Exercise

[LordShiva]

I think you've got teh right idea about working with a split, but instead of doing it by type of equipment or movement, do it by muscle. I do a three-day split: chest+legs+abs, bis+tris+abs, shoulders+back+abs.

At your level, you probably aren't lifting heavy enough with your legs to justify devoting a full day to them. Also, your dumbbells day is going to tire out too many muscles. Shoulders and chest on the same day diminishes the return on each, too.

Also, 2 exercises of 3 sets each per muscle is pretty low. Teh advantage of my split is that I can superset all my exercises, since working my chest doesn't tire my legs, and vice-versa, so I can do more sets in a given time period (75 mins).

[LordShiva]

On busy weeks when I can work out just twice, I move bis to chest/legs day and tris to shoulders/back day.

[LordShiva]

Finally, lat pulldowns aren't motivating enough to drive improvements, IMO. Try wide-grip pull-ups. You may find them really hard at first (struggling to complete even a few reps), but after just a few workouts you'll find it much easier, which is a good feeling (as is eventually being able to do them with 20kg plates of iron dangling between your legs ).

[Provost Harrison]

Yeah, I am going to be faced with this problem myself. Weekends are going to be fine, I can continue going to the gym then but weekdays may be more tricky. Now if I am not with a client it will be easier than ever as I will be working from home and can go to the gym when I please and work around it. When I am out of the area (or even country) it is going to get more awkward. Fortunately I have jurisdiction over the hotels I can stay in so I hope to find some with gyms in (even if basic), if they've got treadmills and cross trainers then at least I can do the cardiovascular part of my workout. Bear in mind with my build I don't have to work anywhere near as hard to build muscle, and I am as strong as an ox so it isn't a worry for me if I can only do that on weekends and the occasional weekday.

Do you have any experience with getting to the gym when you are away LS?

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
Do you have any experience with getting to the gym when you are away LS?

I'm actually in a hotel in Seattle right now, but since I'm out here so often, I got my company to buy me a membership to teh Washington Athletic Club, which has a hotel where I can stay, and four floors of state-of-teh-art fitness facilities

[Provost Harrison]

That's not a bad strategy. A lot of the hotels I was looking at have gyms and come in within budget. I am in Saarbrucken next week so I am going to have to sort that out too...

I've been going to the gym about 4 times a week, usually about 70-90 minutes of cardiovascular and about 30 minutes of weights. In the CV time I can get quite a lot done (as I said, last time I cycled 5km, rowed 2.5, ran 10 and then did about 250 metres on the step thingy, although I usually run 6 or 8 and do 20 minutes on the cross trainer).

[Jon Miller]

A lot of good hotels ahve some exercise facilities,a lthough they aren't full gyms.

My idea was main muscles monday, legs wednesday, stabilizers/arms friday. And as I said, I got tired with the number of exercises I was doing. I try to work another muscle group between chest/tricep/shoulder workouts.

I generally do treadmill/other cardio machine/bike for cardio right now. I keep thinking I might try swimming, but I haven't swam in a decade.

I will try the pullups, but I haven't been able to do very many normal pullups in my life ever...

I don't know i fyou are familiar with body pump, but it is very low weight and very high rep. I will probably do that two days this week (That is what I am planning now) (going to do tuesday/friday).

Jon Miller

[LordShiva]

I hope you're doing cardio after weights, and not vice-versa.

Another thing you can do is the "pump" exercises as cool-downs after your heavy sets, instead of on a separate day. That would help by blasting your target muscles at once, forcing more growth and plateau-busting, and would also free up two days for other stuff (rest, cardio, whatever).

[Jon Miller]

I generally do cardio on seperate days (or in the morning). Occasionally I do cardio before weights, but not often. My warmup containes 5-10 minutes at a HR of 150-175.

Jon Miller

[Provost Harrison]

Even doing my most strenuous cardio my heart rate never exceeds 160. But it is only about 53 at rest.

[Winston]

It's crazy listening to you guys. How about leading a more active life overall and stop trying to look like little supermen. You're obsessing about this workout regimen almost like anorexia sufferers.

I do hope you get a good meal now and again without worrying about how many extra minutes you will have to spend with the machines at a heart rate of 182.

[DrSpike]

I disagree, and support people who (for whatever reason) decide they want to change their outlook and appearance, and put in the hard work it takes to achieve that.

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by Winston
It's crazy listening to you guys. How about leading a more active life overall and stop trying to look like little supermen. You're obsessing about this workout regimen almost like anorexia sufferers.

I do hope you get a good meal now and again without worrying about how many extra minutes you will have to spend with the machines at a heart rate of 182.

Actually it is quite therapeutic as well - and this is all part of living a more active lifestyle - alas I have a busy job and have to take advantage of the opportunities I have.

[Cort Haus]

There must be something wrong with all this physiogeekery. The obsession sounds unhealthy imo.

[Jon Miller]

To be honest, without the obsession I get really unhealthy. Like having a hard time walking up stairs unhealthy. And it doesn't take long either, just a couple of months.

JM