tris
pushdowns x3

superset incline close grip skull cushers with close grip press

kick backs x2

old school bench feet propped up dips x3

abs
floor crunches superset with lying leg raises x3

Like I said before I haven't got all the answers. I just find if I hit two work sets with one non taxing warm up set and no warm up  as I hit the second exercise for a body part I can use heavier weight than spinning my wheels with two or three sets of sub maximal sets before pyramiding to that top weight. Of course something like leg presses and squats might take more than one warm up set. Tell me what you think about it Njflex. We all know there is no one way to train or optimal way to train for everyone or we would all be on the same program.

[oldtimer1]

i like to throw in some cycling too with running.  really works the muscles around the knee. I think it helps prevent joint pain. well it helps me. so tonight i will do legs..

i think i will try a stevo Giant set tonight as i will be working out fairly late before we close so will need to work fast. training Antagonistic muscles.

Squats
Seated Leg Curls
Leg Press
stiff legged Dead lifts

Calves i will do time permitting and the Giant set might also include leg extensions. sets at least 3 if time permits 4-5 per exercise.

This type of Giant set is not so intense as training a single muscle group but i like working opposite muscles together at times. Legs, arms, chest/back perfect.

I think this is the first summer I didn't throw in some bike riding. Never injured myself on a bike unless I crashed.    Great form of cardio. I'm not a very good cyclist but I if I go out for an hour ride I try to never coast but keep pedaling the entire way. I never feel the weakness from cycling that can feel sometimes from a hard distance run. Don't understand the underlining reasons why.  I use to ride a racing type bike but the comfort for me was terrible. Now I use a really nice hybrid bike. I go a lot slower with the thicker tires and upright seating position but I am working out with the same effort so the comfort is worth it to me.

[njflex]

Like I said before I haven't got all the answers. I just find if I hit two work sets with one non taxing warm up set and no warm up  as I hit the second exercise for a body part I can use heavier weight than spinning my wheels with two or three sets of sub maximal sets before pyramiding to that top weight. Of course something like leg presses and squats might take more than one warm up set. Tell me what you think about it Njflex. We all know there is no one way to train or optimal way to train for everyone or we would all be on the same program.

I hear ya,,,I like that u have that nice home gym,i go to gym but I have a home set up which is enough if I tax myself with supersets or pump type rep sets I can get by ,I have 3 kids and wife that works nites if I have no sitter or she's on schedule I have to train at home ,otherwise 4 days at gym no problem.i work around it and never get stale so its working

[oldtimer1]

I hear ya,,,I like that u have that nice home gym,i go to gym but I have a home set up which is enough if I tax myself with supersets or pump type rep sets I can get by ,I have 3 kids and wife that works nites if I have no sitter or she's on schedule I have to train at home ,otherwise 4 days at gym no problem.i work around it and never get stale so its working

I hear you on having difficultly with work and family. I had a lot of obstacles such as working revolving shifts. Working steady nights. Driving 105 miles to work at 3:30AM. With my 4 kids it wasn't always easy getting the workouts in. Luckily my job in quite few locations have gyms that I would hit when work allowed. Combining that with my home gym I always got the workouts in. I think the most difficult was the night shift. I always felt exhausted and sleep deprived.

Now that I'm retired I find I have all the time in the world but sometimes when you are the most busy you can paradoxically get the most productive workouts in. Larry Scott once wrote in effect, "During my prime I worked a 8 hour shift. I then hit the gym for two hours then went to night school." He said they were the most productive workouts he ever had.

[njflex]

I hear you on having difficultly with work and family. I had a lot of obstacles such as working revolving shifts. Working steady nights. Driving 105 miles to work at 3:30AM. With my 4 kids it wasn't always easy getting the workouts in. Luckily my job in quite few locations have gyms that I would hit when work allowed. Combining that with my home gym I always got the workouts in. I think the most difficult was the night shift. I always felt exhausted and sleep deprived.

Now that I'm retired I find I have all the time in the world but sometimes when you are the most busy you can paradoxically get the most productive workouts in. Larry Scott once wrote in effect, "During my prime I worked a 8 hour shift. I then hit the gym for two hours then went to night school." He said they were the most productive workouts he ever had.

I NEVER MISS.. I LOVE TRAINING,,, GET IT IN SOMEHOW..

[wild willie]

arm work this eve:


rope pushdowns   4 sets

pullover press  4 sets

overhead rope extensions   4 sets


standing ez bar curls   4 sets

one arm preacher curls  4 sets

hammer rope curls  4 sets

[Donny]

arm work this eve:


rope pushdowns   4 sets

pullover press  4 sets

overhead rope extensions   4 sets


standing ez bar curls   4 sets

one arm preacher curls  4 sets

hammer rope curls  4 sets

Nice work George i like the Pullover+press

[njflex]

day off yesterday ...train tonite ..

sample my eating day today

meal 1 ate already whole wheat pita with eggbeaters/PEPPERS/TURKEY..Coffee italian roast  with fat free hazelnut creamer 'sweet tooth'

rest of workday packed
greek yogurt vanilla/scoop choc whey/banana

tuna made with low fat Italian dressing/whole wheat bread
wheat crackers
cup blueberries
peach
cherry /pomegranate snack bar
vitamin water

dinner????and after workout meal to be determined...